Edward Orpen Moriarty
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Edward Orpen Moriarty (1824–1896) MA MInstCE was an Australian
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
, who undertook a number of important public works in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
in the late nineteenth century.


Personal life and education

Moriarty was born in County Kerry, Ireland, the second son of Commander Merion Moriarty, R.N. Staying behind to complete his education when his parents migrated to Australia, he completed a Bachelor of Arts and then Master of Arts at
Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
, was engaged as a cadet on the construction of the
Isle of Portland An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...
breakwater and became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was articled as a pupil to William Morgan (inventor of the feathering float for paddle-steamers), in the firm of Acraman, Morgan and Company, in
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, during which he assisted with the design and construction of a number of steamships including “Little Western”, “Avon”, “Severn”, and a large steam yacht built for the Austrian Government, the “Archduke Frederick”. Moriarty then worked under Sir John Macneill on railways back in Ireland, and passed the examination for County Surveyor in the Board of Works. In 1848, he migrated to New South Wales, initially being employed as assistant in the Surveyor-General's Department undertaking survey work in Queensland under
Sir Thomas Mitchell Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (15 June 1792 – 5 October 1855), surveyor and explorer of Southeastern Australia, was born at Grangemouth in Stirlingshire, Scotland. In 1827 he took up an appointment as Assistant Surveyor General of New Sout ...
. In 1852, he commenced private engineering practice in Sydney. Moriarty married Leila Helen Geary in Brisbane on 18 May 1853.


Engineering career

Between 1853 and 1855 he held the position of engineer and surveyor for the Steam Navigation Board and from 1855 to 1858 was engineer on the Hunter River improvements. He was then appointed Engineer-in-Chief for Harbours and River Navigation with the NSW Department of Works from 1858 to 1859. While in the military, in the 1850s (and with approval), he undertook external commissions for the Penrith Nepean Bridge Co. and the first Pyrmont Bridge in 1866. In 1855 Morarity was Engineer Surveyor for the Hunter river improvements and in that capacity made soundings and mapped the Hunter River at the Port of Newcastle which were developed into a plan to improve the entrance to the sea by constructing extended breakwaters and river control walls as well as develop the port faculties to improve the export of coal (Stewart 1983). In particular, Morarity is noted for his involvement in the construction of the Dyke a river training wall on the western bank of the Hunter river at Newcastle which was developed into a coal loading facility and basin equipped with hydraulic cranes for loading coal and an associated rail link. In 1862 Moriarty was made commissioner for roads and engineer-in-chief. He was a Sydney Water Supply Commissioner in 1868, president of the
Hunter River Hunter River may refer to: *Hunter River (New South Wales), Australia *Hunter River (Western Australia) *Hunter River, New Zealand *Hunter River (Prince Edward Island), Canada **Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, community on Hunter River, Canada ...
Floods Commission in 1869–70, and also responsible for water supply schemes for Albury, Bathurst, Hunter Valley towns, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong. Moriarty was made responsible for the Clarence River Entrance Works between 1862 and 1889, where he proposed short breakwaters and rock training walls. (Powell, 1974). However, this was not entirely successful as sandbars formed near the opening. Moriarty argued with the harbour engineer John Coode about the cause and remedy, but when Moriarty went on leave prior to his retirement, his successor, C.W. Darley, implemented Coode's scheme. Part of the remaining north training wall is still called “Moriarty’s Wall” in recognition of his role.


Personal interests

Moriarty also had a military career as lieutenant in the Volunteer Artillery, and as a captain from 1869. He was also involved in the board for inspecting and maintaining supply of colonial warlike stores, the commission on defence from foreign aggression and was a Captain of the Engineers Corps Volunteer Rifles in 1871–73. Outside of professional activities Moriarty was also a
Philosophical Society The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
councillor, member of the New South Wales Linnean Society and a member of 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 R ...
. He retired from engineering positions on 31 December 1888 and returned to England, where he died at
Southsea Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre. Southsea is not a separate town as all of Portsea Island's s ...
,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, on 18 September 1896, leaving an estate worth £5800.


Engineering works

* Lake Parramatta Dam 1855 * Clarence River entrance 1862 *
Richmond River The Richmond River is a river situated in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features The river rises at the northern end of the Richmond Range, near its junction with the McPherson Range, on the Queensla ...
entrance *
Morts Dock Mort's Dock is a former dry dock, slipway, and shipyard in Balmain, New South Wales, Australia. It was the first dry dock in Australia, opening for business in 1855 and closing more than a century later in 1959. The site is now parkland. Histor ...
Balmain *
Sutherland Dock Sutherland Dock is a heritage-listed dockyard at the former Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Cockatoo Island, New South Wales, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004. History Cockatoo Island became a ...
,
Cockatoo Island Dockyard The Cockatoo Island Dockyard was a major dockyard in Sydney, Australia, based on Cockatoo Island. The dockyard was established in 1857 to maintain Royal Navy warships. It later built and repaired military and battle ships, and played a key role ...
* first
Pyrmont Bridge The Pyrmont Bridge, a heritage-listed swing bridge across Cockle Bay, is located in Darling Harbour, part of Port Jackson, west of the central business district in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Opened ...
* Upper Nepean Water Supply Scheme * Newcastle Harbour * Prospect scheme of water supply for Sydney *
Kiama Light Kiama Light, also known as Kiama Harbour Light, is an active lighthouse in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is located close to the Kiama Blowhole on Blowhole Point, south of Kiama Harbour. History Tenders for the construct ...
1887 *
Warden Head Light Warden Head Light, also known as Ulladulla Lighthouse, is an active lighthouse on Warden Head, a headland south of Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia, guarding the entrance to the Port of Ulladulla. It is one of only two wrought iron lighthous ...
Ulladulla Ulladulla is a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia in the City of Shoalhaven local government area. It is on the Princes Highway about south of Sydney, halfway between Batemans Bay to the south and Nowra to the north. Ulladulla has cl ...
1873 *
Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse situated on the southern breakwater of the heritage-listed Wollongong Harbour, in Wollongong, New South Wales in Australia. Wollongong is t ...
1871 *
Trial Bay Trial Bay is a broad bay on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The bay faces northwards and extends from Laggers Point in the east around to Grassy Head to the west, past the town of South West Rocks and the Macleay River mouth. ...
breakwater 1877–1903 * Grey River entrance, New Zealand 1874 * Moyne River Training Walls. Port Fairy, 1869–74 * Tathra Wharf * Western Springs water supply to
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...


Publications

* * * * *


External links


National Library Pictures – portrait photo c1865


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moriarty, Edward Orpen 1824 births 1896 deaths 19th-century Irish engineers Engineers from County Kerry Irish civil engineers Australian civil engineers Harbour engineers Lighthouse builders