Robert Bristow

Sir Robert Bristow (13 December 1880 – 3 September 1966) was a British harbour engineer best known for his contributions to the development of the port of Kochi (Cochin) in India. Bristow recounted his experiences in his book Cochin Saga, which is considered an important source of historiography of Kerala. He is also noted for his initiatives in founding the Lotus Club, the first inter-racial club in Kochi. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Arts.

Born in London on 13 December 1880 to Alfred Bristow and Laura Web, Bristow studied at the Technical Institute in London and joined the Civil Engineering Service in 1903. He worked in various harbours for the next sixteen years, including ports such as Malta and Portsmouth. He was also involved in the maintenance of the Suez canal. He joined the services of the Madras government at the age of 39, and came to Kochi on 13 April 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon, then the Governor of Madras.

During this time, trade at the port of Kochi had increased substantially, and the need to develop it was greatly felt. The port, which was under British rule since 1795, had seen little development, despite its illustrious maritime history. According to Sreedhara Menon, It took some time for the British authorities to realise the commercial and strategic potential of Kochi as a port and take the necessary steps for its development, as if to compensate for the earlier neglect. Bristow was thus assigned with the charge of constructing an approach channel from the deep sea to the inner harbour. This would help ships to enter the safer harbour rather than be exposed to the violent sea where they currently berthed while offloading cargo. The challenge Bristow faced in his task, was the obstruction caused due to a rock-like sand bar that guarded the entrance to the port. However, he was widely optimistic, and started off with a detailed study of the harbour and submitted a report to Lord Willingdon, the Governor of Madras. For the next twenty one years, he was involved with the construction of the port and succeeded in transforming Kochi into one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes. The steam ship Padma, sailing from Bombay on 26 May 1928, was the first major ship to enter the newly constructed inner harbour of Kochi.

Around 3.2 km² of land was reclaimed during the dredging process. The Willingdon Island, as it was known (after the Madras Governor), soon grew to become a prominent part of the city. It today houses the Cochin Port and the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command.

Speaking to the BBC on 11 August 1935, Bristow proudly proclaimed his achievements at the Kochi port with the following words: I live on a large Island made from the bottom of the sea. It is called Willingdon Island, after the present Viceroy of India. From the upper floor of my house, I look down on the finest harbour in the East.

Bristow returned to England on 13 April 1941. He served at the Manchester University for some time. He died in September 1966 at the age of 85.

Sir Robert Bristowin his book "Cochin Saga" (1959) tells the history of Foreign Government and Business adventures in Kerala, South India, by Arabs, Romans, Venetians, Dutch, and British.

Bristow is also noted for co-founding with his wife the Lotus Club in 1931. Baring the prevailing social stigma, the Bristows opened the club to people of all races and genders, doing full justice to its objective of being "a club where men, women and children of all communities would have the opportunity of meeting together and cultivating mutual acquaintance and promoting good fellowship." Thus, the club became the first non-white-exclusive club in the state.