Percy Allan was a civil engineer who had responsibility for the design of a large number of public works in New South Wales, including the design of 583 bridges.

Early life

Percy Allan was the son of Maxwell Rennie Allan, principal under-secretary of state for New South Wales, and was born in Elizabeth Street, Sydney on 12 July 1861. He was educated at Calder House, Redfern

Redfern, New South Wales

Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...

, and joined the government Works Department in 1878 as a cadet.

Career

Between 1893 and 1896 he designed 349 bridges and punts in New South Wales, and between 1896 and 1899 he designed a further 126 bridges including the Pyrmont Bridge

Pyrmont Bridge

The Pyrmont Bridge is a swing bridge over Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia.-History and description:The first Pyrmont Bridge was opened on 17 March 1858, and was a wooden pile bridge with a iron centre swing span...

  and the Glebe Island Bridge.

In 1900 he was appointed Principal Assistant Engineer for Rivers, Water Supply and Drainage, and supervised the completion of the Sydney low level sewerage system (a pumping system to replace harbour sewage outfalls).

Following this he was appointed to the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

He returned to the public works department in 1912, and had overall design responsibility for the Tom Uglys Bridge

Tom Uglys Bridge

Tom Uglys Bridge is one of three major road crossings of the Georges River in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It consists of two separate bridges that carry the Princes Highway, linking the St George area at Blakehurst to the Sutherland Shire at Sylvania.- Origin of the name :Tom Uglys...

 over the Georges River

Georges River

The Georges River is a waterway in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It rises to the south-west of Sydney near the coal mining town of Appin, and then flows north past Campbelltown, roughly parallel to the Main South Railway...

.

He is also credited with designing his own type of Truss Bridge, the Allan Truss.

Recognition

He was awarded a Telford Premium by the Institute of Civil Engineers for a paper on port improvements in Newcastle

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

, including excavation of the channel and extension of the breakwater.

Retirement and death

Percy Allan retired from the public service in March 1926. He died suddenly at his home in Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst, New South Wales

Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...

 on 7 May 1930. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

See also

• Mulwala Bridge
  Mulwala Bridge
  Mulwala Bridge is a bridge crossing Lake Mulwala, formed by a weir on the Murray River in Australia. The bridge links the border towns of Yarrawonga, Victoria and Mulwala, New South Wales. The bridge was built in 1924 and designed by Percy Allan using a Pratt truss.-References:...
  
  
• Hampden Bridge (Wagga Wagga)
  Hampden Bridge (Wagga Wagga)
  Hampden Bridge is a wooden Allan Truss bridge over the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales which opened to traffic on 11 November 1895 and was closed in October 1995 when the Wiradjuri Bridge opened. The bridge is long with each of the 3 truss spans long. Hampden Bridge was the...
  
  
• Tharwa Bridge
  Tharwa Bridge
  Tharwa Bridge is a four span Allan truss bridge which provides a high-level crossing point across the Murrumbidgee River, allowing traffic between Canberra and Tharwa village. It is the oldest surviving bridge in the Australian Capital Territory.- History :...
  
  
• Victoria Bridge, Picton
  Victoria Bridge, Picton
  Victoria Bridge crosses Stonequarry Creek in Picton, New South Wales, Australia.Opened on 7 October 1897, Victoria Bridge is a timber trestle bridge employing Allan trusses - it was designed by Percy Allan and built by C.J. Ford of Sydney....