Wisdom, John Cromwell (1919 - 2001)

Summary

John Wisdom CEng MMechE FIEAust MRAeSoc was a research scientist with the Aeronautical Research Laboratories most of his working life, rising to become Head, Engineering Development Establishment, Department of Defence, from 1975 until his retirement in 1981. Before that he was First Assistant Controller (Aeroscience) Department of Supply, and Principal Research Scientist, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Department of Supply, Melbourne.

His early research focus was on the development of gas turbine engines, and, before and after he retired, he researched and wrote extensively on the history of defence science in Australia.

Details

Chronology

1942

Education - Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BMechE), University of Melbourne

c. 1942 - 1949

Career position - Research Officer, Engines and Fuels Section, Division of Aeronautics, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1948

Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1949 - c. 1958

Career position - Research Officer, Division of Aeronautics, Department of Supply and Development

1957

Education - Master of Mechanical Engineering (MMechE), University of Melbourne

1957

Award - Mechanical Engineering Prize, Institution of Engineers Australia

c. 1958 - 1965

Career position - Principal Research Scientist, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Department of Supply

1965 - 1975

Career position - First Assistant Controller (Aeroscience), Department of Supply

13 Sep 1968

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Associate Members were designated Members on this date.]

1975 - 1981

Career position - Head, Engineering Development Establishment, Department of Defence

1979

Publication - Book: "Forty Years of Army Design"

1981

Life event - Retired

1995

Publication - Book: "A history of defence science in Australia"

2001

Buried - Cremated, Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Victoria

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Wisdom, J. C., Forty Years of Army Design (Maribyrnong, Victoria: Engineering Development Establishment, 1979), 91 pp. Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Farrands, J. L.; and Wisdom, J. C., 'Chapter 13: Defence Science and Technology' in Technology in Australia, 1788-1988: a condensed history of Australian technological innovation and adaptation during the first two hundred years, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, eds (Melbourne: Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 1988), https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/896.html. Details

Conference Papers

• Wisdom, J. C., 'Industrial application of the gas turbine', in Proceedings of the Engineering Conference, 1953, Melbourne (Sydney: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1953), pp. 111-115.. Details
• Wisdom, J. C.; Pavia, R. E.; Kennedy, W. B., 'The future of the gas turbine in Australia (A symposium of three papers)', in Proceedings of the Engineering Conference, 1953, Melbourne (Sydney: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1953), pp. 111-127.. Details

Journal Articles

• Atkin, M. L.; Lhuede, E. P.; Wisdom, J. C., 'Experimental operation of a coal-fired gas turbine with gas cleaning', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 36 (7-8) (1964), 167-176. Details
• Wisdom, J. C., 'Victorian brown coal as a fuel for gas turbines', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 29 (7-8) (1957), 179-186. Details
• Wisdom, J. C., 'The combined gas turbine-steam cycle; A thermo-dynamic and design appreciation', Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Transactions, 1 (1965), 50-. Details
• Wisdom, J. C.; Atkin, M. L.; Lhuede, E. P.; and Morley, W. J., 'The coal burning gas turbine in Australia', Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Transactions, 3 (1961), 29-. Details
• Woods, M. W.; Wisdom, J. C., 'Industrial applications of the gas turbine', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 21 (4-5) (1949), 67-76. Details
• Woods, M. W.; Wisdom, J. C.; Rennie, E. J. C., 'Industrial applications of the gas turbine (Discussion)', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 21 (10-11) (1949), 180. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Thirty-ninth Annual Report [1958] (1959), 16 pp. 'Prizes - Mechanical Engineering Prize (1957 Award), to Mr J C Wisdom, BMechE AMIEAust, for his paper entitled "Victorian Brown Coal as a Fuel for Gas Turbines"', p.2. Details

Theses

• Wisdom, John Cromwell, 'The coal burning gas turbine with special reference to Victorian brown coal', MMechE thesis, University of Melbourne, 1957. Details