Sir Allan Knight
KNIGHT, Sir Allan Walton, KCMG (1910-1998)
Career Summary
Allan Walton Knight was born at Launceston on 26 February 1910 and died at Hobart on 14 May 1998, serving Tasmania as undoubtedly one of Australia’s most outstanding engineers. He had great vision and organising ability and made a major impact on Tasmania’s development.
His sporting activities were of equal standard to his technical abilities. He rowed while at University, was Tasmanian open singles tennis champion, Royal Tennis Champion 11 times and Australian Champion three times and represented Tasmania in the Linton Cup.
Composite Beam Theory
As Assistant to Professor Alan Burn of the Engineering Department of the University of Tasmania, Knight modelled and successfully proved the Composite Beam Theory.
In 1932, the Director of Public Works Department authorised the building of an 11 metre long prototype Composite Beam bridge to prove the practicability of the theory. Knight tested deflections of static and impact loading with large trucks carrying rock over the bridge. The deflections measured were well within the safety factors required and Knight's confidence and safety was proven. The bridge is still in use on Proctors Road over Vincents Rivulet close to Hobart.
The method was subsequently applied in the construction of a 7 span bridge over the Leven River at Ulverstone with Knight designing the bridge and also supervising its construction.
Public Works Department
In 1932 Knight was appointed as a Public Works Department engineer to work under the direction of Director George D. Balsille. Balsille had joined the Tasmanian PWD in 1929 some three months prior to the massive flooding in 3-6 April 1929, where over 150 bridges were washed away or significantly damaged in Northern Tasmania.
Following his two Composite Beam projects, Vincents Rivulet and Level River bridges, Knight earned the task of on-site designing and supervising construction of the all-welded steel girder bridge at Scamander, the third earliest in Australia.
In 1937 at 27 years of age he was appointed to the newly created position of Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department. With a programme of major bridge works needed in Tasmania, Knight was also sent on a three month journey to America and Canada to examine advanced bridge design and construction projects. In a few weeks of his return he presented the Minister with a completed 121 page booklet of his experiences and conclusions.
Resulting from his recommendations, he went on to design the all-welded current Bridgewater Bridge with eleven steel girder approach spans and two truss sections located either side of the lift span. He also designed the arch Hobart Floating Bridge that also had a similar lift span that crossed the Derwent River Estuary near Hobart. In both cases an experienced welding consultant, David Isaacs of Melbourne was engaged to advise on the steel structures, particularly the navigation lift spans and the design, fabrication and testing of their gusset plates and junctions.
Hydro-Electric Commission
In 1946 Knight was appointed Commissioner of the Hydro-Electric Commission. He surrounded himself with capable staff and employed many migrants to work on new power developments. Knight became one of the nation's big spenders and the Commission won international recognition for enormous advances in the technology of dam and power station design and construction. Under Knight's leadership (1946–1977) the Commission installation capacity grew from 172 to 1515 megawatts and its workforce from 1000 to over 5000.
In tunnel boring the Hydro Electric Commission set world records which have not been surpassed, led world-wide practice in large rockfill dams with upstream concrete membranes and, at some 850m (2800ft) static head, built the world’s 6th highest head hydro-electric power station at Poatina. All of which contributed to maintaining the low cost of Tasmania's hydro-electric power.
Community Service
Knight served on many Councils of a professional nature including the College of Advanced Education, University of Tasmania Council, C.S.I.R.O., Churchill Trust, Australia’s first Scenery Preservation Board serving 35 years on the Board and the Water Research Foundation.
He was Chairman of the Tasmania Division Committee of the Institution of Engineers, Australia and a Federal Councillor (1942).
During World War II Knight resigned to enlist in the Forces but was refused. He then joined the Royal Australian Engineers (Tasmanian Command) from 1939 to 1940 and was Major Commanding in 1940-42. Thereafter he handled two almost full time jobs with his civilian work load as Assistant Director of Public Works and also Major Commanding.
He was appointed Commissioner of the Joint Tasman Bridge Restoration Committee when the ship Lake Illawarra crashed into sections of the Tasman Bridge in 1975 and continued with its rebuilding and widening of the Bridge and following on with the upstream Bowen Bridge.
He was the first Tasmanian invited to present the Sir John Morris Memorial Lecture in 1966 with a well researched “The Quest for Power” that was pre-printed in a 25 page booklet.
Awards
- Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Aust. in 1934 and an Honorary Fellow in 1983
- Warren Memorial Prize in 1934
- Peter Nicol Russell Medal in 1963 and the William Charles Kernot Medal in the same year
- Created Knight Bachelor in (1970)
- Chapman Award (1974)
- John Storey Medal (1975)
- In 1989 the University of Tasmania conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering
