John Thomas Hill Goodwin

John Thomas Hill Goodwin (28 October 1865 – 18 September 1950) was an Australian surveyor and public servant. He was the Commonwealth Surveyor-General from 1915 to 1925 and officer-in-charge of the Federal Capital Territory from 1916 to 1924. He was known for his contribution to the development of the national capital Canberra, initially as a public servant and later as a private citizen.

Early life Goodwin was born on 28 October 1865 in Yelta, Victoria. He was the son of Letitia (née Pennefather) and Rev. Thomas Hill Goodwin. His father, an Anglican clergyman, was born in England and his mother in Ireland. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School.

Career After leaving school Goodwin trained as a surveyor with the Victorian Department of Lands and Surveys. He was a surveyor in private practice from 1891 to 1907, outside of a period with the Western Australian government from 1896 to 1899. He also qualified as a civil engineer. Goodwin returned to the Victorian public service in 1907 and joined the federal Department of Home Affairs in 1910. He was placed in charge of property transactions relating to defence, quarantine, and posts and telegraphs. In 1915, he was promoted to Chief Surveyor, later Surveyor-General.

Canberra In addition to his role as Chief Surveyor, Goodwin served as officer-in-charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 1916 to 1924. He was a member of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee from 1921 to 1925. In 1924 he organised the first sale of properties in Canberra to the public. Goodwin was an elected member of the Federal Capital Territory Advisory Council from 1931 to 1943, including as chairman from 1936 to 1941. He was also a board member of the Canberra Community Hospital from 1938 to 1948 and a member of the National Capital Planning and Development Committee from 1939 to 1941.

Goodwin died at the Canberra Community Hospital on 18 September 1950 of cerebral thrombosis. He had been in poor health for 18 months and a patient at the hospital for 11 months.