Biographical entry Swinburne, George (1861 - 1928)

Summary

George Swinburne was manager of the Melbourne Hydraulic Power Co. 1887-97 and managing director 1898-1911. He was Minister of Water Supply for Victoria 1904-08 and Agriculture 1905-08. In 1919-25 he was a foundation member of the State Electricity Commission.

He founded the Swinburne Technical College in 1909.

Details

Born Paradise near Newcastle, England, 3 February 1861. Died 4 September 1928. Educated at Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and night school, engineering; apprenticed to J. Williamson and Co., chemical merchants 1874, clerk 1880-82; joined gas and mechanical engineering firm of uncle John Coates at London, partner from 1885; followed uncle to Melbourne 1886; manager Melbourne Hydraulic Power Co. 1887-97, managing director 1898-1911, chairman Australasian board 1911-13; director of a number of companies. Member Institute of Mechanical Engineering 1897, Institute of Civil Engineers 1914; member Inter-State Commission 1913-17, CSIR 1916-20; chairman of committee controlling capital issue 1915-17, Board of Business Administration, Defence Department 1917-19; member Military Board 1919-20, Note Issue Board 1920-22; Victorian SEC commissioner 1919-25. Founder of Eastern Suburbs (later Swinburne) Technical College, president 1908-28. MLA for Hawthorn October 1902-July 1913 (resigned), Minister of Water Supply April 1904-October 1908 (resigned over land tax bill), Minister of Agriculture November 1904-October 1908. ); MLC for East Yarra Province June-September 1928 (deceased).

Published resources

Book Sections

• Patrick, Alison, 'Swinburne, George (1861-1928), Businessman, Politician and Philanthropist', in John Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 12, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1990, pp. 150-152. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120169b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• 'Swinburne, George', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-624591. 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/index_s.html. Details