Timber engineering visionary Colin MacKenzie, who passed away in Brisbane on March 24, has been recognised in this special tribute by three of his colleagues and closest friends – Kevin Lyngcoln, Bruce Huthchins and Professor Keith Crews:
Colin MacKenzie’s long and successful career in the forest products industry commenced as a technical officer in the CSIRO Division of Forest Products, timber mechanics division, under the tutelage of such greats as Pearson, Kloot and Boyd (authors of the Timber Engineering Design Handbook) and Dr Bob Leicester, CSIRO.
His career certainly did them all proud. While in CSIRO, Colin completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil/Structural Engineering and became a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.
Colin’s tireless and passionate input into the development of Australian standards, particularly the Timber Framing Code, Timber Structures (Engineering) Code and Preservative Timber Treatment Standards, must never be underestimated or forgotten.
Colin joined the Timber Research and Development Advisory Council (TRADAC) in Queensland as an engineer under David Bubb and Neville Keating. His main task was to interpret and introduce the newly published ‘Light Timber Framing Code’ to the building and construction sector, local government and the timber and wood product industries.
It transpired, however, that Colin could not only interpret this code, but add to it with his development of the TRADAC Timber Framing Manuals, which extended the scope of the code to cyclonic as well as non-cyclonic regions of Australia.
These manuals were finally included in the major revision of the Timber Framing Code AS 1684, a deemed-to-satisfy standard in the Building Code of Australia. These developments significantly impacted (positively) the continued use of timber-framed construction in cyclonic regions in Australia. Countless numbers of residents in SE Queensland were safe in their homes during the recent tropical cyclone Alfred, a direct result of the work that Colin led over many years.
Colin was also an excellent educator, with impacts on architects, engineers, builders, local governments, students and timber industry employees at all levels.
His involvement and presentations in seminars and workshops became legendary, along with his dry sense of humor. For all of these and many other efforts, he was awarded the Stanley A Clark Memorial Medal for outstanding contributions to the Australian forest products Industry, which was truly deserved.
This tribute to Colin MacKenzie (Macca) does not adequately cover his contribution to our industry. It has been prepared by a group of Colin’s contemporaries who were great mates and admirers who remember him for his personal integrity and kindness – and each one of us is the better for having known and worked with Colin, a brilliant colleague, and a loyal friend.
Colin’s passing is a great loss to the Australian forest products industry. We will miss him!
(Kevin Lyngcoln, former CEO of the Australian Plywood Association (now EWPAA) and consultant to the timber industry, Bruce Hutchings, consulting engineer and former chair of the Standards Aust Committee TM1 (now TM10) – Timber Structures, and Professor Keith Crews, director of the ARC Advance Timber Hub at the University of Queensland)
