Cyril Dimond
DIMOND, Cyril Manners BE AMIE Aust (1903-1963)
Cyril Dimond was born in Subiaco on March 22, 1903, the only son of stationer, Charles Parsons Dimond and his wife Georgina Susan Dimond née Reynolds. Cyril was educated at Perth Boys Central School and Perth Modern School, becoming a cadet in the Public Works Department in June 1921.
Cyril commenced engineering at the University of Western Australia in March 1922, taking “University Leave” to study, and he completed his engineering degree in September 1926. His vacation employment as a PWD Cadet included work in the PWD Drawing Office, attachment to the Harbours and Rivers Office at Fremantle, work on roads and bridges in the Margaret River, Denmark and Busselton Districts as well as work on the Norseman Salmon Gums Railway.
Cyril was immediately employed as a Probationary Engineer in September 1926 in the Water Supply Branch of the PWD. His early work was in farmland water supply moving from managing the area around Kondinin to taking over the District 1 Water Scheme (Trayning, Nungarin, Mukinbudin and Bencubbin) in 1929. From his base at the Bencubbin Water Supply Camp he also worked as far afield as Hyden Rock, Holleton Mines and Mount Holland.
In September 1930 Cyril, as Resident Engineer, commenced the raising of Harvey Dam by 25 feet, a task that was completed in November 1932. The dam was built under “sustenance conditions” with up to 250 men employed on the project. The raising of the dam quadrupled the storage to 2,275 million gallons and improved the safety of the structure.
On November 29, 1932 Cyril married Carrick May Middleton, from Wokalup, at Harvey. They had three sons.
In 1934 Cyril was the Resident Engineer for the construction of the Mungalup Dam near Collie and its connection to the Collie Town Water Supply. He had a role in the investigation and design, and began the construction of Samson Brook and Stirling Dams. He initiated many investigations for the Great Southern Towns and Agricultural Areas Water Supply.
In July 1940, Cyril enlisted in the AIF and served in Burma and New Guinea rising to the rank of Major. He returned to the PWD on demobilisation in October 1945.
Cyril Dimond PWD, Bill Marvin MRD Supervisor, Doug Davidson, MMA[1] agent unknown, Jim Shirley PWD Plant Engineer, Norm Saunders PWD Electrical Engineer.
Source: Barrie Dimond (likely 1950’s as DC3 VH MMK “Kimberley” entered MMA service in 1949)
He was appointed Principal Engineer for the North West in 1946 and Executive Engineer for this area in 1951. He was appointed to the Federal State Northern Development Committee in 1951. That committee prepared proposals to develop the north, including irrigation schemes on the Ord and Fitzroy Rivers. Extensive surveys were carried out on the Fitzroy River dam sites from 1958. The Dimond Gorge and the Dimond Gorge dam site were named after him in 1959.
Cyril retired early on the grounds of ill health on September 15, 1957, after initiating water supply schemes for many towns and areas. He was succeeded by E K Steere.
Cyril had an interest in mining, publishing “The Game of Goldmining” in 1935, and being a part of the Seven Boys Gold Mining Syndicate in 1954. He was elected an associate member of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1930.
Cyril died on June 4, 1963 and was survived by his wife and three sons.
References:
Cumming Papers
PSL 1925, 1940, 1945, 1955.
Dampier Herald, 5.12.1929, p. 2
West Australian, 2.11.1933, p. 13
West Australian, 19.12.1944, p. 6
West Australian, 19.7.1951, p. 2
West Australian, 10.3.1954, p. 21
- ↑ McRobertson Miller Airlines
