George Workman Dickson
George Workman Dickson (1847-1900)
1900 Obituary [1]
GEORGE WOREMAN DICKSON, born on the 20th November, 1847, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he became a Licentiate of Civil Engineering and took the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1869.
He was then engaged for four years on the construction of the Beccles Waterworks, the Chet Valley drainage and the Aldborough Waterworks.
From 1873 to 1875 he acted as Engineer for Mr. Adalbert Muller, one of the contractors, on the construction of the Odessa Waterworks. He subsequently occupied a similar position on the contract for the Newbury District Waterworks, and was then for a time engaged on the construction of the Eastern and Midlands Railway in Norfolk.
Mr. Dickson’s first appointment under the Colonial Office was in 1879, when he became Assistant Director of Public Works in the island of Trinidad. During his term of service in Trinidad he acted as Director of Public Works and General Superintendent of the Railways during the absence on leave of the Hon. J. Edward Tanner, besides sitting as a member of the Legislative Council.
In 1891 he was appointed Colonial Civil Engineer in charge of the Public Works Department of British Guiana, and occupied a seat as one of the official members of the Court of Policy of that Colony since 1892. He was always careful in matters connected with the expenditure of public money, and it is believed that the strain put on him by the supervision of the railway extensions, in addition to the ordinary work of his department, assisted in undermining his constitution.
During his period of office as Colonial Civil Engineer the railway system of British Guiana was increased from 20 miles to practically 95 miles.
He also prepared recently with considerable pains an important report on a scheme for the drainage and irrigation of the Corentyne Coast. In public as in private life his career was above reproach.
In the Court of Policy he was seldom heard, but when occasion arose for him to take part in a debate he was always a cogent speaker and his remarks carried considerable weight. Painstaking, thorough in his work, and courteous, he was esteemed by his staff, who fully recognised in him a capable and considerate chief. Mr. Dickson died at sea, on the voyage to England, on the 10th June, 1900.
He was elected an Associate of the Institution on the-7th May, 1878, was subsequently placed in the class of Associate Members, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 23rd January, 1894.
1900 Obituary [2] "...George Workman Dickson, M.l.C.E ., Colonial Civil Engineer of British Guiana, died of cerebral haemorrhage at sea, on board tho Orinoco, on Juno 10th, and was buried at sea. Mr. Dickson was the son of Mr. George Dickson, late R.N., and afterwards in command of the Royal Irish Constabulary in County Carlow. He graduated B.A. and Licentiate of Civil Engineering at Trinity College. Dublin, in 1869, and was employed as junior engineer on different sewerage, canal, tramway..." [More].
1900 Obituary.[3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1900 Institution of Civil Engineers: Obituaries
- ↑ The Engineer 1900/07/06
- ↑ Engineering 1900 Jul-Dec: Index: General Index