William Charles Kernot
Encyclopedia
William Charles Kernot was an Australia
n engineer, first professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne
and president of the Royal Society of Victoria
.
William Charles Kernot, eldest son of Charles Kernot, chemist, formerly member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Geelong, was born at Rochford
, Essex
, England
. Kernot migrated to Australia with his family in 1851 and was educated at the National Grammar School, Geelong, and matriculated at the University of Melbourne
in 1861. He qualified for the degree of M.A. in 1864 and entered the Victorian mining department in 1865. He also qualified as a civil engineer in 1866, in 1867 joined the water-supply department, and in 1868 was appointed a lecturer in civil engineering
at the University of Melbourne. He left the water-supply department in 1875, and during the next three years acted as consulting engineer to Louis Brennan
in connexion with his torpedo.
In 1882 Kernot became chairman of directors of the first company to introduce electric lighting to Melbourne, and from 1 January 1883 was the first professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne. When he started there was little in the way of either buildings or equipment, but during the following 26 years he worked up a fine engineering school, and was an inspiring teacher and friend to the many students who qualified for engineering degrees during this period. In 1887 he gave £2000 to the university to found scholarships in natural philosophy and chemistry, and in 1893 gave £1000 for the fittings for the metallurgical laboratory.
Kernot also assisted Francis Ormond
in the organization of the Working Men's College of Melbourne
, and was president of this institution from 1889 to 1899. Kernot was president of the Royal Society of Victoria
1895-1900 and of the Victorian Society of Engineers
in 1897-8 and 1906-7. He died at Melbourne on 14 March 1909. He never married.
Kernot wrote many papers for technical journals; an important work was On Some Common Errors in Iron Bridge Design, which appeared in 1898, an enlarged second edition was published in 1906. A younger brother, Wilfred Noyce Kernot, born in 1868, was for many years a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, and from 1932 to 1936 was professor of engineering.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n engineer, first professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and president of the Royal Society of Victoria
Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria is the oldest learned society in the state of Victoria in Australia.The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1859 from a merger between The Philosophical Society of Victoria and The Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science , both founded...
.
William Charles Kernot, eldest son of Charles Kernot, chemist, formerly member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
for Geelong, was born at Rochford
Rochford
Rochford is a small town in the Rochford district of Essex in the East of England. It is sited about 43 miles from Central London and approximately 21 miles from the Essex county town, Chelmsford...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Kernot migrated to Australia with his family in 1851 and was educated at the National Grammar School, Geelong, and matriculated at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1861. He qualified for the degree of M.A. in 1864 and entered the Victorian mining department in 1865. He also qualified as a civil engineer in 1866, in 1867 joined the water-supply department, and in 1868 was appointed a lecturer in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at the University of Melbourne. He left the water-supply department in 1875, and during the next three years acted as consulting engineer to Louis Brennan
Louis Brennan
Louis Brennan was an Irish-Australian mechanical engineer and inventor.Brennan was born in Castlebar, Ireland, and moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1861 with parents...
in connexion with his torpedo.
In 1882 Kernot became chairman of directors of the first company to introduce electric lighting to Melbourne, and from 1 January 1883 was the first professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne. When he started there was little in the way of either buildings or equipment, but during the following 26 years he worked up a fine engineering school, and was an inspiring teacher and friend to the many students who qualified for engineering degrees during this period. In 1887 he gave £2000 to the university to found scholarships in natural philosophy and chemistry, and in 1893 gave £1000 for the fittings for the metallurgical laboratory.
Kernot also assisted Francis Ormond
Francis Ormond
Francis Ormond was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist, member of the Parliament of Victoria and philanthropist in the areas of education and religion....
in the organization of the Working Men's College of Melbourne
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
, and was president of this institution from 1889 to 1899. Kernot was president of the Royal Society of Victoria
Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria is the oldest learned society in the state of Victoria in Australia.The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1859 from a merger between The Philosophical Society of Victoria and The Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science , both founded...
1895-1900 and of the Victorian Society of Engineers
Victorian Institute of Engineers
The Victorian Institute of Engineers was founded in 1883 in Melbourne, Victoria Australia.In 1885 there were 124 members including 40 civil engineers engaged in hydraulic, gas, electric and roadway engineering, about 10 in mining, six in marine, and about 68 mechanical engineers...
in 1897-8 and 1906-7. He died at Melbourne on 14 March 1909. He never married.
Kernot wrote many papers for technical journals; an important work was On Some Common Errors in Iron Bridge Design, which appeared in 1898, an enlarged second edition was published in 1906. A younger brother, Wilfred Noyce Kernot, born in 1868, was for many years a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, and from 1932 to 1936 was professor of engineering.
External links
- Kernot, William Charles in the Bright Sparcs Biographical Database.