P005320 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2013-01-02 human Rebecca Rigby; Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-01 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005320b.htm person Bassett Walter Eric MC KBE AACR2 19 December 1892 8 March 1978 Place of Birth Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Toorak, Victoria, Australia Mechanical engineer Engineer Sir Walter Bassett's highly regarded consulting engineering practice W.E. Bassett and Partners, specialised in air-conditioning and hospital design, and carried out many major large-scale engineering commissions during the 20th century. The company serviced many suburban and country hospitals as well as carrying out commissions for many major state and private organisations including the Ford Motor Co., MacRobertson's Pty Ltd, Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd and Melbourne and Williamstown town halls. When Bassett retired in 1971 W.E. Bassett and Partners employed 250 staff, having grown from a staff of just two at its founding in 1928.

For several years he was senior lecturer in mechanical engineering and aerodynamics at Melbourne University.

September 1915 April 1917 Military service - Engineer in the 5th Field Company, Australian Imperial Force 1916 1916 Award - Military Cross (MC) Imperial 1916 1916 Education - Bachelor of Engineering, University of Melbourne April 1917 January 1918 Military service - First World War. Lieutenant in the Australian Flying Corps 1919 1957 Career position - Member of the University of Melbourne Engineering Faculty Staff 1927 1927 Lecture - "Ventilation of theatres and large halls", First Commonwealth Conference on Public Health Engineering, Melbourne 1927 1927 Education - Masters of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne 1928 1928 Career event - Established consulting engineering practice, W. E. Bassett & Partners 1942 1943 Career position - President, Institution of Engineers, Australia 1945 1946 Career position - Acting Chairman, Australian Council for Aeronautics 1948 1948 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1958 1958 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1958 1968 Career position - Chairman of Renison Ltd 1959 1959 Award - Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire - (KBE) Civil, Imperial 1963 1963 Career position - President, Melbourne Club 1969 1974 Career position - President, Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. Ltd 1973 1973 Award - Honorary Member (HonMAusIMM), Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 1974 1974 Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne Australian Council for Aeronautics (1941 - 1947)

Acting Chairman of the Council July 1945 - April 1946

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

President 1942

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

Awarded the Medal 1948

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

Awarded the Medal 1958.

 MacCallum, Peter (1885 - 1974)

MacCallum and Bassett were close friends

Wikidata

 Bassett, Walter Eric (1892-)

Trove

 'Bassett, Walter Eric', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Bassett, Walter Eric Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Kernot Memorial Medal - 1948 & 1949 Awards [Walter Eric Bassett, and Lewis Ronald East] Kernot Memorial Medal - 1948 & 1949 Awards [Walter Eric Bassett, and Lewis Ronald East] 1949 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 21 6 107 Journal Article: Twenty-five years an Institution - 5. Then - and now? Bassett, W. E. Twenty-five years an Institution - 5. Then - and now? 1944 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 16 7-8 133-134 Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Report: Thirty-ninth Annual Report [1958] Institution of Engineers Australia Thirty-ninth Annual Report [1958] 1959 Book: 1928-1978 : W.E. Bassett and Partners Pty. Ltd., consulting engineers Tweddell, A. E. 1928-1978 : W.E. Bassett and Partners Pty. Ltd., consulting engineers Melbourne 1978 Book Section: Bassett, Sir Walter Eric (1892-1978), engineer Hardy, J. S. Bassett, Sir Walter Eric (1892-1978), engineer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1993 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De John Ritchie 128-130

Source used to compile entry

 Conference Paper: Ventilation of theatres and large halls Bassett, W. E. Ventilation of theatres and large halls 1928 Proceedings of the First Commonwealth Conference on Public Health Engineering, Melbourne, 19th - 27th September, 1927 111-136 Journal Article: Presidential address [1943] - Wartime and the engineer Bassett, Walter Eric Presidential address [1943] - Wartime and the engineer 1943 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 15 4 77-85 Journal Article: Last IEAust president from the 1940s dies [Obituary: Sir Walter Bassett] Last IEAust president from the 1940s dies [Obituary: Sir Walter Bassett] 1978 Engineers Australia 50 7 2 Journal Article: Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1958 Award [W. E. Bassett, MC MMechE BEE MIEAust] Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1958 Award [W. E. Bassett, MC MMechE BEE MIEAust] Institution of Engineers, Australia 1959 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 31 1-2 N5 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