Francis Allen
ALLEN, Francis Bowen MA BSc AOSM MAusIMM (1867-1952)
The inaugural director of a School of Mines for the Western Australian Eastern Goldfields
Francis Bowen Allen was born in Nelson, New Zealand. He gained an MA and a BSc degree in mathematics and physics at the Otago School of Mines in New Zealand, together with diplomas in mining and metallurgy. He succeeded A. Montgomery (q.v.) as principal of the Thames School of Mines on the Hauraki Peninsula of North Island, New Zealand, in 1899.
In 1902 he was appointed the inaugural director of a School of Mines for the Western Australian Eastern Goldfields which was to be located in the building in Coolgardie which had housed the Coolgardie Exhibition of 1899. Before classes commenced on 3 November 1902 Allen prepared a report for the Mines Department on the Phillip's dry concentrator. As most of the 60 students were in full time work duplicate classes had to be held in the evenings. When Premier James officially opened the school on 24 January 1903, he announced that because of Kalgoorlie’s rapid growth a ‘large school’ of mines would also be established in Kalgoorlie. Allen had already advised on the plans of the new school and had selected some of its equipment. In April 1903 a contract was let for its construction in Egan Street, Kalgoorlie, and in November 1903 the first classes began for the 100 full and part time students enrolled.
From June 1904, Allen was one of three Royal Commissioners who investigated the alleged salting of gold ore samples at the Boulder Deep Levels Limited’s mine at Kalgoorlie and its consequences. While the Commission was still preparing its report another controversial mining matter arose which the newly formed Daglish Labor Government decided to refer to a second Royal Commission consisting of the same members as those for the Deep Levels Commission. The second case concerned variations in estimates of gold reserves at the Great Boulder Perseverance Gold Mining Co. Limited’s Kalgoorlie mine and to what extent false information was passed on to share holders.
On the Egan Street campus Allen established a minerals museum in 1907, a heat engine laboratory in 1914, and a metallurgical laboratory from 1917. A significant change in the day to day administration of the School of Mines occurred in 1905 after the sudden death of Alex Purdie, the State’s Director of Technical Education. The Public Service Commissioner, Martin E. Jull, in the interests of economy, opposed the appointment of a new Director of Technical Education while Allen held the position of Director of the School of Mines. The Education Department was responsible for Technical Education while the Mines Department controlled the School of Mines and the mining industry resisted any move to take away ‘its institution’. In December 1905 Allen was appointed Director of Technical Education whilst still retaining his position as Director of the School of Mines. In the Technical Education position he was responsible for Perth Technical School and others including those at Fremantle, Guildford and Boulder. He was required to be resident in Perth which meant that his assistant at the School of Mines, T. Butement (q.v.), now designated Assistant Director, shouldered more of the School’s teaching and administration.
During the 1920s technical education in Western Australia kept pace with the state’s expanding economy whereas attendances at the School of Mines fell with the depression in mining. Allen fought hard and successfully to retain the School of Mines’ three year associate diploma courses despite the limited number of students. By contrast, in 1918, the Perth Technical College (with its name changed from School) lost its tertiary standard courses.
Allen retired in 1928 and was succeeded at the School of Mines by Butement who was termed Acting Director. He died in May, 1952, in Melbourne.
Allen’s published papers included: 'Mining education', WAMBEJ, 9 & 16 June 1906; 'Report of Western Australian School of Mines', from 1904; 'Report of Director of Technical Education' from 1908.
References:
RDM 1902, 1903, 1930;
WAMBEJ 11 Apr 1903, 20 Jan 1906;
RDEd 1908, 1909, 1911, 1915, 1930;
Battye 1, p.488;
Gibney/Smith 1, p.11;
White pp. 6 7;
McLaren pp.1 82
