P005461 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 2016-04-06 human Ailie Smith; Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-29 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005461b.htm person Burnell John Gurner MC AACR2 21 January 1885 11 October 1967 Place of Birth Paddington, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death London, Middlesex, England Mechanical engineer Electrical engineer John Burnell, MC MIEAust, was a mechanical engineer recognised for his leading role in the design, manufacture, and improvement of heavy pumping machinery for irrigation and other industries. He joined Thompson and Company, Castlemaine, Victoria, one of the largest manufacturers in Australia, as an assistant manager in 1922. From 1925 to 1957 he was the technical director when it became Thompson Engineering & Pipe Company Limited. Burnell firmly believed in the importance of basic research to engineering design and manufacturing, and solved many problems, developed standards, and registered patents, as well as negotiated the transfer of innovative manufacturing licenses from Europe and America. In his early career, he established standard tests for pumps, that were later adopted internationally. His expertise was acknowledged by being awarded the Kernot Memorial Medal in 1946; the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1951; and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering (DEng) from the University of Melbourne in 1956. 1907 1908 Career position - Engineering Assistant, Engineering shops, Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Pyrmont, NSW 1908 1908 Career event - Student Member (StudInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London [under W H Warren] 1908 1908 Education - Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical and Electrical (BE), University of Sydney 1908 1911 Career position - Engineer, State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria [under Elwood Mead] 1911 1922 Career position - Chief Mechanical engineer, State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria [supervising the installation and testing of steam driven irrigation pumping plants] 1913 1913 Career event - Associate Member (AssocMInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1915 1919 Military service - First World War. Lieutenant / Captain 5th Field Company, Engineers, AIF 1916 1916 Award - Military Cross (MC) - Engineers 1919 1919 Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1922 1925 Career position - Assistant Manager, Thompson and Company, Castlemaine, Victoria 1923 1923 Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1925 1957 Career position - Technical director, Thompson Engineering & Pipe Company Limited, Castlemaine, Victoria 1934 1934 Patent - Improvements in and connected with feed water heaters and de-aerators [16151/1934] 1940 1945 Military service - Captain/Temporary Major, Mechanical engineering manufacture, DADOS "Q" Mech Australian Headquarters 1944 1944 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1944 1945 Career event - Member of Council, University of Melbourne 1946 1946 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1951 1951 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1956 1956 Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Melbourne Upton, Thomas Haynes (1889 - 1956)

John Burnell MInstCE endorsed Thomas Upton nomination for MInstCE 1925

 Garson, George (1862 - 1911)

George Garson MInstCE proposed John Burnell's nomination for AssocMInstCE 1911

 Payne, Henry (1871 - 1945)

Henry Payne MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for MInstCE 1923

 Oliver, Calder Edkins (1855 - 1930)

Calder Oliver MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for MInstCE 1923

 Kernot, Wilfred Noyce (1868 - 1945)

Wilfred Kernot MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for MInstCE 1923

 Kernot, Maurice Edwin (1852 - 1934)

Maurice Kernot MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for MInstCE 1923

 Monash, John (1865 - 1931)

John Monash MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for MInstCE 1923

 Gibson, Alexander James (1876 - 1960)

Alexander Gibson AssocMInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for AssocMInstCE 1912

 Barraclough, Samuel Henry Egerton (Henry) (1871 - 1958)

Henry Barraclough AssocMInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for AssocMInstCE 1912

 Mead, Elwood (1858 - 1936)

Elwood Mead MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for AssocMInstCE 1912

 Warren, William Henry (1852 - 1926)

William Warren MInstCE endorsed John Burnell nomination for AssocMInstCE 1912

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

Awarded the Medal 1946 "... for his work in the design and testing of pumps and welded pressure vessels."

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

Awarded the Medal 1951.

Wikidata

 Burnell, John Gurner (1885-19671231)

Trove

 'Burnell, John Gurner', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Burnell, John Gurner Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Book Section: Burnell, John Gurner (1885-1967), engineer Churchward, M. S. Burnell, John Gurner (1885-1967), engineer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1993 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De John Ritchie 310-311 Report: Thirty-second Annual Report [1951] Institution of Engineers Australia Thirty-second Annual Report [1951] 1952 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 14 Journal Article: Kernot Memorial Medal [1946 Award - John Gurner Burnell] Kernot Memorial Medal [1946 Award - John Gurner Burnell] 1947 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 19 8 188 Resource: Australian Patent search database IP Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Australian Patent search database Commonwealth of Australia 2015 Journal Article: The flow of boiling water through nozzles, orifices and pipes (Discussions and communications) Burnell, John Gurner (Rennie, E. J. C.) The flow of boiling water through nozzles, orifices and pipes (Discussions and communications) 1946 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 18 7-8 172-173 Journal Article: Industrial development Burnell, J. G. Industrial development 1934 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 6 10 407-412 Journal Article: Stresses in square and rectangular long boxes Burnell, John Gurner Stresses in square and rectangular long boxes 1929 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 1 1 19-20 Conference Paper: Water hammer with applications to pumping problems Burnell, J. G.; Robertson, R. J. Water hammer with applications to pumping problems Sydney Institution of Engineers Australia 1953 Proceedings of the Engineering Conference, 1953, Melbourne 12-20 Journal Article: The flow of boiling water through nozzles, orifices and pipes Burnell, John Gurner The flow of boiling water through nozzles, orifices and pipes 1946 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 18 3 41-49 Journal Article: The discharge of boiling water through a Venturi Tube Burnell, John Gurner The discharge of boiling water through a Venturi Tube 1955 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 27 7-8 213-214 Resource: A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992 CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992 A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch Resource: B4717 PMF (Permanent Military Forces) and Army Militia Personnel dossiers, 1901-1973 CA 6, Department of Defence [I]; CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office B4717 PMF (Permanent Military Forces) and Army Militia Personnel dossiers, 1901-1973 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch 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 Journal Article: Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1951 Award [J. G. Burnell, MC BE MIEAust] Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1951 Award [J. G. Burnell, MC BE MIEAust] Institution of Engineers, Australia 1952 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 24 1 32 Resource: Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 Institution of Civil Engineers, London Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 ancestry.com Journal Article: Irrigation works and practice in Victoria (Discussions and communications) Dethridge, J. S. (Mackenzie, A. C.; Burnell, J. G.; Galbraith, A. L.; Ritchie, E. G.) Irrigation works and practice in Victoria (Discussions and communications) 1923 Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 2 279-284