A man from Clarence Town has been recognised for his contribution to Darwin's electricity with the opening of the Felix Ernest Holmes historical wall.
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The wall of the Power House building in Darwin was officially renamed after Mr Holmes in recognition of him being the first person to provide an electricity service in Darwin on Friday, November 3.
In 1868, Charles Felix Holmes and Margaret Lawrie welcomed Felix Ernest Holmes into the world at Glen Oak.
His grandfather, Thomas Holmes was an early settler who established Oakendale in 1833 and became a long standing magistrate in Dungog.
Felix Holmes lived in Glen Oak until 1887 when at the age of 19 he travelled to the Northern Territory.
From there, Mr Holmes worked the harsh outback frontier of the Northern Territory in an attempt to make his fortune.
Mr Holmes worked on his uncle's cattle farm until in 1899 when he would expand into the pearling industry, owning a fleet of pearling luggers which he operated around the Northern Territories coast.
By the time his uncle passed away in 1920, Mr Holmes had become a major businessman in his own right, owning 70 properties including an abattoir, butchery, ice-works, cordial factory, shops, residential properties, cinemas and a coconut plantation.
In the late 1920's he had become the second largest landowner in the Northern Territory, with only Lord Vesty controlling more property.
Mr Holmes first introduction to electricity came in 1912 when he installed an electricity plant to supply power for refrigeration for a number of his properties.
Following this in 1922 he was given a government contract to supply electricity and lighting for the government's premises. This quickly expanded to providing power and street lighting in Darwin in 1923.
Things were looking up for Mr Holmes until he suffered abdominal pain in 1929 and was flown to Cloncurry where he would travel to Sydney for medical treatment before dying weeks later.
For his works, Mr Holmes had a suburb named after him, Holmes Jungle as well as Holmes Street in Fannie Bay.
Currently, the Power House is owned by Randazzo C and G Developments who renamed it in recognition that it was the site of Mr Holmes' original power plant.
They also made and installed the historic wall dedicated to Mr Holmes.
