David, Charles St. John

DAVID, Charles St. John (1855–1924) was born as Richard Thomas Sargent at Chepstowe, Monmouthshire, Wales, son of Thomas Sargent, a coal merchants’ clerk, and Sarah Ely Fryer. By 1871 Sargent was working as a builder’s apprentice at Chepstow, and in 1877 at Wokingham, Berkshire he married Amy Catherine Brant. But two years later he deserted his family and migrated to Queensland, changing his name to Charles St John David. After working for Queensland Railways for three years, David entered partnership from April 1883 with the civil engineer FG BROWN as BROWN & DAVID, architects and civil engineers, in Brisbane. In 1888 David was an examiner in architectural and mechanical drawing for the School of Arts Technical College. When elected a Fellow of the Queensland Institute of Architects in 1891. he claimed to have been a member of the “Institution of Structural Engineers, London” but not apparently the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Late that year, the partnership was dissolved with Brown having already returned to London. Shortly afterwards David moved to Tasmania after successfully applying for the position of Engineer and Surveyor to the Municipal Council, Launceston. He took up the position in March 1892 and his work for the Council over the next 32 years, established Launceston as a model municipality. Later he considered returning to Queensland, applying unsuccessfully for the position of Brisbane City Engineer in 1901. After he died on holidays at Sydney, he was accorded a public funeral in Launceston. Only much later was his name-change discovered.