Don Munro
MUNRO, Donald Campbell, BE FIEAust ISO (1909-2000)
Don Munro was born in Fremantle September 7, 1909, the son of John Taylor Munro and his wife Florence Munro née Jardine. He was educated at the Fremantle Boys School and Perth Modern School and then studied at the University of Western Australia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in April 1932.
By 1936 he was working on the Canning Dam. On June 11, 1937, he married Alison Kai Lenore Abbott at Perth College Chapel, and took his new wife to live at Canning Dam. In 1939 he took over as Resident Engineer from V C Munt who had moved to Harvey.
In the 1940’s Munro took over again from V C Munt as Resident Engineer Stirling Dam and then by 1946 became Assistant Hydraulic Engineer to V C Munt. In this role he had oversight of the raising of Mundaring Weir. In 1953, following the death of V C Munt, Munro was appointed as Hydraulic Engineer. In 1960, he became Project Engineer for the Ord River Diversion Dam.
Don Munro was Chief Engineer for the Public Works from 1960 to 1968. In 1969, he became the first Western Australian born engineering head in the Public Works' 140 year history when he succeeded John Parker. In 1971 he was appointed Coordinator of Development and head of the Department of Development and Decentralisation. He was succeeded as Director of Engineering by another Western Australian born engineer, Bob Hillman.
Munro was the Chairman of the State Energy Advisory Council, Chairman of the State Energy Commission from 1972 to 1975, and a Member of the Metropolitan Water Board from 1973 to 1980. He was also a Member of the Metropolitan Regional Planning Authority from 1972 to 1978. In 1975 he was awarded an Imperial Service Order.
Don Munro died in Perth on September 6, 2000, with his wife Alison having predeceased him in 1993. He was survived by his two sons, Stuart and Craig.
Don was active in the Institution of Engineers, Australia, presenting papers on water supply, salinity and dam construction. He was a Student Member in 1929, Member in 1935 and a Fellow in 1951.
He was also active in university student life and his artistic skills were put to work for the 1930 Engineering Ball to paint a crest for the University Engineering Club. He and George Seddon Manners were photographed by the “West Australian” completing the work.
References:
John Le Page, Building a State, Water Authority of western Australia, Leederville, 1986;
West Australian, 7.9.1940, p14;
Harold Hunt, Perth’s Early Water Supplies, WA Division, Institution of Engineers, Perth;
Margaret Sacks editor, The WAY 79 Who is Who, Crawley Publishers, Nedlands, 1980.
