Braga, Hugh. Engineer and leader of youth work.
Hugh Braga, the fifth son and seventh child of José Pedro Braga and Olive Pauline Braga née Pollard, was educated at St Joseph's College, Hong Kong, and was awarded the Ignes Soares Scholarship to study Engineering at Hong Kong University. A keen sportsman, he was awarded University Blues in Football and Athletics. As a young Scoutmaster he was decorated for gallantry in saving life during the Po Hing Fong disaster in 1925. In 1935 he was appointed Works Manager of the Hongkong Engineering and Construction Co., and was responsible for what became the Kadoorie Avenue Estate. On 8 August 1935 he married an Englishwoman, Nora Bromley. She and their two children Sheila and Stuart were evacuated to Australia in July 1940, when Japanese occupation threatened. Hugh followed a year later and became Chief Civil Engineer of Timbrol Ltd in Sydney. He returned to Hong Kong in 1945 with the British Military Administration and from 1949 ran his own engineering and architectural firm, Hugh Braga & Co., which embarked on a series of large residential developments. He was very active in community service, being interested in the Rotary Club, the Kowloon Residents’ Association, the Fanling Babies’ Home run by Mildred Dibden, the Salvation Army and Protestant missions.
In 1951 he returned to Australia and resumed his employment at Timbrol Ltd, later Union Carbide Australia. He continued his interests in community affairs, especially youth work and education. For close to 20 years he was a Council member of two leading schools. He was Chairman from 1957 to 1960 of the Crusader Union, a Christian organisation working among young people. Following his retirement in 1975, Hugh and Nora were the inaugural wardens at St David’s, Forestville, an Anglican retirement village, establishing a tradition of caring service to the residents. In 1981 they nominated Hugh as New South Wales Senior Citizen of the Year in recognition of his many years of community service. He died on 2 June 1987.
Hugh Braga was a business and professional man and community leader of high principle. He was generous with his time, money and professional expertise, especially in his long association with young people and in his great loyalty to his family. He was a blessing to the community, both in Hong Kong and in Australia.
Stuart Braga (son) April 2024
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