Vale - St. George's College

The Little Dragon
Vale Don Aitken (1942)
“Living at the College
was a real STROKE OF
LUCK” said Don Aitken
(1942) in his memoirs.
In his Senior Student’s report for the 1944 Dragon, Don observed
that the College provided more than just a room and meals. He
referred to the spirit of unity created by College sporting teams, his
involvement being in rowing, cricket and football. He also referred to
the role of traditions in the life of the College and residents of the
College, who were a cross-section of the University, learning to live
as members of a community instead of as individuals, which was a
valuable lesson for life. His personal growth during his four years at
the College had a signifi cant impact on the rest of his life.
While he was living in the College he completed a Bachelor of
Engineering degree in Civil Engineering, graduating with Honours.
His memoirs record that a particular benefi t for him was that Frank
Gamblen (1940), a senior lecturer in Maths at UWA, was a Senior
Member of the College and very willing to assist as an expert tutor.
Following his graduation, Don joined the Main Roads Department
as an Assistant Engineer. After involvement in materials research
and construction work, he spent 12 months in the UK gaining
wider experience. Upon his return he played a major part in
the installation of the fi rst traffi c lights in Perth and in 1953
he commenced a demanding period in charge of various
Departmental regional operations throughout the State. In the
process he gained a thorough knowledge of the State’s road
needs and the road construction techniques required to suit
widely differing geographical conditions. He was appointed Chief
Engineer in December 1963 and then in April 1965, at the age of
40, he was appointed Commissioner of Main Roads – the youngest
ever appointed to that position. Upon his retirement in October
1987, he had been the longest serving Commissioner, having held
the position for over 22 years.
A tribute published by Main Roads states that: “Don oversaw a
period of unprecedented expansion of the road network across
Western Australia and had a profound impact on the manner in
which Main Roads delivered the State’s road programs. This brought
Main Roads to both national and international prominence, forming
the basis for the high regard the organisation is held in today”.
Don Aitken was a visionary leader and a great manager and
nurturer of people. He always had the big picture in mind and a
vision of what he wanted to achieve. He then went about taking
people with him on the journey.
He advocated strongly for the preservation of signifi cant tracts
of land for the purpose of future arterial road systems and,
signifi cantly, as the freeway routes of this system developed there
was a central corridor reserved for fast transit public transport.
This reserve provided the opportunity for the highly successful rail
lines recently created north and south.
He received a considerable number of awards for his professional
achievements, including an Imperial Service Order, the Australian
Road Federation’s John Shaw Award and the Institution of
Engineers Australia’s Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Award. He was
WA Citizen of the Year for the Professions in 1982 and he was
appointed an Offi cer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1988.
His community service activities included terms as Chairman
of the Government House Foundation, as Warden of the State
War Memorial and as a member of the UWA Senate for 24
years. During his time on the UWA Senate he was Pro Chancellor
for seven years and Chancellor for nine years (1981 – 1990).
As Chancellor he planted a tree outside the College Chapel in
February 1988, during the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
At his Memorial Service in Winthrop Hall, the Vice Chancellor of
The University of Western Australia, Professor Alan Robson said
“Don Aitken was one of a handful of outstanding individuals
over the last 100 years who helped to pave the way towards
our University’s success. Don’s loyalty to his alma mater was
recognised with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering
from this University, and Don’s dedication to his profession and
his voluntary interests would see him awarded acclaim on both
State and national levels. Dr Donald Aitken’s intellect and loyalty,
as a member of the University Senate, then as Pro Chancellor
and fi nally as Chancellor, set our University fi rmly on its path of
becoming the internationally recognised institution it now is.”
Don Aitken was born in Midland on 8 January 1925 and attended
the local school in Midland and then Guildford Grammar School,
where he enjoyed great academic and sporting success, before
moving into St George’s College at the beginning of 1942.
His connection with St George’s College was further strengthened
when he married Margaret Wiseman in the College Chapel in
January 1954. He told his family that the luckiest day of his life
was when he and Margaret decided to get married. Their marriage
was only a few days short of 50 years when Margaret passed away
in January 2004. Together they created a close and loving family
with sons David, Michael and Nick and daughter Jo Menzies, their
spouses and their offspring, a total of 14 grandchildren.
Don developed a sudden age related illness and passed away
peacefully on 2 September 2010, surrounded by members of
his family.
DAVID AITKEN
The Georgian | December 2010 25