Biographical entry Bradfield, John Job Crew (1867 - 1943)

Summary

John Job C. Bradfield was associated with a great range of engineering works including the Cataract and Burrinjuck Dams, the Sydney Underground Railways and Brisbane's Story Bridge. He was, however, best known as one of the original designers of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. For his thesis on the design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city railway system, Bradfield was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science in Engineering by the University of Sydney, as well as the University medal.

Details

Born Sandgate, Queensland, 26 December 1867. Died Gordon, New South Wales, 23 September 1943. CMG 1933. Educated University of Sydney (BE 1889, ME 1896). Draftsman, Queensland Railways 1889-91; draftsman, New South Wales Department of Public Works 1891-1909, assistant engineer 1909-13, chief engineer for metropolitan railway construction 1913-30, but continued to represent the government in dealings with the contractors and to supervise construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; retired 1933; consulting engineer for the Story Bridge, Brisbane 1934-40; technical adviser to the constructors of the Hornibrook Highway near Brisbane and helped to plan and design the St Lucia site of the University of Queensland. Peter Nicol Russell Medal, Institution of Engineers, Australia 1932; Kernot Memorial Medal, University of Melbourne 1933; Telford Gold Medal, Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1934. Foundation member, Institution of Engineers, Australia. Deputy Chancellor, University of Sydney 1942-43. Commemorated by the Bradfield Highway over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Related entries

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, 1923, D9; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, D68-D71, D105-D106; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, 1908 - 1943, MS 4712; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Private hands (Bradfield, K.N.E.)

• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, 1867 - 1943; Private hands (Bradfield, K.N.E.). Details

State Records New South Wales, Sydney Reading Room

• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, 1911 - 1933, 4/7582-8; State Records New South Wales, Sydney Reading Room. Details

University of Sydney, Engineering School

• John Job Crew Bradfield - Records, 1900 - 1940; University of Sydney, Engineering School. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Spearritt, Peter, 'Bradfield, John Job Crew (1867-1943), civil engineer', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1979, pp. 381-384. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070391b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Obituary: Dr. J. J. C. Bradfield', Australian Journal of Science, vol. 6, no. 2, 1943, pp. 59-60. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Bradfield, J J C', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-632616. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/scripts/tia-dynindex.php3?EID=P000958. Details