Sheilds, Francis Webb (1820 - 1906)

Summary

Francis Sheilds was an engineer with experience of building railways in Britain before he came to Australia. Between 1843 and 1849 he was Engineer to the Sydney City Council, working largely on water projects. He then became Engineer for the Sydney Railway Company before the railway was opened to the public. The first line constructed, that between Sydney and Parramatta, was built on the alignment he selected. Sheilds was a strong advocate for the 5ft 3 inch gauge. His recommendation was adopted by the Company (and in the other Australian colonies) but rescinded after his resignation in favour of the 4ft 8 inch gauge proposed by his successor, James Wallace. New South Wales railways thus did not connect with those in other colonies. On returning to the United Kingdom in 1851, Sheilds resumed working for his former employer, Charles Vignoles. Sheilds was involved with a number of projects, including the Crystal Palace, in which he sought solutions to the design of iron beams and framed girders. His book is The strains on structures of iron work was published in 1861.

Details

Chronology

1843 - 1849

Career position - City Surveyor, Sydney City Council

1849 - 1850

Career position - Engineer, Sydney Railway Company

February 1851

Life event - Returned to the United Kingdom

Published resources

Books

• Hagarty, Donald, The building of the Sydney Railway: the known story of the work of six men - a naval surveyor, four engineers, and the contractor who, with many others built the first railway from Sydney to Parramatta, 1848 - 1857 (Redfern, N.S.W.: Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division, 2005), 464 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Phippen, Bill, 'A book by Francis Sheilds: an amazing addition to ARHSnsw Archive', Engineering heritage Australia magazine, 3 (7) (2021), 20-2, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/Learned%20Society/EHA_Magazine_Vol3_No7_January_2021.pdf. Details