George Chaffey 1848-1932
Born at Brockville, Canada West, Chaffey became a shipbuilder on the Great Lakes and the inventor of a new type of propeller. Subsequently he went to California where, in partnership with his brother, he built a model irrigation project and founded the city of Ontario. At the request of Alfred Deakin, later Prime Minister of Australia, Chaffey went to that continent in 1866 where he began irrigated fruit production in the Murray Valley. By proving that irrigation was practical, Chaffey was largely responsible for the successful development of the fruit industry in Australia.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.