John’s career as a water engineer has led him to traverse the globe, investigating and designing dams and control structures in some of the world’s most remote rivers. His later work included leading the restoration, protection and environmental sustainability of our endangered foreshores.
BE (Civil), FIPENZ, MICE (Retd), CP Eng., JP, ONZM
John graduated from University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) in 1960. He then worked for Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners as a Water resources engineer. The role was based in London, but John also spent sixteen months as Assistant Resident Engineer on construction of the Bacita sugar irrigation project in Nigeria.
In 1966, still with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, John moved to Pakistan to take up the role of Site Observer on the Indus Basin Project on behalf of the World Bank. He was responsible for liaison and reporting while stationed at Mangla Dam project on the Jhelum River and then Tarbela dam project on the Indus River. Both dams were multipurpose for hydropower, irrigation storage and flood control.
In 1970, John returned to New Zealand as Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners’ designer representative on the Tongariro Power Project. In 1973 John joined Tonkin + Taylor Ltd. He was appointed Senior Engineer in 1979 and served as an Associate and Director from 1982 to 1998. During his time at Tonkin + Taylor Ltd. John was responsible for investigation and implementation of hydroelectric projects, dam inspections and design, coastal protection schemes, general civil engineering projects, river control and protection schemes and small hydroelectric projects in Malaysia, PNG, Indonesia and the South Pacific.
In the 1990s John was at the forefront of engineers responding to environmental change and was instrumental in setting up the New Zealand Coastal Society which then became a technical group of Engineering New Zealand. He is a life member and was recipient of the President’s Award for the society. He is also a life member of the Engineering New Zealand Sustainability Society. He has published over thirty technical papers, winning three Furkert Awards and three Arthur Mead Environmental awards.
Through the 2000s, John has continued to work as an independent engineering consultant as well as actively supporting many community activities. In 2007 John was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to engineering and the community.
John has continued to work into his 80s as a Recognised Engineer for Large dam Potential Impact Classification (PIC) and in 2024 reported on over 40 dams.
In 2025 John was elected a Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand in recognition of his long and extraordinary contributions to water engineering.
