Cyril Firth was a geologist and water engineer whose vision and technical expertise as Director of Works at Auckland Regional Authority provided much of the lasting infrastructure of Auckland’s water supply. Cyril also inspired a generation of students through his work as a lecturer at University of Auckland.
Cyril Firth
Early years
Cyril Wilfred Firth was born in Auckland in 1904. He attended Maungawhau Primary School in Mount Eden and completed his secondary schooling at Seddon Memorial Technical College. In 1921, he began study at Auckland University College and graduated with a BSc in physics in 1923. He then started a job as a cadet and junior engineer at Gray and Gulliver consulting engineers while continuing his study part-time. In 1929 he graduated with an MSc in geology and, that same year, gained Associate Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and Associate membership of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers.
After graduation, Cyril joined Manukau County Council as Technical Assistant, involved in Māngere underground water supply, bridging and roading. At the same time, he completed a Diploma in Public Administration. From 1935–1939 Cyril was Assistant County Engineer at Franklin County Council where major bridge and roading work was underway.
During the war years from 1939–1943, Cyril was seconded to Superior Oil Company of N.Z, Ltd. He worked as a senior engineer and geologist on oil exploration including drilling in Hawkes Bay, Manawatū and Westland.
Work at Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council faced serious water shortages during World War II. To address this, the Council began building New Zealand’s first rolled-fill earth dam across the lower Nihotupu valley in the Waitākere Ranges, in 1943. The dam was designed by Arthur Mead using recently developed soil mechanics technology and Cyril was appointed Resident Engineer for the project. This experience at Lower Nihotupu enabled Cyril to take responsibility for the design of four rolled-fill earth dams in the Hunua Ranges as well as the Lower Huia rolled-fill earth dam in the Waitākere Ranges.
In 1953 Cyril was appointed Chief Engineer Water Supply at Auckland City Council. In this role he was responsible for the administration of the distribution system for Auckland City and the bulk water supply system for metropolitan Auckland.
When the Auckland Regional Authority was formed in 1966, Cyril was appointed Director of Works and Head of the Works Division responsible for Auckland’s bulk water supply, main drainage and regional roads. Cyril was directly responsible for long-term planning of Auckland’s future water supply needs including the Waikato River intake.
University lecturer
Alongside his work at Auckland City Council, Cyril lectured at the University of Auckland. Following World War II, the engineering school moved to the then disused airfield at Ardmore, some 30km south of Auckland city centre. To ease lecturers’ already heavy workload, now stretched by travel time, Cyril was asked to teach the engineering geology course. He continued this work until 1965 when the engineering school moved back to the city campus. Students from that time recall Cyril’s enjoyable and informative lectures based on his wide geological experience including his 1928 MSc Honours thesis: “The Geology of the North-West Portion of Manukau County Auckland”.
Cyril also supported the university in other ways. From 1951–1954 he was President of the University Court of Convocation and founding President of the Auckland University Graduates Association.
Governance and volunteer work
Cyril also generously gave his time to other voluntary and governance roles. In mid-1929 Cyril was asked to assist with the preparation of the geology hall for the new Auckland War Memorial Museum, due to open later that year. It was a connection that continued for the next ten years, with Cyril in the volunteer role of Associate Geologist.
Cyril was a member of the Auckland Metropolitan and Regional Matters Technical Advisory committee from 1955–1965 and engineering geological consultant to the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board from 1945–1954. He served as a member of the Centennial Park Board from 1953–1965.
Cyril was a Central Methodist Mission Board member from 1962 and a member of the Wesley College Paerata Trust Board from 1972–1987. He was also involved in the development of Wesley Hospital in Mt Eden and the Everill Orr Home in Mt Albert.
Retirement and consulting work
Cyril retired from his role as Director of Works at Auckland Regional Authority in 1970. He then worked as a consultant advising on major water supply projects. From 1970–1973 he was a consultant to the Asian Development Bank for water supply feasibility missions in Malacca, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, and Sarawak. From 1973 to 1976 he worked with KRTA-Binnie and Partners in the study of water supply from the Waikato River for Auckland Regional Authority.
IPENZ contribution and involvement
Cyril was an active member of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers and served on committees. He was a Council member and Chair of Auckland Branch 1949–1950 and a member of the Standing Committee on Rural Roads from 1937–1938. Cyril was also a member of the NZ Advisory Committee to the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1964–1967. In 1959 Cyril received the New Zealand Institution of Engineers Furkert Award for his paper. “The Auckland Metropolitan Water Supply.”
Awards and honours
Cyril was awarded Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers (London) in 1957 and Fellow Institution of Water Engineers (London) in 1961.
In 1998 Cyril’s outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and leading role in the development of Auckland’s water supply was recognised with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.
Cyril was awarded Distinguished Fellowship of IPENZ in 1999.
Cyril was the author of technical papers including:
C.W. Firth, “Geology of the North-west Portion of Manukau County, Auckland,” Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, vol.61, 1930, pp85-137.
C.W. Firth and J.R. Page, “Mangere Water Supply - Manukau County,” Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, vol. 22, 1936, pp284-332.
C.W. Firth, “Petroleum Engineering in New Zealand,” Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, 1946, vol.32, 1946, pp504-569.
C.W. Firth, “The Auckland Water Supply System,” New Zealand Engineering, vol.12, iss.9, September 1957 pp292-306. (Winning the Furkert Award)
C.W. Firth, “Upper Mangatawhiri Dam,” New Zealand Engineering, vol.21, iss.9, September 1966, pp387-400.
C.W. Firth, A century of water supply for Auckland, New Zealand, Auckland: Auckland Regional Authority, 1967.
More information
Sources
Norman Firth and John La Roche, obituary for Cyril Firth, 2020.
IPENZ Biographical Record - Cyril Firth.
"Cyril Firth: a ninetieth birthday tribute," Newsletter (Geological Society of New Zealand. Historical Studies Group), March 1994; n.8:p.6-12.
"Firth retires from water supply post," N.Z. Plumbing Review, January 1970, p8.
