P007451 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2024-07-31 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-29 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007451b.htm person Knight Allan Walton CMG FTSE HonFIEAust AACR2 26 February 1910 14 May 1998 Place of Birth Launceston, Tasmania, Australia Place of Death Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Civil engineer Public servant Sir Allan Knight, CMG BSc ME BComm HonDEng HonFIEAust FTSE, was Chief Commissioner of the Hydro Electric Commission Tasmania from 1946 until he retired in 1977, overseeing the development of hydro power generation in the State. Late in his career he dismissed growing environmental and conservation concerns, particularly over the flooding of Lake Pedder, leading to long and bitter disputes that tarnished his career. Earlier in his career, he achieved global recognition, when as an engineer and later Chief engineer of the Public Works Department, from 1937 to 1946, he pioneered composite concrete slab and welded steel beam construction, and designed and built the concrete curved floating bridge that crossed the Derwent River at Hobart. After the Tasman Bridge that replaced it was tragically damaged by the ship Lake Illawarra in 1975, Sir Allan successfully supervised the complex and difficult reconstruction project. He served on many boards, including being a member of the Council of the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, the Tasmanian committee for the Churchill Trust, the Scenery Preservation Board, the Standards Association of Australia and the state committee of the CSIRO. His distinguished engineering achievements and public service were acknowledged when he was awarded the Warren Memorial Prize in 1934; appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1960; was awarded the Kernot Memorial Medal in 1963; the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1963; appointed a Knight Bachelor in 1970; awarded an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1982; and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Tasmania in 1990. 1929 1929 Education - Diploma of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Hobart Technical College 1932 1932 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Tasmania 1932 1932 Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE), University of Tasmania 1932 1932 Career event - Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1932 1937 Career position - Engineer / Resident engineer, Public Works Department, Tasmania 1934 1934 Award - Warren Memorial Prize [for "Design and Construction of Composite Slab and Girder Bridges"] 1935 1935 Education - Master of Engineer (ME). University of Tasmania 1936 1936 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1938 1946 Career position - Chief engineer, Public Works Department, Tasmania 1942 1942 Career position - Chairman, Tasmania Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1942 1942 Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia 1946 1946 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1946 1946 Education - Bachelor of Commerce (BComm), University of Tasmania 1946 1977 Career position - Chief Commissioner, Hydro Electric Commission, Tasmania 1960 1960 Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) - Chief Commissioner, Tasmania Hydro Electric Commission 1963 1963 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1963 1963 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1966 1974 Career position - Commissioner, Australian Universities Commission 13 Sep 1968 13 Sep 1968 Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.] 1970 1970 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - Commissioner, Tasmania Hydro-Electric Commission 1974 1974 Award - Wilfred Chapman Award, Welding Technology Institute of Australia 1975 1975 Award - John Stoney Medal, Australian Institute of Management c. 1975 c. 1975 Career position - Chief Commissioner, Joint Tasman Bridge Restoration Commission 1977 1977 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS) 1977 1988 Career position - Chairman, Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal 1 Aug 1977 1 Aug 1977 Award - Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal 1982 1982 Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1987 1987 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Awarded by AATS 1977] 1990 1990 Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Tasmania Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Fellow 1977 - 1987

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1987 - 1998 [Elected Fellow AATS 1977]

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Elected Honorary Fellow 1982; Chairman, Tasmania Division 1942; Councillor 1942 -

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

Awarded Warren Memorial Prize 1934, for the paper "Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges", Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, vol.6, no.1, Jan 1934, pp.10-22.

 Tasmanian Public Works Department, State of Tasmania (1835 - 1977)

Chief engineer 1937 - 1946

 Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania, State of Tasmania (1930 - 1996)

Chief Commissioner 1946 - 1977

 Kernot Memorial Medal, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Melbourne (1926 - )

Awarded the Medal 1963

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

Awarded the Medal 1963.

 'Knight, Allan Walton', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Knight, Allan Walton Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Newspaper Article: Designed a bridge of sighs - Allan Walton Knight Designed a bridge of sighs - Allan Walton Knight 1944 Smith's Weekly 11 Journal Article: Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges (Discussions and communications) Knight, A. W. (Fargher, J. A.) Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges (Discussions and communications) 1936 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 8 8 299-302 Journal Article: Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges (Discussion) Knight, A. W. Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges (Discussion) 1937 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 9 180- Journal Article: Eighteenth Annual Report [1937] Institution of Engineers Australia Eighteenth Annual Report [1937] 1938 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia MacLean, E. S. 10 5 182-196 Report: Forty-fourth Annual Report [1963] Institution of Engineers Australia Forty-fourth Annual Report [1963] 1964 Journal Article: Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1963 Award [A. W. Knight, CMG BSc ME BComm MIEAust] Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1963 Award [A. W. Knight, CMG BSc ME BComm MIEAust] Institution of Engineers, Australia 1963 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 35 12 N94 Journal Article: Knight, Fink honoured [Sir Alan Knight, Prof Tom Fink elected Honorary Fellows] Knight, Fink honoured [Sir Alan Knight, Prof Tom Fink elected Honorary Fellows] 1983 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 55 6 25 Newspaper Article: Bridge designer and engineer only 24 Bridge designer and engineer only 24 1934 Advocate (Burnie) 4 Journal Article: Kernot medals [1962 Allan W, Knight and 1963 Ronald B. Lewis] Anon Kernot medals [1962 Allan W, Knight and 1963 Ronald B. Lewis] 1965 The Chartered Engineer Victoria 9 11 7 Resource Section: Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage Australia 2024 Engineering Heritage Australia : wiki website Edited Book: Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Engineers Australia Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Barton, A.C.T. Institution of Engineers, Australia 2019 Newspaper Article: Coveted medal awarded to Tasmanian - Conference presentation Coveted medal awarded to Tasmanian - Conference presentation 1964 Canberra Times 16 Conference Paper: Hobart's floating bridge Cole, Bruce; Wilson, Allen Hobart's floating bridge Barton, Australian Capital Territory Engineers Australia 2011 16th Engineering Heritage Australia Conference: Conserving Our Heritage - Make a Difference! 476-483 Journal Article: Proposed floating arch bridge for Derwent crossing at Hobart Proposed floating arch bridge for Derwent crossing at Hobart 1937 Commonwealth Engineer 24 8 280 Journal Article: A new type of road bridge Knight, A. W. A new type of road bridge 1933 Commonwealth Engineer 20 9 267-268 Journal Article: The Leven Bridge, Ulverstone, Tasmania Knight, A. W. The Leven Bridge, Ulverstone, Tasmania 1935 Commonwealth Engineer 23 2 51-56 Journal Article: Design and construction of the Scamander Bridge Knight, A. W. Design and construction of the Scamander Bridge 1936 Commonwealth Engineer 24 5 157-162 Journal Article: Power development in Tasmania Knight, A. W. Power development in Tasmania 1954 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 26 65-75 Journal Article: Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges Knight, A. W. Design and construction of composite slab and girder bridges 1934 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 6 1 10-22 Resource: B4747 Army Militia service records, attestation documents CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 2001, Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office B4747 Army Militia service records, attestation documents National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch Journal Article: Sir Allan Knight Sir Allan Knight Institution of Engineers Australia 1970 Tasmania Division Bulletin 207 7-8 Newspaper Article: Obituary : Sir Allan Knight, Engineer. Obituary : Sir Allan Knight, Engineer. 1998 The Age 22 Edited Book: Who's who in Australia 1983 Draper, W.J. Who's who in Australia 1983 24th Melbourne, Victoria Herald and Weekly Times Ltd 1983 Edited Book: Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements Engineers Australia Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements Barton, Australian Capital Territory Institution of Engineers, Australia 2019