P007064 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2022-07-19 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-03-25 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007064b.htm person Sexton Richard Ernest AACR2 7 March 1861 13 October 1930 Place of Birth Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Place of Death Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Civil engineer Railway engineer Richard Sexton MInstCE MIEAust, was the Chief engineer of the Queensland Railways 1919-1930. Almost his entire career was as a construction engineer with Queensland Railways, commencing as a cadet in 1879 when he was 18. He had a major role in the interlinking of the many separate government railway systems, each based on a major port and extending inland. This was finally achieved when the railway bridge over the Johnstone River at Innisfail was opened in 1924, completing the Sunshine route from Brisbane to Cairns. In 1922 the Government established the Main Roads Commission, and switched the construction emphasis from rail to road, building development roads that fed to the railway system. In 1925 he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, career achievement award in engineering, by the Institution of Engineers Australia. Under Sexton's guidance, construction continued on the standard gauge railway, linking Brisbane to the New South Wales railway system, enabling a continuous journey to be made between Brisbane and Sydney. This work was largely completed in 1930, shortly before his death. He was also the Chairman of the Queensland Advisory Committee of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, and just before his death was appointed the Australian representative on its Council. 1868 1879 Education - State and High Schools, Brisbane, Queensland 1879 1881 Career position - Engineering cadet / draftsman, Chief Engineer's Branch, Northern Division, Queensland Railways [under Chief engineer Robert Ballard MInstCE] 1881 1882 Career position - Assistant to District Engineer, Constructing Central railway, Queensland Railways [over the Drummond Range, branch line from Emerald to Springsure, and to Clermont. Under Chief engineer Robert Ballard MInstCE] 1882 1882 Career event - Student Member (StudInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1883 1891 Career position - Assistant Engineer-in-chief, Supervising construction several sections of new railways, Queensland Railways [Morven to Charleville extension, Bowden railway] 1892 1897 Career position - Engineer, Sugar farming industry, Bowen district - due to cessation of Public Works following depression 1897 1907 Career position - Resident engineer, Supervising construction under Central system, and using Day labour system, Queensland Railways [Charleville to Cunnamulla railway extension, deviation works on the North Coast Line near Gympie, Tweed Heads, Degilbo to Wetherton, Warwick to Goondiwindi, and Richmond to Cloncurry lines.] 1907 1909 Career position - Relieving District Engineer, Maintenance of all railways, Queensland Railways 1909 1911 Career position - Inspecting Engineer, under Chief Engineer, for all railway construction, Queensland Railways 1911 1914 Career position - Deputy Chief Engineer, Construction and Maintenance, Queensland Railways 1914 1915 Career position - Engineer-in-chief, Construction Branch, Queensland Railways 1915 1916 Career position - Chief engineer - Construction and Maintenance, Southern Division, Queensland Railways 14 Dec 1915 14 Dec 1915 Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1916 1919 Career position - Chief engineer - Construction, Queensland Railways 1919 1930 Career position - Chief Engineer, Queensland Railways 1920 1920 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1921 1922 Career position - Council member, Institution of Engineers Australia [Queensland Division representative] 1921 1929 Career position - Committee member, Brisbane Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1925 1925 Career position - Chairman, Brisbane Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1925 1925 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia Nimmo, William Hogarth Robertson (1885 - 1970)

Richard Sexton endorsed William Nimmo's application for MInstCE, 1931.

 Kemp, John Robert (1883 - 1955)

Richard Sexton MInstCE proposed John Kemp's nomination for MInstCE 1929.

 Queensland Railways (1865 - ?)

Chief engineer 1919 - 1930; Chief engineer - Construction 1916 - 1919; Chief engineer - Construction and Maintenance, Southern Division 1915 - 1916; Engineer-in-chief, Construction Branch 1914 - 1915; Deputy Chief Engineer, Construction and Maintenance 1911 - 1914.

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Councillor 1921 - 1922; Chairman, Brisbane Division 1925; Committee member, Brisbane Division 1921 - 1929

 Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1922 - )

Awarded the Medal 1925.

 'Sexton, Richard Ernest', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Sexton, Richard Ernest Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 Institution of Civil Engineers, London Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 ancestry.com Journal Article: Memoirs Memoirs 1933 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 5 1 32-34 Edited Book: Eminent Queensland Engineers - Volume 2 Cossins, Geoffrey Eminent Queensland Engineers - Volume 2 Brisbane, Queensland The Institution of Engineers, Australia, Queensland Division 1999 Journal Article: P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] 1941 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 13 12 295 Journal Article: P. N. Russell Memorial Medal [List of recipients 1923 - 1931] P. N. Russell Memorial Medal [List of recipients 1923 - 1931] 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 12 445