Frank Durrant
DURRANT, Frank Barnaby, APTC AMIEAust (1903-1969)
F B Durrant was born on July 28, 1903 in London, the son of accountant Sydney Frank Durrant and his wife Rose Helena Barnaby Durrant, nee Smith. He joined the Public Works Department as a cadet in 1922 and became a draughtsman under E C B Bone on March 1, 1926. He had also studied at Perth Technical College being awarded a Diploma in Structural Engineering. He undertook short courses on engineering such as one in Water Supply at the University of Western Australia in 1924.
On November 16, 1929 he married Daisy Chisholm at Cottesloe.
Durrant was elected an associate member of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1932. By 1937 he was designing in hydraulics, in the Public Works Department.
During World War II he commanded the 35th Fortress Company, Royal Australian Engineers, responsible for the defence of Fremantle, achieving the rank of Major. His overseas service was five months at Bougainville in 1945.
Under A L Dent, he worked in the Metropolitan Water Supply Sewerage and Drainage Department. He was one of the team which designed the original Subiaco Sewage Treatment Works. He then became Design Engineer for Sewers and Drainage in 1959, under F M Kenworthy.
Frank Durrant retired in 1968, and passed away a year later on September 10, 1969 at Fremantle. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery. His wife, Daisy, lived to be 100 years old.
References:
PSL 1927, 1936, 1946, 1959.
West Australian, 10.1.1941, p. 8
Subiaco Sewage Treatment Works, Metropolitan Water Supply Sewerage and Drainage Department, Perth 1963.
LPG p. 392.
