[1] Jickell worked in Nelson and Petone before arriving in Palmerston North in 1904.
He was a fully qualified borough engineer and had had experience in water systems in Australia and other parts of New Zealand.
He designed the first two concrete gravity dams in New Zealand on the Korokoro Stream in what is now the Belmont Regional Park.
[2] In Palmerston North he installed earthenware sewer pipes running throughout all main borough streets except the low-lying Hokowhitu area.
Before then people had to dump their night soil where Palmerston North Girls High School is today.