Person

Kelsall, Kenneth John (1921 - 2015)

AM HonFIEAust

Born
11 March 1921
Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Died
28 February 2015
Joondalup Hospital, late of Como, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation
Civil engineer

Summary

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.

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Details

Associated Major Projects:
* Ord River Project
*

Chronology

1939 -
Career position - Cadet engineer / engineer, Public Works Department, Western Australia
1940
Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
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
Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
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
1968
Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Associate Members were designated Members on this date.]
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
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
Life event - Retired
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
Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • Kelsall, K. J., Canning Dam : a golden era (Perth, WA: Metropolitan Water Authority, 1983), 12 pp. Details
  • Kelsall, K. J., A brief history of Perth water supply : 1829-1985 (Perth, WA: Water Corporation, 2005), 19 pp. Details

Journal Articles

Newspaper Articles

  • Hough, David, 'Dam and pipeline builder : Bringing water to WA [Obituary: Kenneth John Kelsall AM (1921 - 2015)]', The West Australian (2015). Details

Resource Sections

See also

  • Draper, W.J. ed., Who's who in Australia 1983 (Melbourne, Victoria: Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, 1983), 960 pp. p.478. Details
  • 'Cape Peron ocean outlet, Perth, Western Australia [Discussion]', Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, https://doi.org/10.1680/iicep.1987.404. Details
  • 'Construction of Cape Peron ocean outlet Perth, Western Australia', Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, https://doi.org/10.1680/iicep.1986.744. Details

Ken McInnes

Created: 19 December 2024

EOAS ID: biogs/P007569b.htm

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