Percy Thomas Owen (1864 - 1936)

Born 1864 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Florence Hilda (Flood) Owen — married 10 Feb 1897 in Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Sylvia Honor May (Hoad) Barnett — married 3 Apr 1929 (to 16 Jun 1936) in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Died 16 Jun 1936 at about age 72 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Percy Thomas Owen CBE was born in 1864 at Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second son of Percy Owen, a solicitor, and Eleanor Haylock.^[1] He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and the University of Sydney. He was a military and civil engineer.^[2]

In 1884-86 he had served as an officer in the New South Wales Volunteer Artillery. He rejoined in February 1889, when appointed resident engineer for military works in the southern division of New South Wales. Next year he was promoted assistant engineer, taking charge of defence works under construction at Wollongong.^[2]

Percy married Florence Flood in St Mark's Church of England (Anglican Church), Darling Point, New South Wales, on 10th February 1897.^[3]

Late in 1899 Owen was chosen as a special service officer in the South African War. He sailed in January, and served briefly as staff officer to Major General (Sir) Edward Hutton. In April he became staff officer, Royal Engineers, at Kimberley; here he fell sick, was invalided to England and in September resumed his former appointment in Sydney.^[2]

Owen took up the appointment in March 1904, transferring to the reserve of officers, and being retained from 1906 as honorary consulting military engineer to the Department of Defence. The public works branch which Owen headed—as director general from 1907—controlled nearly all Commonwealth architectural and engineering work.^[2]

He divorced his wife in June 1928 and on 3rd April 1929 married Sylvia Hoad at Randwick, New South Wales.^[4]

He passed away on 16th June 1936 at Wollongong.^[5] He was survived by his second wife, however, had no children.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW Government. Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Unamed male Owen, Birth. Registration number: 16582/1864, District: Wollongong. Births search page note that he was unnamed on birth registration
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} McNicoll, Ronald. Owen, Robert Haylock (1862–1927), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1988; accessed online 27 Oct 2019
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #2195/1897
4. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #6352/1929
5. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #8410/1936