Reference to the index of the personal and miscellaneous correspondence and papers relating to agriculture, forestry, hydro electricity, welfare, education, economics and politics of William Ebenezer Shoobridge (1846-1940)

Abstract

W. E. Shoobridge was educated at Horton College, where he was introduced to the study of hydraulics, chemistry and electricity, which he continued to study after leaving school in 1860,thinking of becoming an engineer. However in 1864 his father had the chance of acquiring Bushy Park estate with its water resources and W. E. Shoobridge, with his brothers, helped to develop it,later purchasing also Kentdale and Glenora and forming the firm of E. Shoobridge and Sons(later Shoobridge Brothers). W.E.Shoobridge constructed an irrigation system for the hopfields on Valleyfield and later replanned and reconstructed the irrigation works on Bushy Park(originally made by the first settler of Bushy Park Mr Humphries). In 1908,with the help of his son, Marcus,who had trained in the Westinghouse Factory in Canada, W.E. Shoobridge installed a hydro-electric plant for the estate. W.E.Shoobridge was especially interested in the development of water conservation, irrigation and hydro-electric schemes for Tasmania. In 1914 he went on a trade mission to Canada and the United States to inquire particularly into hydro-electric power schemes and industries connected with them, including papermaking,and irrigation schemes forcloser settlement. He negotiated the transfer of the Hydro-Electric scheme from the Electrolytic Zinc Company to the State Government and also consulted Dr.Fortier of Berkley,California,about plans for the use of Tasmanian water although these were rejected by the Legislative Council.W. E. Shoobridge also did much to develop the fruit industry, not only in irrigation and methods of pruning to allow the sun to shine equally on all fruit,but especially in developing a ventilated coolstore system to prevent deterioration of apples through "brown heart"