Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 5 March 1926, page 12


MR. PERCY ALLAN.

COLLEAGUES' FAREWELL.

; Officers, presont and past, . of tho Depart-ment of Publie AVorks yesterday said fare-well to Mr. Percy Allau (chief ouginoor for national and Local Government Works), who will leavo during- the next fow. wooks on a trip to England, prior to rotlrlng from the department, In which ho has served tor uoarly 60 years.

The under-secretary, of the department (Mr. Tyo), 'who presided^ said that. Mr. Allan's careor had been ouo of the most distinguished In the s.orvico. Of bia labours (bore wero many monuments, for ho.had designed ueurly COO bridges. , .

Dr. BradBold enid that wbatovor succesB he had attained ho owed largely to tho assist-ance bo bud received from Mr. Allan In his youth'.

; In prcsontlng to Mr. Allan'loather travel-ling cases for himself and hts wife, and a gold-mounted fountain pen from the officers of the department, and a gold and pearl tieptn from tho Local Government engineers, the Minister for Works (Mr.- Conn) said ho could never say sufficient to express bis gratltudo for tho help Mr. Allan bad given him whon ho was Mlnlotor of the department.

Having sorvod under 20 Ministers, Mr. Allan had many stories to relato In the course ot hts deply. "I joined tho servlco," said Mr. Allan, "because I thought lt my duty when my family had been doing tho samo thing since 1S30, but my fnthor told ino he would rather se« mo breaking stoues. I did not Uko to disappoint him so 1 Joined a depart-ment In which, If I did not achieve that parental desire. I nt least had tbo opportunity of watching othors do Hie thing he spoke of."