John Butters

Sir John Henry Butters KBE (December 23, 1885 - July 29, 1969) was an Australian electrical engineer notable for his role in the Tasmanian Hydro-electric Department from 1914 to 1924 and as the head of the Federal Capital Commission which developed Canberra between 1925 and 1930.

Butters was born in Hampshire and trained as an electrical engineer at Hartley College, Southampton. He moved to Australia in 1909.

He is best known for his role as Chief Commissioner of the Federal Capital Commission. The FCC was active during the early expansion of Canberra, and was successful in planning and building many significant buildings. For his role in the city's development he is sometimes referred to as the ‘Founder of Canberra’.

Butters left Canberra in 1929 for Sydney, where he made a career as a consulting engineer, which continued until his retirement in 1954.

Butters Drive in the Canberra suburb of Phillip is named in his honour. He was an inaugural inductee into the Canberra Engineering Hall of Fame.

John Butters Power Station, Tasmania is named after him.

References

* The Canberra Engineering Hall of Fame. 2004. [http://www.ieaust.org.au/about_us/divisions/canberra/res/downloads/HoF_Inductees.pdf Inaugural Inductees - 2002]
* [http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001132b.htm Butters, John Henry (1885 - 1969)]
*http://www.usyd.edu.au/alumni/about/vales/john_butters.shtml