Winifred Davenport

Marjory Winifred Davenport (18 February 1924 – 13 May 2003) was an Australian marine and civil engineer. Known by her middle name, Winifred Davenport, she is recognised as Australia's first female qualified engineer from Queensland, completing her diploma in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1946. Davenport played a significant role in the development of Queensland's marine infrastructure and later became a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia by special invitation. She worked extensively with the Queensland Harbours and Marine Department and was involved in major projects, including the development of Manly Boat Harbour and the design of the hydrographic survey vessel Trigla. In 1990, she was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her service to marine and civil engineering.

Early life and education Marjory Winifred Davenport was born on 18 February 1924 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Davenport of Ipswich Road, Moorooka. She was diagnosed with chronic asthma throughout her life, but still achieved strong academic results in her scholarship, junior, and senior examinations. She attended Yeronga State School, followed by four years at St Aidan's School where she studied freehand drawing and mathematics. Her interest in engineering and drafting was influenced by her father, a professional draftsman. She took to drawing with his tools at a young age.

Career and research Early engineering

According to her cousin, Pamela Davenport, she demonstrated a strong aptitude for mathematics which contributed to her pursuit of engineering studies. Davenport undertook employment while studying part-time at the Brisbane Central Technical College. She took night classes in physics, applied mechanics, heat engines and electricity, ultimately qualifying with a diploma in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1946 at the age of 22. In 1942, at the age of 18, Davenport began her career as an indentured cadet draftswoman at the Evans Deakin shipyard at Kangaroo Point. In 1958 she became a member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects.

She wrote an article where she discussed women's participation in professional fields, drawing on her experiences in engineering and advocating for equal opportunity based on interest and ability.

She wrote a book that documents the historical development of Queensland's ports and harbours, focusing on engineering, maritime trade and coastal infrastructure to explain how they shaped its economic and social history. The timeline of the book is from early colonial settlement through the late twentieth century. It has been cited as a valuable reference on Queensland's maritime history. Davenport retired from the Harbours and Marine Department in 1989.

Articles

"A Place for Women in Professions" (1979)

1958: Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.