Belfast Telegraph 24th December 2004
The man who designed the Spelga dam and made his name as one of Northern Ireland's leading engineers has
died. Fred Poskitt, who served as an Royal Air Force pilot in the Second
World War, was recognised internationally in the construction of such
large impounding dams. Born in Sao Paolo in Brazil 1922, when his father
was working overseas, the Queen's University graduate spent the first
part of his childhood in Aberdeen before attending Belfast Royal
Academy. He joined the integrated design practice Ferguson McIlveen in
the 1950s, taking over from Robert Ferguson as Senior Engineering
Partner in 1965. By this time he had established his reputation as an
outstanding engineer with the ...
The Post-Jubilee Years
In the years after the Jubilee the Branch began to gain recognition as a body of informed
opinion. The number of members rose above fifty and W. A. Plester was the first Chairman
to attend Council meetings (1961-1962), while Gregg Doran was allocated to the Science and
Research Committee. In 1966 Bill Thistlethwaite had the honour of attending a reception
held by Her Majesty the Queen, when the Council of Engineering Institutions (CEI) was
presented with a Royal Charter. In 1976 Jack McClure was Honorary Secretary of the
Institution, and Dr Doran was Honorary Treasurer in 1979. Members were called on
increasingly to serve on Governmental or other groups; Alec Roberts was on the British
Standards Northern Ireland Advisory Council and its predecessor for fourteen years, while
Douglas Boyd also served for a long period. Fred Poskitt became Chairman in 1976. Dr.
Doran played a leading part in drawing up the Northern Ireland Building Regulations and was
Chairman for a time of the Northern Ireland Construction Industry Advisory Council.
The Northern Ireland CEI Council was formed in 1968 and `Davy’ McIlwaine and Sam Pyper
took a keen interest, the former becoming Chairman later. Distinction of another kind came
to Robert Ferguson who was awarded the OBE in the 1970 New Year Honours, and Fred
Poskitt received a similar honour in 1983. Fred had served for a number of years on the
British Section of the International Commission on Large Dams.
http://www.istructe.org/branch/NorthernIreland/pictures/report/ISE_History.pdf
The Ferguson Medal is awarded each year to the author/s of the best
Paper considered by a panel to have been presented to the members during
the session. Robert Ferguson OBE was a founder of the firm of R Ferguson
& S McIlveen in 1922. He played a leading role in founding the Local
Association in Northern Ireland in 1933, and was Treasurer from then
until 1966. Fred Poskitt OBE succeeded Robert Ferguson as Senior
Engineering Partner in Ferguson McIlveen's in 1965, and in 1982
initiated the Ferguson Medal in recognition of Robert Ferguson's
contribution to the profession of Civil Engineering in NI and for his
services to the ICE. The Ferguson Medal in 2007 was awarded to Philip
Brown from GRAHAMS LTD who presented his paper on the Refurbishment and
Replacement of Stobcross on-ramp, Kingston Bridge, Glasgow.
http://www.ice.org.uk/nearyou/UK-Regions/Northern-Ireland/Awards-and-Competitions
