Rennick, Francis (1838 - 1915)

Summary

Francis Rennick CE, was the Engineer-in-Chief, Victorian Railways from 1892-1903. In 1858, he joined the newly formed Engineer-in-chief's branch of the Railways Department, as a draftsman, under George Christian Darbyshire. He progressed to Assistant engineer, Railways Construction; Assistant engineer, Existing Lines; and succeeded Darbyshire as the Engineer-in-chief in 1892.

When Rennick joined the Victorian Railways, construction was to the highest permanent British standards, but in latter years, especially following the Railway Construction Act 1884 - the "Octopus Act", new lines were constructed as cheaply as possible on lighter timber structures, and after the 1890s depression, some 2'-6" gauge lines were built.

Details

Associated Major Engineering Works:
* North-eastern Railway line;
* Beaufort to Ararat line;
* Ararat to Hamilton line;
* Collingwood direct line (Jolimont-North Richmond, etc);
* adoption of 2'-6" narrow gauge lines.

Major Reports:
* Rennick provided evidence to many Victorian Parliamentary inquiries;
* Rennick was also consulted by NSW on the Sydney Central Station proposals.

Chronology

1857

Life event - Emigrated from Northern Ireland to Victoria

1857 - 1858

Career position - Surveyor, working for a consulting engineer, Melbourne

1858 - 1865

Career position - Draftsman, Engineer-in-Chief's branch, Railways Department, Victoria

1860

Life event - Married, Annie Louisa Croker, South Melbourne, Victoria

1865 - 1871

Career position - Engineer, Water Supply Department, Victoria

c. 1870

Career event - Certificate of Engineer (CE)

1871 - 1887

Career position - Assistant engineer, Railways Construction, Railways Department, Victoria [North-eastern line, Ararat-Hamilton and other lines]

1887 - 1892

Career position - Assistant engineer, (rising to Chief Assistant engineer) Existing Lines, Railways Department, Victoria

1892

Career position - Acting Railway Commissioner (one of three) Railways Department, Victoria

1892 - 1903

Career position - Engineer-in-Chief, Victorian Railways, Victoria

1903

Career position - Nominated as Victoria's representative, Transcontinental Railway

1903

Life event - Retired

1915

Life event - Buried, Boroondara Cemetery, Victoria

Published resources

Books

• Cumming, D. A., Some Public Works Engineers in Victoria in the Nineteenth Century (Melbourne: University of Melbourne, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 1985), 59 pp. p.27. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Anon, 'Prominent Officers of the Railway Department', Punch (1900), 20-21, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175383754. Details
• Anon, 'Death of Francis Rennick', The Argus (1915), 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1506727. Details