Arthur Joseph West facts for kids
Arthur Joseph West (born 1863 in Bromsgrove, England; died November 2, 1937, in Bexhill-on-Sea, England) was a British engineer. He was very important in building railways in Borneo. Under his leadership, the Labuan Coal Line and the North Borneo Railway were constructed. These railways connected places like Beaufort to Weston and Melalap.
Building Railways in Borneo
Arthur Joseph West was born in 1863 in Bromsgrove, England. Not much is known about his early life. At 17, he worked as a teacher.
A friend named William Clark Cowie helped him get a big job. On July 7, 1896, West became the Chief Railway Engineer for the North Borneo Chartered Company. He earned 4,800 Straits dollars each year. Before this, he had only built a short railway line in Labuan. This line connected coal mines to the port of Victoria Town. Despite his limited experience, he was given a lot of freedom in his new role.
West started his work on the North Borneo Railway in 1896. He began building near a place called Bukau. He had to build railway lines in two directions at once. One line went north from Beaufort. The other went south towards Brunei Bay.
The end point on Brunei Bay was chosen by Cowie. However, it was a shallow area with many mangrove trees. West named the station there "West Town." This place is now known as Weston.
The first part of the railway opened on February 3, 1898. This was less than two years after construction began. The entire section from Beaufort to Weston was finished two years later.
From 1900, West focused on extending the railway. He worked to build the line along the Padas River. It went to Tenom and then to Melalap. The railway reached Tenom in 1905. It arrived in Melalap in 1906.
Family Life
Arthur West married Mary Louisa Dixon in 1895 in London. They had two sons, Arthur Gilbert Dixon and Willie. Arthur Gilbert was born in Labuan in 1897. He was baptized there by the Governor of Beaufort. West's family stayed on the island during the first part of the railway construction.
On April 1, 1900, his family moved to Bukau. His sons received good education in Cambridge. They both went on to have technical careers. Gilbert became an assistant chief engineer at the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Willie became a geologist, studying rocks and the Earth.
West's career was closely linked to William Cowie. When Cowie died in 1910, West left his job. He also left Borneo that year. Arthur Joseph West passed away on November 2, 1937, in Bexhill-on-Sea, England.
Images for kids
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Arthur Joseph West.
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The present building of a former railway office in Kg. Lumadan near Bukau where West was possibly living with his family in the 1900.
