117:'s natural flow, for Egyptian agriculture requirements, and was capable of holding a summer water supply for lands reasonably expected to be converted to summer irrigation in the immediate future. By 1905 however, it appeared that Egypt was experiencing a cycle of low years in regard to the volume of water passing down the river during the summer. The Government was thus very soon faced with the problem of finding additional storage room to meet possible demands for the existing area, as well as making adequate provision for future extension. A scheme for thickening and heightening the existing Aswan Dam was prepared by Benjamin Baker, and a great deal of the work involved was undertaken by MacDonald. The project was brought to fulfillment principally under his direction, with the "first heightening" completed in 1912.
136:, the Esna Barrage downstream of Aswan, and effected large-scale improvements to Alexandria Harbour. But even in the 1910s, the propagation of many of these schemes for the development of Egypt aroused much controversy. One expert commission after another was set up to examine the projects and investigate the criticisms of them, and it was in this connection that MacDonald prepared a detailed report entitled
83:, and following its completion he spent some years as an assistant engineer on various railway construction projects in Northern Scotland. Among them, there was the building of the Black Isle line between 1890 and 1894, and the widening of the main line between Dalnaspidal and Blair Athol. Years later, MacDonald noted that his early railway work included the design and construction of a small earthen dam and
160:
practicability of the works involved, and a report dealing with the whole problem was presented to the Board. The report was printed in early March 1941, but its construction was delayed by the war and until further serious flooding emphasised its urgency. In the mid-1950s the work was started in earnest under the direction of MacDonalds's firm, but he would not see its completion.
144:
time, MacDonald was responsible for work undertaken to strengthen the Esna
Barrage, and he advised on various schemes for land drainage and irrigation in Greece and Portugal. After World War II, he was again consulted by the Government of Egypt about the Aswan Dam, and submitted a report advising that a third heightening was practicable, though never carried out.
102:. MacDonald's appointment as an assistant engineer during the building of this significant structure marked the beginning of a 23-year term of service in Egypt. During the same dam's first heightening between 1908 and 1912, MacDonald was director-general of irrigation for the Egyptian Government. He subsequently became Under Secretary of State for
29:
163:
In addition to project work over his long civil engineering career, MacDonald gave his services to other spheres. He was elected an associate member of the
Institution of Civil Engineers in 1892, and became a full member in 1909. He presented two papers to the Institution dealing with various aspects
159:
flood protection scheme. The latter was first considered early in 1938 following serious flooding in the Fens. Several proposals were put forward, and he was asked to formulate a protection scheme in conjunction with the River Great Ouse
Catchment Board. Detailed surveys were made to determine the
143:
Following his departure from
Egyptian service and starting Sir M. MacDonald & Partners, he continued his work on Egyptian irrigation schemes. The firm was invited to submit proposals for a second heightening of the Aswan Dam, and the work was carried out between 1929 and 1933. About the same
120:
There were, however, several other projects initiated by Sir
Murdoch during his years of service with the Egyptian Government. He was responsible for the planning and completion of overall drainage schemes for lower Egypt which finally dealt with about 3,000,000 acres. He also designed the
234:
all show
Macdonald with the description Liberal National in 1945. At his last election, he became the House's oldest MP. He remained a member of his constituency association, which was aligned with the National Liberals. He sat until he retired as the oldest MP in
132:, which was built upstream in the Sudan, but also provided 4 billion cubic metres of regulated storage annually for irrigation downstream in Egypt. He designed and constructed the head works of the Menufia Canal, downstream of the
147:
Between 1951 and 1953, he was engaged on the design of four new schemes, for the
Egyptian Government, involving barrages and storage reservoirs on the Nile. Despite advancing years, he twice visited Egypt to discuss these works.
538:
503:
598:
513:
40:
451:
533:
528:
125:
on the Blue Nile, and put into operation the first stages of the Gezira irrigation schemes for the conversion of virgin land in the Sudan for cotton growing.
52:, Scotland, MacDonald was educated at the Farraline Park Institution there, and would serve later as the constituency's MP from 1922 until 1950.
593:
588:
508:
498:
214:
split in 1931, but resigned from the
National Liberal group in the House of Commons in 1942 and according to some descriptions stood as an
109:
For most of his years in Egypt, MacDonald's principal work was with the Aswan Low Dam and its first heightening. The initial dam provided
103:
380:
203:
152:
603:
376:
199:
389:
236:
219:
207:
523:
518:
583:
60:
44:
578:
307:
251:
211:
172:
493:
429:
360:
20:
63:
from 1898 to 1921. He established the firm of consulting engineers which eventually practiced under the name of
455:
68:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
64:
369:
151:
MacDonalds's principal work in his later years also included domestic projects associated with some of the
351:
140:, which is looked upon as an early valuable guide to the effective water resource management of the Nile.
385:
285:
91:
396:
231:
184:
488:
483:
322:
48:(6 May 1866 – 24 April 1957) was a notable civil engineer and British politician. Born in
8:
417:
215:
95:
327:
196:
80:
444:
303:
176:
156:
84:
256:
281:
129:
56:
477:
465:
180:
165:
133:
99:
539:
Members of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
406:
28:
122:
227:
179:(CB) in 1917. For his service during the construction of the initial
110:
49:
79:
MacDonald served his apprenticeship as an engineer with the former
346:
114:
106:, and finally adviser to Egypt's Minister of Public Works.
504:
Knights
Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
164:
of the work on the Aswan Dam, and was twice awarded the
59:
by profession starting in 1890, MacDonald would work in
599:
Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
98:, the resident engineer in charge of constructing the
175:(KCMG) in 1914, and was appointed a Companion of the
128:
MacDonald worked on the initial siting and design of
168:. He became president of the Institution in 1932.
183:he in 1902 received the 3rd class of the Ottoman
514:Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers
475:
352:contributions in Parliament by Murdoch Macdonald
257:http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge45/i11.htm
67:from 1927. In 1932, he became President of the
534:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians
529:National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) politicians
302:, London: Thomas Telford Ltd, p. 252,
277:
275:
273:
19:For other people with a similar name, see
171:He was created a Knight Commander of the
321:
270:
252:Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
94:to go to Egypt as assistant engineer to
27:
437:Professional and academic associations
259:1945 General Election result, Inverness
476:
297:
153:North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board
291:
74:
594:21st-century Scottish businesspeople
589:20th-century Scottish businesspeople
509:Companions of the Order of the Bath
499:British construction businesspeople
190:
13:
14:
615:
339:
173:Order of St Michael and St George
361:Parliament of the United Kingdom
21:Murdo MacDonald (disambiguation)
331:. 20 January 1903. p. 386.
460:November 1932 – November 1933
456:Institution of Civil Engineers
315:
69:Institution of Civil Engineers
65:Sir M MacDonald & Partners
16:British politician (1866–1957)
1:
245:
604:British expatriates in Egypt
7:
282:Murdoch MacDonald, obituary
242:He died, aged 90, in 1957.
195:MacDonald was elected as a
187:from the Khedive of Egypt.
90:In 1898, he was invited by
10:
620:
524:Scottish Liberal Party MPs
519:Politicians from Inverness
32:Macdonald pictured in 1922
18:
584:Scottish company founders
462:
449:
441:
436:
426:
411:
403:
393:
374:
366:
359:
155:'s schemes, and with the
579:Scottish civil engineers
397:Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
263:
81:Highland Railway Company
494:British civil engineers
298:Watson, Garth (1988),
212:National Liberal Party
33:
413:Oldest sitting member
220:1945 general election
185:Order of the Medjidie
37:Sir Murdoch MacDonald
31:
377:Member of Parliament
200:Member of Parliament
418:Father of the House
232:Whitaker's Almanack
216:Independent Liberal
96:Maurice Fitzmaurice
328:The London Gazette
166:Telford Gold Medal
75:Engineering career
34:
472:
471:
463:Succeeded by
445:Cyril Kirkpatrick
427:Succeeded by
394:Succeeded by
210:. He joined the
177:Order of the Bath
611:
574:UK MPs 1945–1950
569:UK MPs 1935–1945
564:UK MPs 1931–1935
559:UK MPs 1929–1931
554:UK MPs 1924–1929
549:UK MPs 1923–1924
544:UK MPs 1922–1923
442:Preceded by
404:Preceded by
367:Preceded by
357:
356:
333:
332:
319:
313:
312:
295:
289:
279:
191:Political career
111:storage capacity
47:
619:
618:
614:
613:
612:
610:
609:
608:
474:
473:
468:
459:
447:
432:
423:
414:
409:
399:
384:
372:
342:
337:
336:
320:
316:
310:
296:
292:
280:
271:
266:
248:
193:
130:Gebel Aulia Dam
100:first Aswan Dam
77:
39:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
617:
607:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
566:
561:
556:
551:
546:
541:
536:
531:
526:
521:
516:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
470:
469:
464:
461:
448:
443:
439:
438:
434:
433:
428:
425:
410:
405:
401:
400:
395:
392:
373:
370:Thomas Morison
368:
364:
363:
355:
354:
341:
340:External links
338:
335:
334:
314:
308:
290:
268:
267:
265:
262:
261:
260:
254:
247:
244:
192:
189:
92:Benjamin Baker
76:
73:
57:civil engineer
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
616:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
560:
557:
555:
552:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
530:
527:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
481:
479:
467:
466:Henry Maybury
458:
457:
453:
446:
440:
435:
431:
422:
421:
419:
408:
402:
398:
391:
387:
383:
382:
378:
371:
365:
362:
358:
353:
349:
348:
344:
343:
330:
329:
324:
318:
311:
309:0-7277-0392-7
305:
301:
294:
287:
283:
278:
276:
274:
269:
258:
255:
253:
250:
249:
243:
240:
239:, at age 83.
238:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
198:
197:Liberal Party
188:
186:
182:
181:Aswan Low Dam
178:
174:
169:
167:
161:
158:
154:
149:
145:
141:
139:
135:
134:Delta Barrage
131:
126:
124:
118:
116:
112:
107:
105:
101:
97:
93:
88:
86:
85:hydroelectric
82:
72:
70:
66:
62:
61:British Egypt
58:
53:
51:
46:
42:
38:
30:
26:
22:
450:
424:1945 – 1950
415:
412:
375:
345:
326:
317:
299:
293:
288:, 3 May 1957
286:The Engineer
241:
223:
194:
170:
162:
150:
146:
142:
138:Nile Control
137:
127:
119:
108:
104:Public Works
89:
78:
54:
36:
35:
25:
489:1957 deaths
484:1866 births
430:David Logan
407:Will Thorne
350:1803–2005:
323:"No. 27517"
224:Who was Who
478:Categories
300:The Civils
246:References
222:. However
218:MP at the
157:Great Ouse
123:Sennar Dam
113:above the
452:President
416:(nb not
381:Inverness
228:The Times
204:Inverness
202:(MP) for
50:Inverness
454:of the
347:Hansard
87:plant.
306:
264:Notes
43:
390:1950
386:1922
379:for
304:ISBN
237:1950
230:and
208:1922
115:Nile
41:KCMG
206:in
480::
325:.
284:,
272:^
226:,
71:.
55:A
45:CB
420:)
388:–
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.