P001121 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Annette Alafaci; Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-01 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001121b.htm person Harper Herbert Reah AACR2 23 June 1871 27 July 1956 Place of Birth London, England Place of Death Toorak, Victoria, Australia Electrical engineer Herbert Harper worked for the Victorian State Electricity Commission from its inception in 1919 until 1936. Prior to this he was employed by the Department of Mines, the Melbourne City Council and the Brush Electrical Engineering Co. (England). While working for the latter, he was sent to Malta to oversee the installation of a power supply system and was then sent to Brush's subsidiary company, the Electric Light and Traction Co. in Melbourne (1899). During an overseas trip for the Department of Mines, Harper discovered the usefulness of brown coal as an energy source. When he returned to Australia, he was appointed to the government's brown coal advisory commission whose report instigated brown coal-mining and a power plant at Yallourn, in Victoria's La Trobe Valley. Herbert Harper's efforts saw the industrialisation of Victoria based on cheap power supply. He was awarded the Kernot (The Melbourne University Engineering Foundation) and Peter Nicol Russell (Institution of Engineers, Australia) Medals in recognition of his achievements. c. 1891 1893 Career position - Apprentice at Rennoldson Electrical Engineering Company in England 1893 1901 Career position - Electrical Engineer, Brush Electrical Engineering Co., UK 1895 1896 Career position - Supervisor, then Chief Engineer, Malta electrical supply system 26 Jan 1896 26 Jan 1896 Career event - Associate (AssocIEE), Institution of Electrical Engineers, London 1899 1901 Career position - Assistant at the Electrical Light and Traction Co.in Melbourne 9 Feb 1899 9 Feb 1899 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEE), Institution of Electrical Engineers, London 1901 c. 1911 Career position - Electrical Engineer, Melbourne City Council 1904 1904 Career event - Member (MIEE), Institution of Electrical Engineers, London 1905 1905 Career event - Member, Victorian Institute of Electrical Engineers 1909 1909 Career position - President, Victorian Institute of Electrical Engineers 1911 1919 Career position - Electrical Engineer, Department of Mines 1916 1917 Career event - President, Victorian Institute of Engineers 1918 1918 Career position - Appointed honorary local secretary and treasurer for Victoria, Institution of Electrical Engineers, London 1918 1918 Career position - Inaugural President, Electrical Supply Association of Australia 1919 1921 Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1919 1936 Career position - Inaugural Chief Engineer, State Electricity Commission (SEC) of Victoria 1921 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1933 1933 Career position - President, Institution of Engineers Australia 1934 1934 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1935 1935 Career position - World tour of electrical works for the SEC 1936 1936 Life event - Retired 1937 1938 Career position - Consultant to the New South Wales Government 1938 1938 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1941 1945 Career position - Member of the Army Mechanization Board 1956 1956 Buried - Boroondara Cemetery, Victoria Victorian Institute of Engineers (1883 - 1949)

President 1916 - 1917

 Calder, William (1860 - 1928)

Herbert Harper was a pall-bearer at William Calder's funeral, 1928

 Kernot Memorial Medal, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Melbourne (1926 - )

Awarded the Medal 1934 "... for carrying out the first serious experiments in the utilisation of Morwell brown coal, obtaining information of the highest value in the initiation of the State Electricity Commissioners' supply scheme, which has been developed under his direction, and is a noteworthy example of achievement in electrical engineering."

 Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1922 - )

Awarded the Medal 1938.

 Victorian Institute of Electrical Engineers ( - 1915)

President 1909

 Victoria Division, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Chairman, Melbourne Division 1934

 Wallaby Club (1894 - )

President 1923 - 1924

Wikidata

 Harper, Herbert Reah (1871-1956)

Trove

 'Harper, Herbert Reah', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Harper, Herbert Reah Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Notes descriptive of the electric supply station of the Melbourne City Council (Paper & Discussion) Harper, Herbert Reah Notes descriptive of the electric supply station of the Melbourne City Council (Paper & Discussion) 1907 Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VII 18-26 Journal Article: Fuel Calorimetry (Demonstrations & Discussion) Lorimer, G.; and Harper, Herbert Reah Fuel Calorimetry (Demonstrations & Discussion) 1910 Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. X 81-88, 95-104 Journal Article: Twenty-five years an Institution - 3. The service aspect Harper, H. R. Twenty-five years an Institution - 3. The service aspect 1944 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 16 7-8 131-132 Journal Article: 19th Annual General Meeting - Minutes [Melbourne, 21st March 1939] Institution of Engineers Australia 19th Annual General Meeting - Minutes [Melbourne, 21st March 1939] 1939 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 11 4 146-147 Journal Article: Twentieth Annual Report [1939] Institution of Engineers Australia Twentieth Annual Report [1939] 1940 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia MacLean, E. S. 12 2 47-64 Book Section: Harper, Herbert Reah (1871 - 1956), electrical engineer Spaull, Andrew Harper, Herbert Reah (1871 - 1956), electrical engineer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1983 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 9: 1891 - 1939 Gil-Las Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 203-204 Journal Article: Generation and supply of electricity in Victoria Harper, H. R. Generation and supply of electricity in Victoria 1917 Commonwealth Engineer 4 9 229-232 Journal Article: Presidential address [1934] - Power resources and requirements Harper, Herbert Reah Presidential address [1934] - Power resources and requirements 1934 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 6 3 79-95 Journal Article: Chairman's Address [Melbourne Division] - Victorian Brown Coal for the production of power - A brief account of the evolutionary stages in its successful utilization. Harper, H. R. Chairman's Address [Melbourne Division] - Victorian Brown Coal for the production of power - A brief account of the evolutionary stages in its successful utilization. 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 11 399-407 Journal Article: Melbourne municipal electrical undertaking Harper, H. R. Melbourne municipal electrical undertaking 1916 Commonwealth Engineer 3 12 348 Journal Article: Foreword [One hundred years of engineering in Victoria] Harper, H. R. Foreword [One hundred years of engineering in Victoria] 1934 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 6 10 353 Journal Article: Obituary: Herbert Reah Harper; Edgar Gowar Ritchie Obituary: Herbert Reah Harper; Edgar Gowar Ritchie 1956 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 28 9 242 Resource: Electrical Engineer Membership Forms, 1871-1901 Institution of Electrical Engineers, London Electrical Engineer Membership Forms, 1871-1901 ancestry.com Resource: Electrical Engineer Membership Forms, 1871-1901 Institution of Electrical Engineers, London Electrical Engineer Membership Forms, 1871-1901 ancestry.com Journal Article: Mr. H. R. Harper feted Anon Mr. H. R. Harper feted 1919 Commonwealth Engineer 6 12 388 Journal Article: Recent advances in transmission and distribution in U.S.A. (Discussions and communications) Brain, Vivian James Foxton (Myers, W. H.; Allcock, H.; Haugaard, F. B.; Longfield, C. M.; Harper, H. R.) Recent advances in transmission and distribution in U.S.A. (Discussions and communications) 1929 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 1 9 339-342 Book: The Cyclopedia of Victoria: an historical and commercial review: descriptive and biographical, facts, figures and illustrations: an epitome of progress Smith, James, ed. The Cyclopedia of Victoria: an historical and commercial review: descriptive and biographical, facts, figures and illustrations: an epitome of progress Melbourne Cyclopedia Co 1903-1905 Journal Article: P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] 1941 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 13 12 295 Journal Article: Notes and personals Notes and personals 1918 Commonwealth Engineer 5 8 215-217