Donald Victor Darwin (11 October 1896 – 8 March 1972) was an Australian civil engineer.

Personal life

He was born at Redhill, South Australia to Henry Darwin, a native-born bank manager, and his wife Jessie Louise Cleta, née Gmeiner. Darwin was educated at

St Peter's College, Adelaide St Peter's College (officially The Anglican Church of Australia Collegiate School of Saint Peter, but commonly known as Saints) is an Private school, independent Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Primary school, primary and Secondary school ...

and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, receiving his BCE in 1920, and subsequently the MCE. Service in the Australian military during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

interrupted his university studies; he served with the 10th Field Company Engineers, AIF, in France and Belgium from 1916 as a

sapper A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...

. In 1918, he was awarded the Military Medal. He was discharged in 1919.

Career

Darwin's professional career was entirely with the Victorian

Country Roads Board The Country Roads Board was a government authority responsible for the construction and maintenance of main roads in the state of Victoria, Australia between 1913 and 1983. History The Country Roads Board (CRB) was formed to take over respon ...

(CRB), which he joined in 1920 as Assistant Engineer, becoming Bridge Engineer in 1924, responsible for the design and construction of highway bridges throughout Victoria. One of his major projects was to design the new bridge over the Barwon River on the

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

References

Bibliography

*Chambers, Don, 'Darwin, Donald Victor (1896–1972)', ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, pp. 572–573 *Chambers, Don, From Bullock Tracks to Bitumen (manuscript, State Library of Victoria) *Darwin, D. V 1956, The planning of roads systems throughout Australia: statement, Country Roads Board, Victoria *Darwin, D. V. 1926. 'The Barwon River bridge, Geelong' Thesis (M.C.E. -- University of Melbourne, Dept. of Engineering, 1926 *Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne), 5 Jan 1945, 2 Sept 1950, 11 Sept 1953 *Argus (Melbourne), 22 Mar 1949 *Herald (Melbourne), 10 July 1950, 1 Feb 1956 *Age (Melbourne), 17 Apr 1957, 24 July 1962, 10 Mar 1972 *Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 1963, 25 Nov 1966 {{DEFAULTSORT:Darwin, Donald Victor Australian civil engineers University of Melbourne alumni 1896 births 1972 deaths People from South Australia