P007072 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2022-07-27 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-05-05 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007072b.htm person Nicol Thomas Bruce CBE AACR2 25 January 1896 2 July 1987 Place of Birth Lismore, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia Civil engineer Thomas Nicol CBE BE FIEAust, was Engineer-in-Chief of the New South Wales Metropolitan Water Sewerage & Drainage Board from 1949 until 1961. He spent his entire working career with the Water Board, commencing in 1921, and earned a reputation as an authority on the design and construction of large dams. Nicol was a member of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams and representated Australia on the International Commission on Large Dams. In 1961, he was appointed as a consultant on the Expert Advisory Panel on Environmental Sanitation, World Health Organisation, Geneva. He lectured part time in Water Supply and Sewerage at Sydney University from 1928 to 1949; was a Member of the Sydney District Technical Education Council; and was Commissioner of the New Zealand Commission of Enquiry into the Sewerage of Auckland 1949. His distinguished career was recognised when he was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1960; was awarded the Institution of Engineers Australia Warren Memorial Prize in 1964, and the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1965 in recognition of a lifetime of service. 1915 1919 Military service - First World War. Served with the Royal Australian Engineers in Egypt, France and Belgium, was wounded and was mentioned in despatches. 1919 1919 Award - Mentioned in Despatches (MID), 16 March 1919 - for conspicuous service rendered by No.2415 Corporal T.B. Nicol, Australian Imperial Forces 1919 1919 Career event - Foundation Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1921 1921 Award - University Medal, University of Sydney 1921 1921 Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE (Civil) with Hons), University of Sydney [Completion disrupted by Military service] 1921 1925 Career position - Engineering Draughtsman, Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board (MWSDB) 1925 1929 Career position - Chief Draughtsman, MWS&DB 1927 1927 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1928 1928 Career event - Associate Member (AssocMAmSocCE), American Society of Civil Engineers 1928 1949 Career position - Lecturer, Water Supply and Sewerage, University of Sydney 1929 1932 Career position - Designing Engineer, MWS&DB 1932 1934 Career position - Chief Investigating Engineer, MWS&DB 1934 1937 Career position - Assistant Chief Engineer, Water Supply, MWS&DB 1936 1936 Life event - Married Charlotte (Lottie) Isabella Leslie Gammie, Crows Nest, NSW 1937 1949 Career position - Deputy Engineer-in-Chief, MWS&DB [Drought relief works and wartime defences] 1941 1941 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1941 1941 Career event - Overseas investigations, in the USA, for MWS&DB [Studying water treatment from less pristine catchments] 1944 1949 Career position - Appointed member of Building Advisory Committee, Sydney City Council. Nominee of MWS&DB 1949 1949 Career position - Commissioner, New Zealand Commission of Enquiry, Sewerage of Auckland c. 1949 1951 Career position - Chairman, committee to revise Engineering Drawing Practice, Institution of Engineers Australia 1949 1961 Career position - Engineer-in-Chief, MWS&DB c. 1955 1958 Career position - Chairman, committee that prepared the first edition of Australian Rainfall and Run-off, Institution of Engineers Australia 1957 1957 Career event - Overseas investigations in USA, Europe and Britain, for MWS&DB [Related to finalising floodgates on Warragamba Dam] 1960 1960 Career event - Representative of Australia, at the meeting of International Commission on Large Dams, Tokyo 1960 1960 Award - Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Chief Engineer, NSW Metropolitan Water Board 1961 Career position - Consulting engineer 1961 1961 Career position - Member of WHO international team of experts, requested by West Pakistan, to report on community water supplies 1961 1961 Career event - Representative of Australia, at the meeting of International Commission on Large Dams, Rome 1961 1961 Life event - Retired 1961 c. 1965 Career position - Appointed member, Advisory Panel on Environmental Sanitation, World Health Organisation 1964 1964 Career event - Representative of Australia, at the meeting of International Commission on Large Dams, Edinburgh 1964 1964 Award - Warren Memorial Prize, Institution of Engineers Australia 1965 1965 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 13 Sep 1968 13 Sep 1968 Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.] Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Chairman of committee that prepared the first edition of "Australian Rainfall and Run-off" 1958; Chairman of committee that revised "Engineering Drawing Practice" c1949-1951.

 The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Part-time lecturer, Water Supply and Sewerage 1928-1949

 Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board (MWS&DB), State of New South Wales (1924 - 1987)

Engineer-in-Chief 1949-1961; Deputy Engineer-in-Chief 1937-1949; Assistant Chief Engineer, Water Supply 1934-1937; Chief Investigating Engineer 1932-1934

 Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated (ANCOLD) (1937 - )

Thomas Nicol was a member of ANCOLD. He represented Australia at the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) meetings in Tokyo (1960), Rome (1961) and Edinburgh (1964)

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

Awarded the Medal 1965.

 W. H. Warren Medal, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1926 - )

Awarded Warren Memorial Prize 1964, for the paper "Warragamba Dam", Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, vol.36, no.10-11, Oct-Nov 1964, pp.239-262.

 'Nicol, Thomas Bruce', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Nicol, Thomas Bruce Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Warragamba Dam (Discussions and communications) Nicol, T. B. (Simon, L. L.; Alexander, G. N.) Warragamba Dam (Discussions and communications) 1966 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 38 3 49-52 Journal Article: Warragamba Dam (Discussions and communications) Nicol, T. B. (Speedie, M. G.; Michels, V.; Waitt, F. W. F.; Sweet, H. G.; Taylor, F. G.; Fulton, A. A.; Thomas, H. H.; Hunter, J. K.; Walters, R. C. S.; Leonard, M. W.; Sparkes, S. R.; Blackmore, W. E.; Loewy, E. W.; Biswas, Asit K.) Warragamba Dam (Discussions and communications) 1965 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 37 3 71-82 Journal Article: Warren Memorial Medal - 1964 Award Warren Memorial Medal - 1964 Award 1965 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 37 10-11 N101 Report: Forty-sixth Annual Report [1965] Institution of Engineers Australia Forty-sixth Annual Report [1965] 1966 Report: Forty-sixth Annual Report [1965] Institution of Engineers Australia Forty-sixth Annual Report [1965] 1966 Journal Article: Warragamba Dam Nicol, T. B. Warragamba Dam 1964 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 36 10-11 239-262 Journal Article: IEAust Fellow dies. [Thomas Bruce Nicol] Anon IEAust Fellow dies. [Thomas Bruce Nicol] 1987 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 59 9 Journal Article: Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1965 Award [Thomas Bruce Nicol] Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1965 Award [Thomas Bruce Nicol] 1965 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 37 12 N127