Walter Reeks (1861-1925) was one of the earliest
naval architects
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and is known for designing yachts, ferries and coastal ships.,
He was born in
Christchurch, England and migrated to Australia in 1885.
Reeks apprenticed with Alexander Richardson and at shipbuilders George Inman & Sons in England. He became an expert at yacht design and propulsion.
He was active in the Sydney yachting community on arrival in Australia and joined several of the yacht clubs and engineering associations. He was Vice Commodore for the
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a yacht club located in North Sydney, Australia in the suburb of Kirribilli. The squadron was founded in 1862. It has occupied its grounds in East Kirribilli, near Kirribilli House, since 1902.
History
The ...
from 1906 to 1910.
He was president of the NSW Engineering Association in 1914.
He worked for various Sydney ferry companies between 1890 and 1915 a period in which the ferry system saw significant growth. He designed the first double-ended screw Manly ferry, the ''
Manly'' (II), and the ''
Kuring-gai'', which became the model for Manly ferries of the first half of the 20th century.
Other Sydney ferries designed by Reeks, including all but one of the early 20th century 'Lady' ferries, such as the
Lady Denman and
Lady Scott, and all of the Watsons Bay ferries, such as the ''Vaucluse''. He also designed the
Hobart ferries ''Derwent'' and ''Rosny''.
Reeks married Mary Emma Kent in March 1889. They had a daughter, Thelma, and son, Kent. Mary died in 1895 and Reeks married again in 1900. Reeks's son was murdered in England in 1914.
Reeks died in October 1925.
Several of his yachts are extant as of 2018, including
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
and
Ena
Ena or ENA may refer to:
Education
* École nationale d'administration, French Grande école, for civil service
* Education Networks of America, Internet service provider
Fictional characters
* Ena Sharples, from the British soap opera ''Coron ...
in Sydney.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reeks, Walter
Australian naval architects
Maritime history of Australia
1861 births
1925 deaths