What's Going On

Activities Coming Up Soon

Thurs 16 October 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

A History of the Biomechanics of Impact Injury

Dr Laurie Sparke OAM
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Fri 14 November 2008 - Sun 16 November 2008       Engineering Heritage Celebration  

Regional Engineering Heritage Tour

Historic Engineering Marker: Cassilis Hydro-electric Scheme
The Cassilis Gold Mining Company, converted to electric drives in 1908. To provide the power, the Company established a hydro-electric plant on the Victoria River, 25 kilometres away from the mine.
The unveiling of the Cassilis Hydro-electric scheme Historic Engineering Marker will take place on Friday 14 November 2008. Visits to the site of the power station and treatment plant are scheduled for 14 & 15 November.
Organised by IEAust Victoria, in conjunction with Parks Victoria
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Activities Held Recently

Thurs 21 August 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

"John Monash"
- engineering a business.

Dr Alan Holgate, Engineer
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Thurs 19 June 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Path to Colossus
- the code-breaking activities at Bletchley Park, leading to 'Colossus' - the world's first programmable electronic computer.

Dr Peter Thorn & John McCutchan
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Thurs 22 May 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

"As Perfect as Possible"
- the History of Melbourne's Cable Trams 1885-1940 and some of the technical aspects of their construction and operation.

Robert Green, Heritage Victoria
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Thurs 17 April 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

John Grainger
- Distinguished Colonial Engineer & Architect

George Tibbits
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Sat 29 March 2008   Date/Details to be finalised.   Boat Cruise  

Maribyrnong River
- Heritage Cruise on the "Blackbird"

Numbers limited - Bookings Essential.
Pack a picnic lunch to eat before or during the cruise.
Bring your own drinking water.

Thurs 21 February 2008     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Producer Gas & the Australian Motorist
- the 'alternative fuel' of the 1939-45 fuel crisis.

Don Bartlett, Chairman, Engineering Heritage Victoria
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Weekend 24/25 November 2007     Guided "self-drive" Tour

Engineering Heritage of the Ballarat and Daylesford Region

Engineering Heritage Committee
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19 - 21 November 2007     Crawley, Western Australia
  Engineering Heritage Conference  

14th National Engineering Heritage Conference

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Thurs 18 October 2007     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Leadership & Management Style of General Sir John Monash

Ken Crompton, CEO, Gen Sir John Monash Foundation
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Thurs 16 August 2007     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk       National Engineering Week  

History of Holden and the Motor Car Industry in Australia

Dr Laurie Sparke OAM
View More Details          Download audio/visual material (MP3, and Slides as .pdf ) 

Thurs 21 June 2007     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Colonial Engineer - Peter Scratchley

Major General Mike O'Brien CSC
View More Details           Download audio/visual material (MP3, and Slides as .pdf ) 

Thursday 7 June 2007   5:25pm

Visit to the State Library of Victoria   - Engineering Drawings

- Opportunity to view an assembled range of engineering drawings from the collection.
Mary Lewis - Curator of the Picture Collection of the State Library.
Janet Beeston - post graduate student and conservation architect.
Numbers limited - Bookings Essential.

Wednesday 9 May 2007   & Thursday 9 May 2007   5:30pm

Visit to Private Library of Miles Lewis   - Engineering Books

- Opportunity to view an assembled range of engineering books from the collection.
Professor Miles Lewis
Numbers limited - Bookings Essential.
Link to Miles Lewis Library Catalogue

Thurs 19 April 2007     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Murray Darling Basin
... the History behind how we got to where we are now

John Forrest MP, FIE(Aust)
Federal Member for Mallee (National Party)
View More Details           Download audio/visual material (MP3, and Slides as .pdf ) 

Saturday 14 April 2007   Boat Cruise   1:00pm - 3:30pm

Maribyrnong River
- Heritage Cruise on the "Blackbird" - Peter Somerville.

Numbers limited - Bookings Essential.
Pack a picnic lunch to eat before or during the cruise.
Bring your own drinking water.

Monday 9 April 2007     Boat Cruise   1:00pm - 3:30pm

Maribyrnong River
- Heritage Cruise on the "Blackbird" - Peter Somerville.

Numbers limited - Bookings Essential.
Pack a picnic lunch to eat before or during the cruise.
Bring your own drinking water.

Thurs 8 March 2007     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Victorian Gold Fields Water Supply Scheme of 1862
- A stab in the dark or a step forward for Hydrology?

Dr Brian Harper
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Thurs 2 November 2006     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Evolution of Engineering Drawing and Drawing Instruments

Bruce Sandie
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Sun 20 August 2006     Starting at 9.30am and ending mid to late afternoon.       National Engineering Week  

Engineering Heritage Bike Ride
  -   based on the Capital City Trail

Tour Leader: Ken McInnes
Limited to 35 participants. Bring your own lunch and refreshments.
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Thurs 17 August 2006     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk       National Engineering Week  

Cassilis - Victoria's Pioneer Hydro-Electric Scheme

John McCutchan
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Thurs 15 June 2006     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Melbourne Hydraulic Power Company
and Public Hydraulic Power in Australia

Miles Pierce
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Thurs 4 May 2006     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Early Iron Bridges on the Bendigo Railway:
A Forensic Examination

Brian Harper and Vic Moll
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Mon 27 March 2006     Boat Cruise 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Yarra River Bridges
- Boat Cruise with short talks on the heritage/design aspects of each bridge.

Co-ordinator: Brian Harper

Thurs 23 February 2006     Boat Cruise 5:00pm - 8:00pm

Yarra River Bridges
- Boat Cruise with short talks on the heritage/design aspects of each bridge.

Co-ordinator: Brian Harper

Sun 19 February 2006     11am - 1pm       Engineering Heritage Celebration  

Official Opening of the restored Swing Bridge over the La Trobe River, between Sale and Longford.

The South Gippsland Highway has now bypassed this bridge, and it has been fully restored by VicRoads for pedestrian use only. Many festivities are planned for the day, when this bridge will be officially 're-opened' and handed over to the Wellington Shire Council for management.
The bridge is certain to become a tourist drawcard, as a pedestrian bridge, and because it will also have an opening regime to allow river traffic to pass.
Organised by VicRoads and Wellington Shire Council  

Thurs 16 February 2006     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Walkerville in the Limelight
- the engineering aspects of the heritage listed
Walkerville Lime Kilns at Waratah Bay

Don Bartlett
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25 - 27 November 2005     RACV Club Melbourne
  Engineering Heritage Conference  

Corrugations 2005 Conference
- the Romance and Reality of Historic Roads

Australia ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)

Supported by Australian Government, Heritage Victoria, AustRoads, RACV and ConnectEast
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Sat 19 November 2005 / Sun 20 November 2005

Bendigo Engineeering Heritage Tour

Co-ordinator: Miles Pierce
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Thurs 20 October 2005     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Thompsons of Castlemaine

Mike Williams
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21 - 23 September 2005     Sydney, NSW
  Engineering Heritage Conference  

2nd International Engineering Heritage Conference
13th National Engineering Heritage Conference
Sustaining Heritage

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Thurs 1 September 2005     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Warrnambool Breakwater

Richard Honess
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Thurs 23 June 2005     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

History of Quarrying and Stone Production in Victoria

John Mitas
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Thurs 5 May 2005     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Historic Engineering Plaquing Program - When, Where and How

Bill Jordan
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Thurs 21 April 2005     5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

'Useless and Undesirable'? Reclaiming the Achievements of Australia's First University Trained Engineers

Dr Carolyn Rasmussen, Freelance Historian.
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2004   Our 30th Anniversary Year  Engineering Heritage Celebration  

Engineering Heritage Victoria: 1974-2004

Thurs 2 December 2004   4:30pm Tour and Talk

Tour of Spotswood Pumping Station

Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood. (Melway 56 B1)
Matthew Churchward,
Senior Curator Engineering & Transport, Museum Victoria.
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Thurs 21 October 2004   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk and AGM

The Heritage of a Failure -- Kings Bridge Reviewed

Vic Moll, formerly engineer, engineering liaison officer to Royal Commission.
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Sat 9 October 2004   Sun 10 October 2004       Engineering Heritage Celebration  

Centenary Anniversary of Barham / Koondrook Bridge, Murray River

Historic Engineering Marker: Barham Bridge
This timber and steel truss bridge over the Murray River from Barham NSW to Koondrook VIC, is one of the oldest on the Murray River. Its central steel lattice truss lift span was able to be raised to allow paddlesteamers to pass through on the way back and forth to Echuca. Originally operated by a system of weights worked by two men turning wheels, the lift span was motorised in 1997, and is still operational.
Plaquing organised by IEAust Sydney

Thurs 19 August 2004   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

From an Idea in a Paddock -- The Story of Sunshine Harvesters

Jim Shaw, Lawyer, Engineer, great-grandson of H V McKay.
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Fri 23 July 2004   8:30am       Engineering Heritage Celebration  

CSIRAC at Melbourne Museum

National Engineering Landmark: CSIRAC
Opening of the new exhibition featuring Australia's first computer
CSIRAC was the first automatic electronic stored program computer in Australia,
and the fourth of its type globally.
CSIRAC is the only remaining intact first generation computer in the world.
  Unveiled and opened by The Hon. Peter McGauran, MP
  Australian Government Minister for Science
Supported by: Museums Board of Victoria, Museum Victoria, Engineering Heritage Australia.

Thurs 17 June 2004   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Batman's Hill to Southern Cross via Spencer Street

Sid Brown
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Sat 1 May 2004   10:00am - 8:30pm       Engineering Heritage Celebration  

Bridging the Murray - Big Day in Swan Hill

Historic Engineering Marker: Swan Hill Bridge
Heritage Tour Guide: "Bridging the Murray from Albury to Swan Hill"
National Trust Heritage Festival supported by: Swan Hill Rural City Council, Wakool Shire Council, The National Trust, Engineers Australia, The NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, Vic Roads, Swan Hill Genealogical and Historical Society, and The Royal Australian Historical Society.

Thurs 15 April 2004   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Evaluating Historic Concrete Buildings

David Beauchamp, Consulting Heritage and Forensic Engineer
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Thurs 19 February 2004   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Waste Problems in Antarctica

Dr Michael Connor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Melbourne
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Thurs 13 November 2003   5:30pm Talk, refreshments afterwards.

Tour of Wilson Transformer Company   www.wtc.com.au
Wilson Road, Glen Waverley.   (Melway 71 C3)
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Thurs 16 October 2003   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Fishermans Bend Aviation:
and the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

Keith Meggs
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29 Sept 2003 - 1 Oct 2003     Toowoomba, QLD
  Engineering Heritage Conference  

12th National Engineering Heritage Conference
Engineering Heritage Matters!

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Thurs 4 September 2003   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The True Story of the Design of the Bendigo Railway

Brian Harper
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Thurs 19 June 2003   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Morell Bridge Mystery: An Engineering Who Done It?

Alan Holgate
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Friday 16 May 2003   2:00pm Tour

Tour of the Royal Australian Signals Museum

Simpson Barracks, McLeod
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Wed 30 April 2003   6:00pm refreshments   6:30pm Talk

Identification of Metal Road Bridges with Heritage Significance

Gary Vines, BIOSIS Research Pty Ltd
George Deutsch, Deputy Chair of the Study Steering Committee
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Thurs 6 March 2003   10:30am Tour, Heritage flying display 1:00pm

RAAF Museum at Point Cook

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Thurs 20 February 2003   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Kernot Engineers

Jim Ferguson
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Wed 20 November 2002   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Factual Story about the Construction of the Burma Railway

R. T. Beaton (Lt. Col. Retd.)
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In association with the Society of Military Engineering

Thurs 24 October 2002   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Herbert Thomson and the Fate of the Phaeton

Matthew Churchward
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Thurs 29 August 2002   4:00pm

Tour of the Preston Tramway Workshops

By arranged with Alstrom, as part of Engineering Week activities,
guided by former employees Ken Hall and Graham Jones
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Thurs 27 June 2002   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Melbourne Miles -
the story of the roads and streets of metropolitan Melbourne

Dr Max Lay
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Thurs 16 May 2002   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Evolution in the Design of Melbourne's Electric Tramcars 1906-1927
From Toast-rack to W

Michael Norbury
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Thurs 28 February 2002   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

The Life of the Bridge Inspecting Engineer - Victorian Railways early 1950's

Vic Moll
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Thurs 15 November 2001   5:30pm for 6:30pm Talk

Hawthorn Bridge 1861
Site Visit, Talk and end of year BBQ

Ken McInnes
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Thurs 18 October 2001   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk and AGM

Engineers and Political Realities of Major Water Projects

Robert B. Johnson, Civil Engineer
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8 Oct 2001 - 10 Oct 2001     Canberra, ACT
  Engineering Heritage Conference  

11th National Conference on Engineering Heritage
Federation - Engineering a Nation

Thurs 16 August 2001   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Steam Car Design and Other Engineering - It Helps to Know the Past

Ted Pritchard, Pritchard Steam
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Thurs 26 July 2001   6:30pm for 7:00pm   Dinner Meeting

James Harrison - The 'Coolest Scot'

Graham Hobb, Chairman - James Harrison Museum Committee,
Bruce Webster, Secretary - James Harrison Museum Committee,
Jim Harrison, James Harrison's Grandson.

Organised by IEAust Geelong Branch

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Thurs 19 July 2001   4:30pm - 6:30pm

Behind the Scenes Visit - Public Record Office Victoria

Shiel Street, North Melbourne
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Thurs 28 June 2001   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Slide Rules and Mechanical Calculators

Terry Berreen, Assoc.Prof. Mech Eng, Monash University
Bruce Sandie, Chair, IEAust Engineering Heritage Branch
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Mon 25 June 2001   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Restoring Dilapidated Masonry Structures

David Beauchamp, Forensic & Heritage Engineer
John Geraghty, Mechfast

Organised by IEAust Structural Branch

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Mon 19 April 2001   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

George Gordon and the Stony Creek Dam, Geelong

Dr.Brian Harper
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Sun 25 Feb 2001   10:00am at Rubicon

A Guided Tour of the Rubicon Hydro Scheme

Southern Hydro
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Thurs 9 Nov 2000   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

A History of Yallourn A-E Power Stations

Julia Lamborn, Structural and Heritage Engineer
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Thurs 14 Sep 2000   5:30pm refreshments   6:00pm Talk

Down by the Falls

Matthew Churchward, Senior Curator, Technology Program, Museum Victoria
Robin Riddett, Senior Associate Director, Allom Lovell and Associates Pty Ltd, Conservation Architects
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Activities Held Previously

From 1974-2000

What's Been Going On:     Talks, Tours and Visits

Our own history
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