SLOANE, Andrew Gordon (1899-1964)Known as ‘Gordon’, Andrew Gordon Sloane was a day student at Geelong College from 7 February 1916 to December 1917. He had previously attended Brighton Grammar School from 1913 to 1915 and his address at entry to Geelong College was ‘Torbank’ Buckland’s Avenue (sic), Victoria. Born in New South Wales on 29 December 1899, he was a son of William Sloane and Jane nee Gordon.
After Geelong College he attended Ormond College, Universirty of Melbourne where he graduated BCE in 1922.
He practised engineering in England, Western Australia and Victoria, and before the war he was Resident Engineer in charge of construction works with Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewage and Drainage Department of Western Australia.
Pegasus in August 1925 described his activities overseas:
‘Gordon Sloane, since returning from England and America, has joined the firm of Messrs. H. and F. B. Tompkins, Architects, in Liverpool.
Gordon had a very exciting experience when a day out from Liverpool. The ‘Montlaurier’ (17,000 tons) ran into a storm which carried away the steering gear, leaving them helpless for three days and nights. The steamer eventually returned to port only to run aground, owing to defective temporary steering gear, which necessitated his transhipping to another boat.’ During World War II, he enlisted (No. WX 34126) with 2/3rd Australian Bomb Disposal Company, RAE. He was discharged from the army on 29 November 1944.
He died in Western Australia on 25 April 1964.
Pegasus reported his death:
' Andrew Gordon Sloane who also attended the College in 1916-17, died suddenly on April 25. After graduating from Melbourne as a civil engineer, he moved to Western Australia, where his life's work became the planning and construction of the City of Perth. He served with the AIF in both World Wars.' His brothers, Ian Fyfe Sloane (1903-1986), and
William Howard Sloane (1901-1981), were also educated at Geelong College.
Sources: Pegasus August 1925 p31; Pegasus December 1964 p67; 'Geelong Collegians at the Second World War and Other Conflicts' compiled by J Affleck p481.