P007569 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2024-12-19 human Ken McInnes updated 2025-12-03 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007569b.htm person Kelsall Kenneth John AM HonFIEAust AACR2 11 March 1921 28 February 2015 Place of Birth Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia Place of Death Joondalup Hospital, late of Como, Western Australia, Australia Civil engineer Ken Kelsall, AM BScEng BE HonFIEAust, had a long and distinguished public service career in water resources engineering, commencing with the Public Works Department, Western Australia in 1939 and retiring in 1985 as the Director of Engineering, Metropolitan Water Board, Western Australia. During his career with the PWD he was involved with the construction or enlargement of 26 of the 48 major public dams in Western Australia. He was one of the pioneers of the Ord River project. As early as 1945 he supervised drilling of foundations at the Ord Dam site and established the Kimberley Research Station, from 1960 to 1963 he was actively associated with the construction of the diversion dam and the irrigation area of Kununurra, and from 1968 to 1972 he was the engineer in charge of the contract covering construction of the Ord River Dam. His distinguished engineering career was recognised when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1986 and was elected an Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust) of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1987.

Associated Major Projects:
* Ord River Project;
* Cape Peron ocean outlet, Perth;

1939 Career position - Cadet engineer / engineer, Public Works Department, Western Australia 1940 1940 Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1942 1942 Education - Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BScEng), University of Western Australia 1942 1945 Career position - Engineer, Allied Works Council [Works in Fremantle, Albany and Onslow] 1947 1947 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1947 1947 Education - Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) (BE(Civil)), University of Western Australia 1967 c. 1969 Career position - Construction engineer for major hydraulic undertakings, Public Works Department, Western Australia 13 Sep 1968 13 Sep 1968 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Associate Members were designated Members on this date.] 1970 1970 Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1970 1972 Career position - Executive engineer, Public Works Department, Western Australia 1972 1980 Career position - Deputy Director of Engineering, Public Works Department, Western Australia 1974 1975 Career position - National Councillor, Institution of Engineers Australia 1975 1976 Career position - Vice-president, Institution of Engineers Australia 1976 1976 Career position - President, Western Australia Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1976 1977 Career position - Chaired a major reviewed of the system of awards, Institution of Engineers Australia [Author of booklet 'Awards of the Institution', 1978] 1980 1985 Career position - Chief Engineer, later Director of Engineering, Perth Metropolitan Water Board / Authority, Western Australia 1981 Career position - Member, Metropolitan Region Planning Authority 1982 1985 Career position - Member of Board, Perth Metropolitan Water Board / Authority, Western Australia 1985 Career position - Chairman, Western Australian Water Resources Council 1985 1985 Life event - Retired 1986 1986 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - for service to the engineering profession, particularly in the development of Western Australia's water resources 1987 1987 Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia Western Australian Public Works Department, State of Western Australia (1901 - 1985)

Deputy Director of Engineering 1972 - 1980; Executive engineer 1970 - 1972; Construction engineer for major hydraulic undertakings 1967 - 1969.

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Elected Honorary Fellow 1987; Vice-president 1975 - 1976; Councillor 1974 - 1975; President, Western Australian Division 1976.

 Allied Works Council (1942 - 1945)

Engineer, Works in Fremantle, Albany and Onslow 1942 - 1945

 'Kelsall, Kenneth John', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Kelsall, Kenneth John Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage Australia 2024 Engineering Heritage Australia : wiki website Book: Canning Dam : a golden era Kelsall, K. J. Canning Dam : a golden era Perth, WA Metropolitan Water Authority 1983 Book: A brief history of Perth water supply : 1829-1985 Kelsall, K. J. A brief history of Perth water supply : 1829-1985 Perth, WA Water Corporation 2005 Journal Article: Nine new Honorary Fellows [Em.Prof. David John Francis Allen-Williams; Prof. Lance Aubrey Endersbee; Kenneth John Kelsall; Steven Kenneth Langley; James Bruce Kirkwood; Em.Prof. Sydney Arthur Prentice; Harold C. Richards; Sir Sydney Schubert; Prof. Howard Knox Worner] Nine new Honorary Fellows [Em.Prof. David John Francis Allen-Williams; Prof. Lance Aubrey Endersbee; Kenneth John Kelsall; Steven Kenneth Langley; James Bruce Kirkwood; Em.Prof. Sydney Arthur Prentice; Harold C. Richards; Sir Sydney Schubert; Prof. Howard Knox Worner] 1988 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 60 42-43 Journal Article: Obituary - Kenneth 'Ken' Kelsall 1921-2015 Malkovic, Tony Obituary - Kenneth 'Ken' Kelsall 1921-2015 2015 Engineers Australia: Civil Edition 87 3 65 Journal Article: Obituary - Kenneth "Ken" Kelsall, 1921 to 2015. Dam builder, inspiring leader and extraordinary engineer. Malkovic, Tony Obituary - Kenneth "Ken" Kelsall, 1921 to 2015. Dam builder, inspiring leader and extraordinary engineer. 2015 Engineering Heritage Australia magazine 1 7 22-23 Newspaper Article: Dam and pipeline builder : Bringing water to WA [Obituary: Kenneth John Kelsall AM (1921 - 2015)] Hough, David Dam and pipeline builder : Bringing water to WA [Obituary: Kenneth John Kelsall AM (1921 - 2015)] 2015 The West Australian Resource: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Resource: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers 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