George Cooper Kekwick

(1870- 1961)

George Cooper Kekwick received an OBE and a US Civil Meritorious Service Medal in 1946 for his excellent work as General Manager of the State Engineering Works and General Engineer Advisor for the Allied Fleets in Fremantle Harbour during WWll. For 30 years he lived at 20 Allen st, East Fremantle.

George Cooper Kekwick was born 7 Sept 1870 in Leytonston, Essex England. He completed a 7 year apprenticeship as a Joiner with the North London Railways before migrating  to Western Australia in July 1911 on the Osterley. He joined the WA Government Service in 1913.

Kekwick settled in Fremantle, initially living at 63 Cantonment St and enlisted there for World War 1 in Sept 1916, age 26. (reference). After spending time at the Rolleystone training camp, he embarked for England on the HMAS Persic in December 1916, serving with the 28 Infantry Battalion 9-18 reinforcements, (reference). As a private with the 6th Motor Transport section he spent a year fighting in France before returning home to Fremantle, on the Takada in July 1919. (reference).

From 1921- 1925 he worked as a coach maker and lived at 59 Cantonment St Fremantle.

On April 26 1926 he married Mary Fenwick Wilson (1887-1973) from Glasgow, Scotland. Mary may have joined her sister Jessie (married John Jolly) who immigrated in 1920. George and Mary moved to 20 Allen Street, East Fremantle in 1930.

George became a Foreman at the WA State Engineering Works (SEW) in 1926 and from 1937 was Manager of the Works, situated on prime elevated land in Rocky Bay, North Fremantle. (Demolished in 1988)

According to the Sunday Times, he was a ‘enthusiastic motorist’ and was featured with his car in 1935. (reference)

When World War ll broke out, George as Manager of the SEW, became heavily involved in the war effort.

1942 - ENGINEERING WORKS. War Tasks Being Done. On Wednesday afternoon an official party comprising the Premier (Mr. Willcock), the Minister for Works (Mr. Millington), the Director of Works (Mr. R. J. Dumas), the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Mr. Sleeman) and Mr. T. Fox, M.L.A., visited the State Engineering Works at Fremantle. The party was met by. Mr. C. L. Henderson, Mechanical Engineer of the Public Works Department, and Mr. G. C. Kekwick, manager of the works. [...] The works are meeting the requirements of shipping, both for repairs and carrying out necessary naval equipment. The personnel are frequently called upon to work extremely long hours and have received many commendations from those in authority for the manner and speed in which they have carried out the work. (reference)

1942 - Workers Buy War Bonds: At the State Engineering Works yesterday £1300 worth of war bonds were applied for after a. half hour rally at the works. Manager G. C. Kekwick said that he was pleased with the response, added that the half-hour would be made up in quick time. The sum of £10,000 in bonds and the addition of 1000 subscribers to the loan is in sight as a direct result of the work of the unit and its service members. (reference)

1943 - Universal Carrier HANDING-OVER CEREMONY: The first universal carrier to be completed in this State was officially handed over to the Munitions Board of Area Management by the Minister for Works, Mr. Millington, on Monday… The Director of Works was chairman at the gathering, and other speakers were Mr. H. L. Brisbane, chairman of the Board of Area Management, Mr. J. T. Tonkin. M.L.A.. Mr. Kekwick, Manager of the Works, and Mr. Williams, representing the employees. (reference)

 1945 - Fremantle Refitting Corvettes Faster Than In East: Corvettes are being refitted in W.A. in 6 weeks compared with 8 weeks for the same job in the East. This has been achieved by the State Engineering Works… “We have had great assistance from naval engineers and tribute must be paid to Mr. Geo. Kekwick, manager of the works, for obtaining the necessary machinery.” (reference)

Men worked on 12 hour shifts during World War II, thanks to the needs of the Allied military forces. The Works fabricated bren gun carriers, submarine propeller shafts and floating docks, and made emergency repairs for hospitals, airfields and harbours.

Fremantle Port was largest Submarine base in Southern Hemisphere.  At least 170 submarines from American, British and Dutch navies used the facility. The first American Submarine arrived in 1942 and by 1943 the US Navy had established a repair facility at North Pier.

In addition to the Australian requirements, the Works also helped the American Navy with repairs to their submarines. In his book Sink ‘em All:  Submarine Warfare in the Pacific, Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, the U.S. Navy commander of the Pacific submarine fleet during World War 2 wrote: 

“With the replacement of Otus at Fremantle by Holland, our capacity for effecting repairs to our submarines was greatly improved. In addition to the facilities of our tender’s shops, we had, through the efforts of Commander ‘Dutch’ Will, our very efficient force Engineer Officer, obtained the assistance of the State Engineering Works - Mr G. C. Kekwick - of North Fremantle to absorb some of the Holland’s overload” (reference)

In 1946, after the war had ended, George was given recognition for these efforts and awarded an Order of the British Empire. (reference)

1946: Announcement of the award of the O.B.E. to Mr. George Kekwick, manager of the State Engineering Works, North Fremantle, has also met with general approval. Employees considered it was a great honour for the works, that their war efforts should have been so recognised, and Mr. Kekwick was congratulated by men in all branches of the works today. (reference)

1946: He was also recognised by the U.S. Navy:

Mr. C. L. Henderson, mechanical and plant engineer of the Works Department, and Mr. G. C. Kekwick, manager of the State Engineering Works, Leighton, have each received the United States meritorious civilian service award. The awards were made by the US. Navy Department, Washington, in recognition of the results achieved by the engineering works for the US Navy during the 17 months ended September 20, 1945. Included in the work done were repairs to a floating dock and the servicing of submarines. (reference)

George achieved remarkable results considering the period was also difficult because of negotiations and confrontations over workers rights.

1943 - Moulders Win: Overtime for jobbing moulders at the State Imps, is now rostered. In shops where overtime is not worked by all, rostering is the rule of the Moulders' Union. This rule has been flouted by State Imps. manager Kekwick for some time. He claims that special work needs specialised moulders. Moulders' secretary Bert Hewitt instructed the shop steward that no overtime should be worked until a roster was introduced. A conference was held and manager Kekwick agreed to abide by the union rule. The union claims that an apprenticed moulder is able to do any moulding work. Experience in other shops has shown that a variety of jobs makes work less tedious and increases output. (reference)

1944 - Everyone will appreciate the installation of the electric urns at the State Eng. Work. These should be working within a few days and will be a vast improvement. What Manager Kekwick was unable to procure in 12 months was obtained within a few days by the joint efforts of the unions, the men and the Welfare Committee. This is further proof that the concern, the management and the men have everything to gain by a policy of cooperation. (reference)

1946 - Morning Tea At SEW: Workers at the State Engineering Works will enjoy morning tea at  Id. per cup from the middle of March. This is the result of the deputation from the Welfare Committee which met the manager, Mr. Kekwick, to discuss shop conditions. F. Wilde, J. Mutton and J. Marshall comprised the deputation. The company which will operate the morning: tea scheme until it gets on its feet estimates that there is £1 per day profit to be made. When the works Canteen Committee! takes over the scheme, the profits will be used for a library for the works. Communist Jim Marshall asked that a letter be written to the Minister for Works, Mr. Hawke, asking that another floor be added to the canteen for use of a library and recreation room... Extra floor would mean that the canteen would then seat 600 men. Once the 40-hour week is inaugurated and the men have one hour for dinner, it is hoped to invite speakers to address the men on Labor policy. This would present an excellent opportunity to the Labor Government to educate the workers according to its declared policy. Mr Kekwick agreed to this principle. Question of the blowers in the foundry was taken up with the manager these blowers which had previously not been connected up for 2 years have now been put into operation in the foundry and pattern shop. Workers now work in much  greater comfort, free from suffocating dust. (reference)

1946 - Improvements In SEW Shops: Communists at the State Engineering Works were responsible for organising a deputation to works manager, Mr. Kekwick, to get action on needed improvements to the shops. Work has already begun on a complete new drainage system in the shops, one of the questions raised by the deputation. Material has also been procured for a bike shed to be erected by men who intend to use the shed.

• Alarms are to be installed in the shops through which the locomotive travels.

• The welding shop is to be extended by 70 feet. At present it is small and cramped.

• Investigations are to be made into the possibilities of installing a loud speaker system  throughout the works.

• Repairs and spray painting of the roof to be done at Christmas in order not to cause inconvenience to the men.

A truck and line has already been installed in the foundry to facilitate the handling of heavy jobs. This was another of the points taken up by the deputation. The Welfare Committee of the SEW will approach the Minister for Works asking his permission for an afternoon break for the men. (reference)

With the outbreak of World War II, the Federal Government formed the Commonwealth Land Transport Board (CLTB) to take responsibility for the country's land transport networks. In 1942, the CLTB appointed the Commissioner of Railways in Western Australia, Joseph Ellis, to investigate the capacity of Australia's narrow gauge network and recommend what locomotives should be purchased. Ellis recommended that three variations of Garratt locomotive be purchased .(reference)

After the war, in 1947 George continued his role of negotiating with workers by serving on the A.S.G Locomotive Industrial Board to oversee the introduction of the Garratt locomotives. (reference)

In 1953, George was also awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal for community service. (reference) In later years, Mr Kekwick  enjoyed playing Golf and was regularly featured in the Royal Fremantle Club results. (reference) (reference). 

George and Mary Kekwick remained in Allen Street until George died on 3 July 1961 at the age of 71  (reference). He was cremated in Fremantle cemetery.

Mary Kekwick lived on in the house until 1968. She died in 1973, aged 86 years old. She was also buried in Fremantle Cemetery.

Reference- Who’s Who in Australia 1921-1950.
The State Engineering Works continued to operate until the late 1980s, concentrating on supplying import replacements and manufacturing equipment for the mining industry. A new foundry was completed in 1981, but by this time, the other shops were outdated and inadequate. In 1983, the Works manufactured the famed secret winged keel for America's Cup challenger, Australia II. The Works closed in 1987 and the following year, the City of Fremantle rezoned the land from industrial to residential. The Government announced its plans to sell the site and accepted Jimwa's proposal for a staged residential development. By 1992, the site had been cleared of contaminants to the satisfaction of the authorities, and the first lots were auctioned in May of that year. (reference) State Heritage Office, Perth. There is now a lovely public walk that follows the clifftop and commemorates the old SEW site. see plaque opposite.