Cardno Genealogies
Gerald Fitzgerald CARDNO
Gerry CARDNO was one of the two founders of the Brisbane-based engineering consultancy Cardno and Davies which later grew through mergers and acquisitions to become the international infrastructure and environmental services consulting company Cardno. Cardno was itself acquired by Stantec in 2021 and no longer trades under the Cardno brand.
Gerald Fitzgerald CARDNO was born at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 28 November 1904, son of John CARDNO and his second wife, Mary Josephine FITZGERALD. His father, a native of Fraserburgh, emigrated to Brisbane about 1880 and married his first wife there in 1883.
Gerry CARDNO was educated at the St Joseph’s College, Brisbane where he won first prize for ‘Best kept exercise books’ four years running, from 1912-1916, and in 1919 was the youngest to complete the Junior University exams at the age of 13 years. He graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) in 1927.
He joined consulting engineers WJ Reinhold as Designing Draftsman and soon became a Resident Engineer, working on stormwater drainage, road and bridge construction projects. Between 1933 and 1936, he was the firm’s Resident Engineer at Dalby, before moving to Reinhold’s headquarters in Brisbane. In 1942 he was appointed Principal Civil Engineer for the Engineer, Base Section 3, US Army engaged in engineering works for the development of a large military base.
In 1945, in partnership with Harold Davies, Gerry Cardno established the firm Cardno & Davies, consulting engineers. Davies focused on the design office, while Cardno supervised construction, though both partners were active in both areas. “Together they were a driving force in the development of Queensland, with the duo engaging in private practice on the design and supervision of the construction of highways, streets, real estate developments, water and sewerage plants, dams, bridges and general municipal engineering works. Their work became instrumental in Queensland’s development during the post-war boom.”Gerry Cardno retired from Cardno & Davies in 1969 and died in Brisbane on 18 May 1985, long before the firm he co-founded re-branded under his surname. Gerry Cardno was survived by his wife Florence Murphy (1903 – 1978). They married in December 1929 but had no children.