HUMPAGE, William Derek, AM BSc PHD DSc FIEE Hon FIEAust SMIEEE (1934-2003)
Derek was born in Lancaster, England, on May 4, 1934, the son of Edwin George Humpage and his wife Jane Ellen Humpage, nee Shenton.
He was educated at Kings College University of Durham where he completed a Bachelor of Science in 1953 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1964.
Derek married Maureen Gilchrist Smith on August 31, 1959.
He was a lecturer in Electrical Engineering at the University of Manchester from 1962 to 1966 and was appointed Senior Lecturer in Electrical Power Systems at that University in 1966. He came to Australia in 1974 to take up the appointment as Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Western Australia. He was Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1975 to 1979.
In 1986, he was awarded a Doctor of Science in recognition of his contribution to the field of electrical engineering.
In 1987 he was appointed Director of the Energy Systems Centre at the University of Western Australia.
Derek became a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers in 1969, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) in 1976 and an Honorary Fellow IEAust in 1988. He was Chairman National Committee on Control and Computational Systems IEAust from 1977 to 1982 and Board Chairman of the College of Electrical Engineers IEAust from 1983 to 1986.
He was involved with publishing over 100 research papers and was awarded the Sir John Masden Medal in 1980, 1981 and 1989 for the quality of his research papers. He was awarded the Monash Medal in 1984 and the M A Sargent Medal in 1992, for longstanding eminence in science or the practice of electrical engineering.
He was also a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
In 2001 he was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to electrical engineering, particularly research and education in the areas of the environmental effects of electricity generation and evaluation of renewable energy systems.
Derek died in Perth, on October 31, 2003, aged 69 years, being survived by his wife Maureen.
References:
Margaret Sacks (ed), WAY 79 Who is Who, Crawley Publishers, Nedlands, 1980.
Who’s Who in Australia 2000, Information Australia Group Pty Ltd, 1999.
UWA News, Vol 22 No 19, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, December 1, 2003.
