Roger William Hercules Hawken was born on 12 May 1878 in New South Wales. He studied engineering at the University of Sydney, subsequently working throughout Australia and in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia) before returning to Australia. He was the first lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland, later becoming Professor of Engineering after the foundation Professor, AJ Gibson, resigned in 1919. He remained in the position until 1947. He was also a member of a committee established in 1921 to determine a site for the University of Queensland. Hawken was a founder of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1919, serving as its President in 1923 and as Councillor until his death. Following his suggestion in 1928, Queensland became the first state to legislate compulsory registration of consulting engineers. In 1931, he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the Institution of Engineers Australia (now known as Engineers Australia). He died on 18 October 1947.