Person

Chapman, Robert William (1866 - 1942)

HonMIEAust

Born
27 December 1866
Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England
Died
27 February 1942
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
Engineer and Mathematician

Summary

Robert Chapman became the first Professor of Engineering at the University of Adelaide (1907). He was Professor of Mathematics at Adelaide 1910-1919 and in 1920 returned to the chair of engineering, a position he held until his retirement in 1937.

Details

Born Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, 27 December 1866. Died Adelaide, 27 February 1942. CMG 1927, Kt 1937. Educated University of Melbourne (BA 1886, MA, BE 1888). Contractor on railway construction work 1888; assistant lecturer in mathematics and physics, University of Adelaide 1889-1900, and also taught mathematics at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries from 1900; lecturer in engineering, University of Adelaide 1901-07, professor of engineering 1907-10, professor of mathematics and mechanics 1910-19, professor of engineering 1920-37, emeritus professor from 1937.

Foundation member and president, South Australian Institute of Engineers 1913; president, South Australian Institute of Surveyors 1917-29; foundation councillor and later president, Institution of Engineers, Australia; president, School of Mines and Industries council 1939-42. Published "The Elements of Astronomy for Surveyors" (London, 1919) and "Reinforced Concrete" (Adelaide). Commemorated by the Institution of Engineers' R.W. Chapman medal and by a prize at the University of Adelaide.

Chronology

1901
Career event - Member (MAusIME), Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers
1902
Career position - President, Section A (Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics), Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science
1907 - 1910
Career position - Professor of Engineering, University of Adelaide
1909
Career position - President, Section H (Engineering and Architecture), Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science
1910 - 1919
Career position - Professor of Mathematics and Mechanics, University of Adelaide
1920
Career position - Chairman, Adelaide Division, Institution of Engineers, Australia
1920 - 1927
Career position - Councillor, Institution of Engineers, Australia
1920 - 1937
Career position - Professor of Engineering, University of Adelaide
1921 -
Career position - Foundation Councillor (Engineering), Australian National Research Council
1921 - 1922
Career position - President, Institution of Engineers, Australia
1927
Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne
1928
Career position - President, Section H (Engineering and Architecture), Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science
1928
Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering, Institution of Engineers Australia
1942
Award - Honorary Member (HonMIEAust), Institution of Engineers, Australia - For Engineering education, development of engineering school of University of Adelaide, Councillor (1920-1927) and President (1922)

Related Awards

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

Astronomical Society of South Australia

  • Robert William Chapman - Records, 1907 - 1940; Astronomical Society of South Australia. Details

Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide

  • Robert William Chapman - Records, 1907 - 1942; Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide. Details

Institute of Surveyors, Australia - South Australian Division

  • Robert William Chapman - Records, 1907 - 1940; Institute of Surveyors, Australia - South Australian Division. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Cumming, D. A.; Moxham, G. C., They built South Australia : engineers, technicians, manufacturers, contractors and their work (Adelaide: D.A. Cumming and G.C Moxham, 1986), 241 pp. pp.38-40. Details

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • 'Abstracts of proceedings of Divisions, 1920.', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1 (1920), 151-161, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.633491999041294. '"Tides and Tidal Energy," an address by Professor R.W. Chapman, M.A., B.C.E.', p.151. Details
  • 'The Late Sir Robert Chapman, Kt.Bach.', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 14 (1942), 101-3. Details
  • 'First members of institution [Diamond Jubilee feature article]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 51 (20) (1979), 69. 'Regusered member number 10'. Details
  • Chapman, R.W., 'The Past Work of the Royal Society Outside the Domain of Natural Science.', Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, 60 (1936), xxv-xxx. Details
  • Grant, Kerr and Gartrell, H. W., 'Obituary: Robert William Chapman, 1866-1942', Australian Journal of Science, 5 (1) (1942), 35-36. Details
  • Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Ninth Annual General Meeting [March 1929] and Ninth Annual Report [1928]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1 (1929), 197-201. 'Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - The 1928 award of the Medal was made to Professor R W Chapman, CMG, Member, Adelaide', p.199. Details
  • Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Twenty-second Annual Report [1941]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 14 (1942), 35-41. 'Honorary Membership of the Institution, awarded to Sir Robert William Chapman, KtBach, CMG MA BCE, Emeritus Professor of Engineering, University of Adelaide', p.39. Details
  • Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Twenty-third Annual Report [1942]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 15 (1943), 35-51. 'Honorary Membership - Sir Robert William Chapman, KtBach CMG MA BCE, Emeritus Professor of Engineering of the University of Adelaide. Died 27th February 1942', p.37-38. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

McCarthy, G.J.

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