Person
Connolly, Willis Henry (1901 - 1981)
CBE
- Born
- 25 November 1901
Benalla, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 13 February 1981
St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Electrical engineer and Public servant
Summary
Sir Willis Henry Connolly was an electrical engineer noted for his long and significant career with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, almost from its beginnings, rising to become the Chairman and General Manager from 1956 to 1971.
He also played a lead role in transforming non-university tertiary technical education in Victoria from 1965 to 1980 - as Chairman of the State Advisory Council on Technical Education; as Interim Chairman, and as President of the Victorian Institute of Colleges.
He is commemorated by the Sir Willis Connolly Medal awarded jointly by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Barbarians.
Details
Chronology
- c. 1919
- Career position - Workshop position, Edward Campbell & Son Pty Ltd, engineers
- 1919
- Career event - Foundation Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
- c. 1920
- Career position - Student engineer, Richmond Power Station, Melbourne Electric Supply Co. Ltd.
- 1921
- Career position - Clerical position, State Electricity Commission of Victoria, Yallourn
- 1922 - 1927
- Career position - Junior engineer, Electric supply branch, State Electricity Commission of Victoria, Melbourne
- 1923
- Education - Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (BEE), University of Melbourne
- 1927
- Career event - Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
- 1927 - 1929
- Career position - Engineer, Briquetting and Research branch, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [under Hyman Herman]
- 1929 - 1931
- Career position - Assistant Manager, Electrical sales, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [formulating new tariffs]
- 1932 - 1937
- Career position - Assistant Manager, Metropolitan Electricity Supply, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [furthered the conversion of the supply to three-phase]
- 1933
- Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
- 1936
- Education - Diploma of Commerce (DipCom), University of Melbourne
- 1937 - 1948
- Career position - Manager, State-wide electricity supply department, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [extending rural electrification, and uniform tariffs]
- 1947
- Education - Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), University of Melbourne
- 1948
- Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
- 1949 - 1955
- Career position - Assistant General Manager, State Electricity Commission of Victoria
- 1956 - 1971
- Career position - Chairman and General Manager, State Electricity Commission of Victoria
- 1957
- Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne
- 1961 - 1965
- Career position - Chairman, State Advisory Council on Technical Education
- 1962
- Award - Order of the British Empire - Commander (CBE) - Chairman of the Victorian Electricity Commission
- 1962 - 1968
- Career position - President, World Power (Energy) Conference
- 1965 - 1967
- Career position - Interim Chairman, Victoria Institute of Colleges
- 1967
- Award - Doctor of Engineering honoris causa (Hon DEng), Monash University
- 1967 - 1974
- Career position - First President, Victoria Institute of Colleges
- 1968
- Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia
- 1968
- Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.]
- 1971
- Life event - Retired from the State Electricity Commission of Victoria
- 1971
- Award - Knight Bachelor - In recognition of service to the Victoria Electricity Commission
- 1971 - 1981
- Career position - Consulting engineer
- 1978 - 1980
- Career position - President, Victoria Institute of Colleges
- 1980
- Award - Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany
Related entries
Published resources
Book Sections
- Spaull, Andrew, 'Connolly, Sir Willis Henry (1901-1981) Electrical Engineer' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Langmore, Diane, ed., vol. 17 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2007), https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/connolly-sir-willis-henry-12342. Details
Journal Articles
- Institution of Engineers Australia, 'People - Sir Francis Blackwood; John Pritchard; Nick Zorbas; Frank Lees; Obituary: Sir Willis Connolly; R. S. Hopkins; Dr Keith Walshe; Doug Chatfield; Neil van Hazel; Ross Hicks; Dr Steve Szololay; Bruce Robinson; Neville Jones.', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 53 (4) (1981), 34. Obituary, brief biography and photograph. Details
Reports
- Institution of Engineers Australia, Forty-ninth Annual Report [1968] (1969), 14 pp. 'Prizes - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal (1968 Award), to Dr W H Connolly, CBE BEE BCom DEng FIEAust', p.3. Details
Ken McInnes
Created: 14 June 2022