P006114 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2018-08-16 human Ken McInnes updated 2025-12-03 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P006114b.htm person Cumming Denis Arthur AACR2 17 September 1923 28 January 1995 Place of Birth Weymouth, Dorset, England Place of Death Perth, Western Australia, Australia Civil engineer Engineering historian Academic Denis Cumming, MInstCE MIEAust, was a civil engineer who led research into the history of engineers and engineering in Australia, and developed methods for researching, documenting and recording these histories. He contributed significantly to the formal establishment of Engineering Heritage South Australia in 1974, and Engineering Heritage Australia in 1979.

Denis Cumming was a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide from 1967 until 1990, with a particular interest in Geomechanics, Transport Engineering and Surveying, and the History of Technology.

Through his strong interest in history, the history of engineering and engineering heritage, he became the driving force in forming Engineering Heritage committees, at Division, State and National level, of the Institution of Engineers, Australia. He was chair of the first committee in South Australia from 1974, and was on the National Committee from 1979, until 1995.

His many research papers and books have contributed significantly to the knowledge and understanding of engineers and engineering in Australia. In particular the definitive book They Built South Australia - Engineers, Technician, Manufacturers, Contractors and Their Works that he co-authored, the book Westralian founders of twentieth century mining: career biographies of mining engineers, mine managers and metallurgists who worked in the Western Australian mining industry 1890-1920 that he co-authored, and similar research papers about engineers in Victoria, and Western Australia.

1944 1944 Education - Master of Arts, Engineering Science, Oxford University, England 1949 1949 Life event - Migrated to Australia 1949 1951 Career position - Engineer, Eildon Weir, Victorian State Rivers and Water Supply Commission 1951 1952 Career position - Engineer, Woomera, Commonwealth Department of Works 1952 1958 Career position - Engineer, Adelaide, Highway Department South Australia 1958 1967 Career position - Lecturer, Civil Engineering, University of NSW 1967 1990 Career position - Senior Lecturer, Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide 1978 1978 Career position - Member (South Australia), Board of the General College of Engineering, Institution of Engineers Australia 1986 1986 Career event - Book published: They built South Australia : engineers, technicians, manufacturers, contractors and their work, with G. C. Moxham 1988 1988 Award - Institution of Engineers Australia Plaque 2014 2014 Career event - Book published: Westralian founders of twentieth century mining: career biographies of mining engineers, mine managers and metallurgists who worked in the Western Australian mining industry 1890-1920 Engineering Heritage Australia (EHA), Engineers Australia (1975 - )

Second chairman of formative sub-committee, of the General College of Engineering Board, that established EHA 1979; Committee member 1979-1995; Chairman 1980?

 Cumming, Denis Arthur (19230917-19950128)

Trove

 'Cumming, Denis Arthur', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Cumming, Denis Arthur Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage Australia 2024 Engineering Heritage Australia : wiki website Conference Paper: The Burra Mine and Smelter Cumming, D. A. The Burra Mine and Smelter Barton, Australian Capital Territory Institution of Engineers, Australia 1984 Engineering Conference 1984: Conference Papers 7-12 Book Section: Engineering Cumming, D.; Jones, L. J. Engineering Broadway Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates 1987 Australians, a Guide to Sources D. H. Borchardt and Victor Crittenden 283-289 Conference Paper: Australian Databases & Engineering Heritage Cumming, D. A.; Leverett, K. Australian Databases & Engineering Heritage Hobart, Tasmania Institution of Engineers, Australia, Tasmania Division 1992 Sixth National Conference on Engineering Heritage, 1992, Hobart 5-7 October 1992: Preprints of Papers 15-22 Conference Paper: Processing of Copper Ores in South Australia in the Nineteenth Century Cumming, D. A. Processing of Copper Ores in South Australia in the Nineteenth Century Barton, Australian Capital Territory Institution of Engineers, Australia 1982 Conference on The Protection of the Engineering Heritage, 1982, Brisbane, 9-12 May. Preprints of Papers 66-73 Conference Paper: Copper smelting in South Australia, the first fifty years Cumming, D. A.; and Drew, G. J. Copper smelting in South Australia, the first fifty years Adelaide, South Australia South Australia. Department of Mines and Energy 1987 South Australia's Mining Heritage: AUSIMM Seminar on Mining Heritage 115-138 Book: Westralian founders of twentieth century mining: career biographies of mining engineers, mine managers and metallurgists who worked in the Western Australian mining industry 1890-1920 Cumming, Denis A.; and Hartley, Richard G. Westralian founders of twentieth century mining: career biographies of mining engineers, mine managers and metallurgists who worked in the Western Australian mining industry 1890-1920 Rossmoyne W.A. Richard G. Hartley 2014 Book: The Murray Bridge 1864-1982: a Report to the Australian Heritage Commission and the Heritage Conservation Branch of the South Australian Department of Environment and Planning Cumming, Denis Arthur The Murray Bridge 1864-1982: a Report to the Australian Heritage Commission and the Heritage Conservation Branch of the South Australian Department of Environment and Planning Adelaide University of Adelaide, Department of Civil Engineering 1982 Conference Paper: A Preliminary Survey of the Literature on Industrial and Mechanical Engineering in Australia Cumming, D. A.; Leverett, K. A Preliminary Survey of the Literature on Industrial and Mechanical Engineering in Australia Perth, Western Australia Institution of Engineers, Australia. Western Australian Division 1990 Fifth National Conference on Engineering Heritage 1990: Interpreting Engineering Heritage; Preprints of Papers 123-131 Edited Book: They built South Australia : engineers, technicians, manufacturers, contractors and their work Cumming, D. A.; Moxham, G. C. They built South Australia : engineers, technicians, manufacturers, contractors and their work Adelaide D.A. Cumming and G.C Moxham 1986 Book: Some Public Works Engineers in Victoria in the Nineteenth Century Cumming, D. A. Some Public Works Engineers in Victoria in the Nineteenth Century Melbourne University of Melbourne, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 1985 Journal Article: People (Obituaries) People (Obituaries) 1995 Engineers Australia 67 3 36-37 Journal Article: Denis Cumming MA (Oxon), MICE, MIEAust CPEng 1923 - 1995 Denis Cumming MA (Oxon), MICE, MIEAust CPEng 1923 - 1995 1995 Engineering Heritage Australia : newsletter of the National Committee on Engineering Heritage, the Institution of Engineers, Australia No.4 May 1995 8 Journal Article: Annual Report - Colleges [1978] Institution of Engineers Australia Annual Report - Colleges [1978] 1979 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 51 4 33-37