Harrison, Herbert Clifford

P003604 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2001-05-25 human Rosanne Walker; Ken McInnes updated 2025-12-31 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003604b.htm person Harrison Herbert Clifford OBE AACR2 22 May 1888 14 September 1962 Place of Birth Mill House, Sprowston, Norfolk, England Place of Death Late of Middle Brighton, Victoria, Australia Aeronautical engineer Mechanical engineer Wing-Commander Herbert Clifford Harrison was born and grew up at the historic windmill and mill house at Sprowston, Norfolk, England, engendering a lifelong passion for windmills, mechanical engineering, and aeronautical engineering. With his experience in aircraft design and manufacturing during the First World War in England, and his role as one of the first officers in the Royal Australian Air Force, Harrison was chosen to take a leading role in the development of aircraft manufacture in Australia, in the early 1930s. This included the design of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation factory, Fisherman's Bend, Victoria. After he retired from the RAAF in 1934, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1935 in recognition of his distinguished technical service. However, in the lead up to the Second World War, he was recalled from the retired list, appointed Wing-Commander, and Deputy Director, Repair and Maintenance, Royal Australian Air Force. After the Second World War, he joined the Department of Civil Aviation, as Superintendent of Airworthiness and Aeronautical Engineering, and later as a Special Assistant, to the Director of Air Navigation. His fascination with windmills, especially the old Mill House at Spowston, Norfolk encouraged him to publish books about the mechanics of windmills, so the knowledge would not be lost, and he encouraged the protection, conservation, restoration, and interpretation of windmills. 1908 1908 Education - Associate of the Royal College of Science (ARCSc), University of London 1908 1911 Career position - Engineer, Daimler Motor works, Coventry, England 1911 1911 Life event - Arrived in Australia 1911 1915 Career position - Design engineer, H. V. McKay, Sunshine Victoria 1916 1920 Career position - Chief Draughtsman, Boulton and Paul, Aircraft Engineers, Norwich, England 1921 1923 Career position - Engineer Officer, Royal Australian Air Force 1923 Career position - Flight Lieutenant, Royal Australian Air Force 1925 1927 Career position - Director of Technical Services, Royal Australian Air Force 1927 Career position - Squadron Leader, Royal Australian Air Force 1927 1930 Career position - Exchange duty with Royal Air Force 1930 1935 Career position - Director of Technical Services, Royal Australian Air Force c. 1931 c. 1931 Career position - Engaged in the design of the Commonwealth Aircarft Corporation factory, Fisherman's Bend 1934 1934 Career event - Retired from Royal Australian Air Force, placed on reserve list 1935 1935 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Royal Australian Air Force [Distinguished technical service with the RAAF and RAF] 1936 1936 Career position - Member, Overseas Commission for Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation 1936 1936 Career position - Member of the Australian Technical Air Mission to England and America [With Lawrence James Wackett and Arthur William Murphy] 1940 1940 Patent - Electrical heating of structures [2413/1940] 1943 1943 Life event - Recalled from retired list. Wing Commander, Royal Australian Air Force 1943 1946 Career position - Deputy Director, Repair and Maintenance, Royal Australian Air Force 1946 1951 Career position - Superintendent of Airworthiness and Aeronautical Engineering, Department of Civil Aviation 1947 1947 Publication - Book: "The Windmill", self-published, Melbourne,Victoria 1949 1949 Publication - Book: "The story of Sprowston Mill", Phoenix House, London (Illustratted by Graham R. Nesbit, Melbourne) 1951 1951 Career position - Special Assistant, Director of Air Navigation, Department of Civil Avaiation 1954 1954 Career event - Lobbied for the retention, conservation and restoration of the Callington Windmill at Oatlands, Tasmania 1954 1954 Career position - Assistant Chief Engineer, Standard Motor Company, Melbourne Murphy, Arthur William (1891 - 1963)

Member of the 1936 Australian Technical Air Mission to England and America, to survey the world aircraft manufacturing scene in order to develop plans for manufacture of a type suited to Australian resources.

Wackett, Lawrence James (1896 - 1982)

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) (1936 - 1986)

As Director of Technical Services, Royal Australian Air Force, engaged in the design of the CAC factory, Fisherman's Bend, c1931 - 1934.

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Commonwealth of Australia (1921 - )

Deputy Director, Repair and Maintenance 1943 - 1946; Director of Technical Services 1930 - 1935.

Harrison, C H

Trove

'Harrison, Herbert Clifford', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Harrison, Herbert Clifford Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Australian Patent search database IP Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Australian Patent search database Commonwealth of Australia 2015 Resource: B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch Resource: A9300 RAAF Officers Personnel files, 1921-1948 CA 778, Air Services Branch; CA 35, Department of Air, Central Office A9300 RAAF Officers Personnel files, 1921-1948 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch Edited Book: Who's who in Australia 1944 Alexander, John A. Who's who in Australia 1944 12th Melbourne, Victoria The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd 1944 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000