Western Australian Institution of Engineers (WAIE) 1910 - 1919
Western Australia in 1909 was undergoing a rapid expansion of its economy accompanied by significant investment in infrastructure. The State was trying to catch up with servicing the sustained surge in population from the gold rush. Over half of the State capital works budget was being spent on rail construction to service the strong growth in agriculture and mining. In the twelve years from 1901 to 1913 the railway system more than doubled from 1,353 miles to 2,854 miles.[1].
The number of engineers in the State had expanded. The Public Works Department had over 50 engineering positions with the Water Supply having a further 8 engineering positions.[2]
Table 1 Population Western Australia 1901 to 1920[3]
| Year | 1901 | 1905 | 1910 | 1915 | 1920 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 188,566 | 247,673 | 271,162 | 321,440 | 330,172 |
Development of new engineering technology was moving at a rapid rate with the introduction of reinforced concrete, advancements in electrical generation and transmission, improvements to telephony, expansion of use of motorised vehicles and proliferation of the internal combustion engine. The new technology brought with it both the risk of failure and a thirst for knowledge. Engineers sought access to the latest information on application of the new technologies and how problems had been overcome.
The Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers had been founded at Broken Hill in 1893[4] and was very active in Western Australia providing a visible example of the benefits of having a national professional association.
A prime mover for the establishment of a professional engineering body in Western Australia was high profile civil engineer W B Shaw. A nephew of George Bernard Shaw, he had come to Western Australia on a temporary contract with the Public Works Department to survey the Southern Cross to Coolgardie railway line in 1894. W B Shaw had been recruited by the project leader, John Muir, from Victoria where an Institute of Engineers had been established in 1883. After leaving the Western Australian Public Service, W B Shaw set up in partnership with Architect E E Giles.
In 1903 W B Shaw became the founding editor and part owner of the Western Australian Mining Building and Engineering Journal. As well as being the founding Secretary of the Western Australian Institution of Engineers (WAIE), W B Shaw was a long serving Secretary of the Western Australian Builders and Contractors Association (1908 1923) and the founding Secretary of the Western Australian Institution of Surveyors. In 1909 W B Shaw was operating from Forrest Chambers, 62 St Georges Terrace Perth.[5]
A foundation meeting was convened on July 16, 1909 at Forrest Chambers with F W Lawson proposing and G E Farrar seconding a motion that “An Institute of Civil Engineers be formed in Western Australia”.[6] Canvassing of engineers by the acting Secretary, W B Shaw, showed that over one hundred engineers would join a broader engineering body. Rules and a constitution were developed and these were adopted unanimously at the inaugural meeting of the new body on October 5, 1909, also at Forrest Chambers, chaired by W Leslie.[7]
The Chief Engineer, James Thompson, was elected President and W B Shaw as Secretary. Ten of the first WAIE Council were employed by the Public Works Department, four were from the Western Australian Government Railways and four were consultants.
In its first year the WAIE achieved a membership of 123. Around half of the membership came from the Public Works Department and the Water Supply. Members were not confined to the engineering profession and included contractors, works managers, engineering surveyors and chief draftsmen.
There were multiple pathways to becoming a professional engineer. In 1909 there were nine technical training organisations in Western Australia including the Kalgoorlie School of Mines. These were strongly supported by the engineering profession. For example, the Board of Examiners for the Fremantle Technical School included James Thompson and Dr William Hancock who later would both become Presidents of WAIE.
The three student members who were listed as foundation members of the WAIE, H B Bennett, L C Mattinson and L A Renou are examples of different careers. H B Bennett was studying mechanical engineering at Perth Technical School after commencing as an apprentice at the Midland Workshops. H B Bennett went on to become Chief Engineer of the Tasmanian Government Railways and Tasmanian Director of Industrial Development. L A Renou was a cadet in the Public Works Department who died on November 6, 1916 from wounds received in France. L C Mattinson was a draftsman with the Public Works Department who after service in World War 1 became a cartoonist in London with publications such as Punch. On returning to Australia he worked as a cartoonist for Smiths Weekly and the Bulletin.
The second Annual General Meeting of the WAIE was held on April 20, 1911 with a surplus of £69 being reported. Frequent and well attended general meetings were noted with high quality professional papers being presented. WAIE was formally incorporated on November 6, 1911 after W B Shaw advertised widely during August 1911.[8] WAIE quickly moved to establish a professional library and to publish technical papers.
In the Cyclopedia of Western Australia published in 1912, it was reported that though it has only been in existence for some two years, the institution has published several valuable papers upon engineering works in the State and has done much to increase the influence of the profession generally.[9]
Engineering took a major step forward in Western Australia with the opening of the University of Western Australia for enrolments in 1913 and the appointment of Professor Whitfeld in January 1913 as Professor of Engineering and Mining.
Professor Whitfeld became a member of the WAIE committee in 1914 and continued in that role until 1920. WAIE also lobbied for the establishment of a Chair of Engineering at the University of Western Australia[10] and later had a representative on the Faculty of Engineering.[11] Enrolments at the University were slow due to the war. There were only 10 students in Engineering in 1916 jumping to 28 students in 1917.
WAIE played a pivotal role in the formation of the national body with the WAIE President, James Thompson, writing to other engineering bodies around Australia in November 1910 to suggest amalgamation and offering to actively support the establishment process.
Many WAIE members were enlisted for World War I, with a large number serving as officers and being awarded for gallantry. The WAIE also offered the services of its members to the Military and assisted with a “large amount of useful work for the Intelligence Department”.[12] The State Munitions Committee requested and was provided with assistance by the WAIE noting that Professor Whitfeld had been involved in munitions work before coming to Western Australia.
A J Hillman was a WAIE member who served with distinction in World War I being awarded the Military Cross. He had commenced as a cadet engineer in the Public Works and gained an engineering education from both the Fremantle Technical School and the University of Melbourne. His son, Robert Hillman, became Director of Engineering in the Public Works Department and in 1970 was the Chairman of the Western Australian Division of the Institution of Engineers.
The success of the WAIE was due to being supported by all of the leading engineers in the State and the Western Australian Governor, Sir Gerald Strickland. The Governor, whose hobby was mechanical engineering and who frequented the engineering workshops when studying law at Cambridge, was an active participant in WAIE meetings including addressing technical sessions such as that held October 26, 1911.[13] Sir Gerald Strickland was made an Honorary Member of WAIE in 1911. Governor Strickland left to become Governor of NSW in March 1913.
At the time of the formation of WAIE there was a need for engineers to have a broad background. Many consulting engineers relied on surveying to supplement practice income. In the 1890’s W B Shaw was a partner in Perth firm Giles and Shaw who advertised as Architects, Engineers and Surveyors. Civil engineer and WAIE Council Member, H W Hargrave won second prize in the architectural competition to lay out the new Western Australian University campus at Crawley. Andrew Gibb Maitland, the State Government Geologist, also reflected the need for a broad background. Having trained as both an engineer and geologist, Maitland took a keen interest in WAIE and served on WAIE Council and as Vice President between 1912 to 1917.
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In 1916 when the Town Planning Association of WA was formed, WAIE Members were well represented with engineers G T Poole, H T Haynes, A Tomlinson, E H Gliddon and W B Shaw being on the inaugural council.
The slow pace of the formation of the national engineering body had a WAIE Council member take matters into his own hands by forming the Australian Society of Civil Engineers. Hugh Edminston’s role was primarily an electrical engineer but that did not stop him founding a national civil engineering organisation and being its founding President and Secretary in 1917. The high profile civil engineer P V O’Brien took over the presidency in 1918 but by 1920 the organisation was defunct.
W B Shaw and H T Haynes from WAIE were members of the Institution of Engineers Australian Provisional Council that met in Sydney in May 1918.[14] A draft constitution dated March 13, 1919 was sent to each engineering society with the invitation to be a Foundation Society.
WAIE was one of the twelve Foundation Societies of the national body having accepted the invitation to join by the deadline of August 1, 1919.[15] WAIE was one of the first bodies to commit with its members having voted to join at a meeting in Perth on July 2, 1919.
F W Lawson from WAIE was founding National Vice President in 1919 having attended the first Council meeting of the national body on October 20, 1919 with T M Carey, another WAIE member. C E Crocker from WAIE was National President in 1926 after having been National Vice President in 1924.
WAIE came to an end with the election of Western Australian Division office bearers for the new national body on January 14, 1920.[16] Over 70 members of WAIE became members of the national body. WAIE had served a very important purpose in facilitating the development of a national engineering body as well as increasing the influence of engineers, publishing technical papers and supporting engineering education and professional development.
- ↑ Building a State, J S H Le Page, Water Authority, 1986.
- ↑ Public Service List 1909.
- ↑ ABS 1367.5
- ↑ The History of the Institution of Engineers Australia, A H Corbett, 1973, p17.
- ↑ Wises Postal Directory 1909.
- ↑ West Australian July 1909, p4.
- ↑ West Australia October 8, 1909 p2.
- ↑ Daily News August 29, 1911 p1.
- ↑ Cyclopedia of Western Australia, 1912, J S Battye.
- ↑ West Australian March 7, 1913, p7.
- ↑ Western Mail April 24,1914, p20.
- ↑ Daily News March 5, 1915, p3.
- ↑ Golden Gate November 3, 1911, p1.
- ↑ West Australian March 14, 1919, p8.
- ↑ The History of the Institution of Engineers Australia, A H Corbett, 1973, p21.
- ↑ Daily News January 20, 1920.
