Kernot, William Charles (1845 - 1909)

Summary

William Kernot arrived in Australia in 1851. He studied at the University of Melbourne and worked in the Victorian Department of Mines and Water Supply Office. He was Lecturer in Engineering, University of Melbourne 1868-1882 and Professor 1883-1909. President of the Royal Society of Victoria 1885-1900.

Details

Educated University of Melbourne (BA 1865, MA 1866, Certificate of Engineering, MCE). Worked in various government departments and as a part-time lecturer in Engineering 1866-75, expanded his University teaching and engaged in consulting work from 1875. Australia's first Professor of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1883-1909. President, Victorian Institution of Engineers, The Victorian Institute of Surveyors and The Royal Society of Victoria 1885-1900.

He is commemorated by the Kernot Memorial Medal for "Distinguished Engineering Achievement in Australia", awarded by the University of Melbourne.

Chronology

1851

Life event - Arrived in Australia, with parents and siblings

1865

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne

1866

Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Melbourne

c. 1870 -

Career position - Member, Board of Examiners, Shires Statute and Boroughs Statute 1869 VIC

1883

Career event - Foundation Member, Victorian Engineers Association

1883 - 1909

Career position - Foundation Professor of Engineering, University of Melbourne

1 Dec 1885

Career event - Associate (AssocInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London

1888 -

Career event - Original [founding] member, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science

1888 -

Career position - Founding Vice-President, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science

1888

Career position - President, Section J (Engineering and Architecture), Australasian Association for the Advencement of Science

5 Feb 1901

Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London

1909

Life event - Buried, Boroondara Cemetery, Victoria

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• William Charles Kernot - Records, 1893 - 1909, MS 041; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• William Charles Kernot - Records, 1893 - 1963, MS 2276; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

• William Charles Kernot - Records, 1877 - 1908; State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Collins, David, Chemistry in 19th Australia - Select Bibliography, An exhibition of the Encyclopedia circa 2005 with assistance from Ailie Smith and Gavan McCarthy., eScholarship Research Centre (original publisher), Melbourne, 2009, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/ciab/ciab_ALL.html. Details
• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Kernot, W. C., On some common errors in iron bridge design (Melbourne: Ford & Son, Printers, 1906), 70 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Murray-Smith, S., 'Kernot, William Charles (1845-1909), engineer and educationist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 5: 1851 - 1890 K-Q, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1974), pp. 20-22, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050025b.htm. Details
• Murray-Smith, S., 'Kernot, Wilfred Noyce (1868-1945), engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 9: 1891 - 1939 Gil-Las, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1983), pp. 573-574. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090573b.htm. Details

Conference Papers

• Beauchamp, David, 'The Victorian Engineers of University Square', in Second Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage, Auckland, 14-16 February, 2000: Proceedings (Auckland, New Zealand: Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, 2000), pp. 43-49., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.909830334715007. Details
• Ferguson, Jim, 'The Kernot engineers', in Engineering Heritage Victoria, Speakers Programme (2003).. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Testing machines and testing (Lecture)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. IX (1909), 177-182. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24428. Details
• Beauchamp, David, 'The Victorian Engineers of University Square', Transactions of Multi-disciplinary Engineering, Australia, GE26 (2002), 25-33, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.509163979814738. Details
• Black, Professor; Kernot, Professor W.C.; Leibius, Dr. C.A.; Liversidge, Professor A.; Masson, Professor Orme, Rennie, Professor, Cox, Mrs. S.H.; Secretary, 'Report of Committee No. 14 : The State and progress of Chemical Science in Australia, with Special Reference to Gold and Silver Appliances Used in the Colonies and Elsewhere', Report of the second meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 2 (1890), 283-292, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14563261. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'Kernot. The Man among his Students', University of Melbourne Gazette, 8 (1962), 2-5. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, '150 Years, 150 Stories: William Charles Kernot', Uni News, 11 (25) (2002), 4. Details
• Kernot, K. C., 'On the design of iron girders with open webs, and Appendix', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 2 (1880-1884), 66-77. Details
• Kernot, W. C., 'Logarithmic computations for survey purposes', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 1 (1874-1880), 63-67. Details
• Kernot, W. C., 'The testing of materials and of details of construction', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 4 (1891-1899), 29-42. Details
• Kernot, W. C., 'The adjustments of the theodolite', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 2 (1880-1884), 9-16. Details
• Kernot, W. C., 'Address by [...] President of Section J - Architecture and Engineering [Waterways of bridges and culverts]', Report of the first meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 1 (1889), 555-563, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15813647. Details
• Kernot, W.C., 'Some Notes on the Storage of Electricity and Faure's Form of Plante's Secondary Battery', Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 18 (1882), 47. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Notes on the weight of crowds', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24233. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Presidential Address 1898', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24255. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Extensometer', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24258. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Presidential Address 1899', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24263. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The Monier-system of construction (Paper & Discussion)', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24270. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'A disputed point as to strength of beams', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24235. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The height and strength of handrails or parapets of bridges and similar structures (Paper & Discussion)', Various Papers and Discussions of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. II 1892-1899 (1900). http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24252. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The stresses on skew arches (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. III (1903), 52-57. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24283. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Proposed improvement in centrifugal gravity governors (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. III (1903), 70-73. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24277. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The maintenance of iron bridges, with special reference to the present state of the Brooklyn Bridge (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. IV (1905), 90-100. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24297. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Introductory notes on the motor car (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. V (1905), 47-56, 65-66, 81-89. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24319. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Economy in framed structures (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VI (1906), 160-170, 172-175. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24353. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Economy in framed structures (Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VII (1907), 9-11. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24363. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Railway gauge (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VII (1907), 70-81, 82-93, 134-136. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24373. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The Quebec bridge disaster (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VIII (1908), 108-113, 122, 131-132. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24396. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'Engineering education (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VIII (1908), 8-22. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24384. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The Quebec bridge disaster (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. IX (1909), 114-119, 127-130, 148. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24418. Details
• Kernot, William Charles, 'The relation of mathematics to Engineers (Presidential Address)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. IX (1909), 10-20. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24407. Details
• Vasey, G. H., 'William Charles Kernot (1845-1909)', The Chartered Engineer Victoria, 57 (20) (1985), 8. Details

Newspaper Articles

• 'Funeral of Professor Kernot', The Age (1909), 7, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196135626. Details
• 'Death of Professor Kernot : A distinguished engineer', The Age (1909), 7, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196139355. Details

Resources

• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94299715. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q8006728. Details
• 'Obituary. William Charles Kernot, MA MCE, 1845-1909.', Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, https://doi.org/10.1680/imotp.1909.17727. Details
• Institution of Civil Engineers, London, 'Application: 10513, 1900 [MInstCE]', Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/3585/. Details
• Institution of Civil Engineers, London, 'Application: 6094, 1885 [AssocInstCE]', Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/3585/. Details
• 'Kernot, W C', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-613046. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Kernot, William Charles', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P000538p.htm. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_k.html. Details
• Science and the making of Victoria, with Royal Society of Victoria, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/smv/index_k.html. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'An Early Pioneer - William Kernot' p.52. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp. p.176. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne (Melbourne: Department of History, University of Melbourne, 2003), 168 pp. Details
• 'Kernot, William Charles (1845 - 1909), Educationist and Engineer', RMIT University History, RMIT University Archives, 2022, https://www.lib.rmit.edu.au/university-archives/finding-aids/ohrm/web/biogs/E000076b.htm. Details
• Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details