John Thomas Hill Goodwin

Goodwin held a commission in the Victorian Military Forces from 1891. In 1910 he was appointed as a lieutenant in the Corps of Australian Engineers within the Militia. He volunteered for overseas service during World War I but was retained in Australia. He retired from the reserve in 1920 with the rank of honorary lieutenant-colonel,[1] and was often known as "Colonel Goodwin".[2]

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.[1] Goodwin lived at Yarralumla, the future Government House, during this period.[3] In 1924 he organised the first sale of properties in Canberra to the public.[2]

Goodwin chose to remain in Canberra after retiring from the public service and became active in community affairs, in addition to resuming his surveying practice. He was a local magistrate and also served as the territory's coroner.[1] He notably conducted a coronial inquest into the 1940 Canberra air disaster, which killed ten people including three cabinet members and a senior army officer.[4] 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.[1] He advocated for the territory to be self-governing with its own legislative council, as well as for its representative in the House of Representatives to be granted full voting rights.[3]

Goodwin was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1927.[1] In 1954, his name was used for Canberra's first aged care facility.[6]