Portrait of Alderman Kennedy Smith (Mayor 1875–76) 1876

Summary

Alexander Kennedy Smith was a widely experienced and inventive engineer. He came to Melbourne in 1854 when he was engaged to build and manage the works of the Melbourne Gas and Coke Company. Shortly after arriving, he won a prize from the City Council for a refuse disposal plan. As a civil and consulting engineer, he built gas works in Ballarat, Castlemaine, Sandhurst and Newcastle. He also provided plans and specifications for gas supplies in a number of Australian centres and abroad. He designed the Sydney and Coliban water supplies, and was engineer to the South Yarra Waterworks in the 1860s. He was the consulting and locomotive engineer for the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company.

Smith was a prominent Freemason and active member of several scientific and citizenship associations, including the Royal Society and the Humane Society of Victoria. He was a serving member of Melbourne City Council for 15 years and a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for East Melbourne from 1877 to 1881.

A newspaper article from The Argus on 17 November 1876 describes the presentation of this portrait to Alderman Kennedy Smith on behalf of the Chinese residents of the City of Melbourne on the occasion of Smith's retirement from office. The portrait is reported to have been painted by the Chinese artist Ah Yin.