Person
Brett, Percy Rollo (Rollo) (1923 - 2022)
OBE FTSE
- Born
- 11 November 1923
Kyabram, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 10 August 2022
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Electrical engineer, Public servant and Science administrator
Summary
Rollo Brett was an electrical engineer who, as Head of the Research Laboratory of the Postmaster-General's Department (and later Telecom Australia) played a key role in the conversion of operations of these departments to the metric system. His early work for the Laboratory was in the field of materials and components, and establishing standards for the use of polymer materials in telecommunications equipment. As head of the Research Laboratory he sought to strengthen its research capabilities by building links with Australia's universities. He also achieved the amalgamation of the dispersed Laboratory units to one site at the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. During the 1970s Brett was Chairman of the Telecommunications and Electronics Standards Committee of the Standards Association of Australia. He was also a member of the task force established to explore the possibility of developing Australia's first domestic satellite. Other contributions included as a member of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Melbourne, the Academic Policy Committee of the Victorian Institute of Colleges, and the Radio Research Board.
Details
Chronology
- 1939 - 1942
- Career position - Clerk, Engineering Division, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1942 - 1943
- Military service - Second World War. Served with the Australian Army Topographical Survey Corps
- 1944
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne
- 1944 - 1953
- Career position - Physicist, Physical Sciences Section, Research Laboratories, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1953 - 1958
- Career position - Senior Physicist, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1958 - 1963
- Career position - Section Head, Research Laboratories, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1963 - 1964
- Career position - Assistant Director General and Head of the Apparatus and Services Branch, Research Laboratories, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1964 - 1975
- Career position - Senior Assistant Director-General and Head, Research Laboratories, Postmaster-General's Department
- 1975 - 1979
- Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
- 1975 - 1980
- Career position - Head of Planning, Telecom Australia (Australian Telecommunications Commission)
- 1975 - 1987
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)
- 1980 - 1983
- Career position - Victorian State Manager, Telecom Australia (Australian Telecommunications Commission)
- 31 Dec 1982
- Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - In recognition of service to the Public service
- 1987 - 2022
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
- 1 Jan 2001
- Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in research and development
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Anon, 'Percy Rollo Brett OBE FTSE', Impact: magazine of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 215 (2023), 62, https://www.atse.org.au/what-we-do/impact-magazine/impact-215/. Details
- Richardson, James, ' Percy Rollo Brett OBE (1923 - 2022): research leader and public servant', Journal of telecommunications and the digital economy, 10 (3) (2023), 165-70. http://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v10n3.628. Details
Resources
- 'Rollo Brett - Obituary', Fellows of the Academy, 2024, https://www.atse.org.au/who-we-are/our-fellows/all-fellows/percy-brett/. Details
- CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B884, V158790', B884 Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6623867. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 16 July 2024, Last modified: 31 December 2025