John Keith Ross

John Keith Ross (1872-1963)

1916 Railway Construction Branch, P W D Sydney, N S W.

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1963 Obituary

JOHN KEITH ROSS, M.A., BSc., who was born on 31 August, 1872, died in October 1963. Educated at Royal High School, Edinburgh, he studied engineering at Edinburgh University, where he took the degrees of M.A. and B.Sc.(Eng.). After a year's practical training with Mr C. P. Gates (A.M.), contractor, he joined Mr Gates' firm, working as assistant engineer on sewage purification works at Heywood, Lancs., on Talbot Road New Station, Blackpool, and finally on the widening of two railway lines (Chester-Holyhead, Saltney-Rhyl) and on a viaduct at Rhyl.

From 1902 to 1904, as engineer and agent for Messrs Monk & Newell, Contractors, he worked under Mr James Glover (M) on a 20-mile stretch of pipeline between Thirlmere Aqueduct and Manchester, and on wharves for Lever Brothers at Port Sunlight. As engineer and agent for the contractors, he later worked on covered balancing reservoirs at Cricklewood for the Metropolitan Water Board.

Backed by already considerable experience, Mr Ross went to Australia in 1906 and for the rest of his working life played a large part in the development of New South Wales. As engineer for the Commonwealth Oil Corporation he was engaged for three years on the design and construction of bridges, sidings, buildings, etc, at Newnes, New South Wales, under Mr D. A. Sutherland and Mr Henry Deane (M). In 1909 he was appointed engineer in charge of railway construction by the NSW Public Works Department and for the next eight years worked on several new lines-Lockhart to Clear Hills, Galong to Boorowa, Dunedoo to Coonabarabran and Dubbo to Merrygoen.

In 1918 he became resident engineer to the Commonwealth Department of Works and Railways, in charge of the construction of Molongolo concentration camp (railway, water, and sewerage) and the completion of the water supply to Canberra from Cotton River-work which was completed in record time. From 1919 until 1927, as resident engineer to the Public Works Department, NSW, he was in charge of the construction of Hume Reservoir, designed for two million acre-feet of water, at a total cost of £5,400,000- the second biggest dam in the world at the time. There followed three years as inspecting engineer on the River Murray Construction Works, including Hume Reservoir, Nepean Dam, and the northern suburbs ocean outfall sewer at Sydney. After a visit of inspection to Europe, Mr Ross returned to New South Wales to take up a new post with the Public Works Department, Newcastle, as engineer in charge of design and construction of sewerage works for Newcastle and other towns- also drainage, water supplies, harbour improvements, etc. At the same time he was President of the Hunter District Water Supply. From 1934 until his retirement in 1937, Mr Ross was appointed principal engineer of water supply and sewerage to the NSW Public Works Department. He was elected an Associate Member in 1899 and became a Member in 1935. He is survived by a daughter.

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