Professor Roger Hawken
HAWKEN, Roger William Hercules ME Syd BA Syd MICE MIEAust (1878-1947)
HAWKEN, ROGER WILLIAM HERCULES engineer, educator and administrator, son of Nicholas Hawken, was born in Sydney on 12 May 1878. He was educated at Newington College and Sydney University where he graduated in Civil Engineering in 1900 with First Class honours; he also completed an arts course, graduating in 1902.
Hawken's early working life was notable for the breadth of experience gained which included four years as assistant and later as acting executive engineer in the service of the British Government in the Malay States. After his return to Australia in 1909 he held a position as Shire Engineer in New South Wales for two years when he was invited by Professor Warren to lecture to engineering students at Sydney University. During this period he applied to the University of Queensland for a position as lecturer in civil engineering and was appointed in 1912.
When the Dean of Engineering, Professor Gibson, was called for service in World War I, Hawken was appointed Acting Professor and Dean of the Faculty. He became Chairman of the Queensland Institute of Engineers and Secretary of the Institute of Local Government Engineers of Australia. In addition, he found time to produce a thesis on column analysis and design which won him the degree of Master of Engineering. On his return from war service Professor Gibson resigned his Chair and recommended that Hawken be appointed in his place. His appointment in 1919 met with wide approval and the high status achieved by the Faculty is testimony to his success. He was elected to the Senate of the University in 1920 and 1923 where his ability and gift for clear thinking made him a very useful member during a period marked by growth and development of the University.
These years coincided with the amalgamation of the various engineering societies throughout Australia in the foundation of the Institution of Engineers, Australia. In this foundation Hawken took a prominent part. He represented the Queensland Institute of Engineers at the conference which decided on amalgamation and was the representative of the Institute of Local Government Engineers on the Provisional Council set up to draft a constitution for the new Institution. He was a member of the Council from its first meeting in October 1919 until his death in 1947, holding the position of Vice President in 1921 and 1922 and President in 1923. In 1920 he was Chairman of the Brisbane Division and a member of the Divisional Committee from that time onwards. In 1931 the Institution awarded him the Peter Nichol Russell Medal.
Hawken was a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, to which he contributed papers on column design. He was a member of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science and Chairman of the City Council Cross River Commission. In 1931 he was consultant to the Government of Tasmania on the Derwent River bridge. He held many appointments to the Queensland Government including a consultancy on the Story Bridge design and was their representative on the Councils of the Standards Association of Australia and the National Association of Testing Authorities.
Hawken was a member of the teaching staff of the University of Queensland for just over thirty-five years and occupied the Chair of Engineering and the office of Dean of the Faculty continuously for almost twenty-nine years. During this long period he served the University, the State of Queensland and the profession of engineering with distinction, his courtesy and tact, his technical knowledge and his wide experience of men and affairs being invaluable. He was a prolific writer and produced innumerable papers on technical subjects.
In 1911 Hawken married Adelaide Margrette Mott of Black Mountain in New South Wales and they had a family of five daughters; he died in Brisbane on 15 October 1947.
References:
Eminent Queensland Engineers Vol 1 is available here.
A,T,M. Stoney, •Professor Roger Hawken', University of Qld Gazette, December 1947, p. 4;
Information from Miss P, Hawken, Brisbane, and University of Qld Archives,
NOTE: Roger Hawken has also been recognised in the Queensland Hall of Fame
and is Engineers Australia Queensland President 1920 QLD Presidents
