Frederick Charles Garside

Garside was born in Burwood, New South Wales, eldest of five sons of Eli Garside (c. 1862 – 11 June 1932)^[1] and Eleanor Garside, née Coleman (c. 1862 – 22 August 1941),^[2] who married on 13 January 1886.^[3]

Garside grew up in Goulburn and joined the New South Wales Government Railways in 1903 as an apprentice fitter at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, Sydney.^{[citation needed]}

In 1914 he transferred to Newcastle where he was responsible for locomotive assignment.^{[citation needed]}

In December 1932 T. J. Hartigan was appointed Railway Commissioner and Garside Assistant Commissioner, effective 1 January 1933.^[4] Their appointments were renewed in 1939^[5] Garside was appointed Railway Commissioner following the compulsory retirement of T. J. Hartigan in August 1948.^[6]

One of his first acts was to suspend the Inquiry Committee set up by Hartigan to investigate the efficiency of the Railway Department,^[7] and refused, against the wishes of Premier McGirr to restore it. This was expected to work against Garside's job security.^[8] Garside was also blamed for several railway strikes.^[9] In 1950 the government passed the Transport and Highways bill; Garside's assistant Reg Winsor was made Director of Transport and Highways, over his head,^[9] with an annual salary of £5,500.

Garside retired on 4 February 1952 aged 65, and left for a holiday in England. His replacement as Railway Commissioner was Keith Aird Fraser, son of James Fraser, Railway Commissioner from 1917 to 1929. The new appointee died a few months later, on 23 August 1952.^{[citation needed]}

The newly-elected Premier Cahill abolished the position of Director of Transport and Highways and appointed Winsor as Commissioner of Railways.^[10]

Garside married Treasure Mabel Coombs on 27 September 1911. She was a daughter of railwayman^[11] James Henry Coombs (1850 – 18 November 1913) and Sophia Coombs, née Woodward, (died 12 January 1935)^[12] who married in 1875.

• They had four daughters.

He had four brothers: Herbert Ernest Eli, Edward William, Leslie Coleman, and Harry Garside, and one sister, Ruth Margaret Garside (later Wood).^[13]