P006146 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 2018-11-29 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-01-21 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P006146b.htm person Risson Robert Joseph Henry Kt CB CBE DSO OStJ ED AACR2 20 April 1901 19 July 1992 Place of Birth Ma Ma Creek, Grantham, Queensland, Australia Place of Death Murrumbeena, Victoria, Australia Civil engineer Military engineer Tramway engineer Sir Robert Risson was a Civil Engineer, with a distinguished career with the Brisbane and Melbourne Tramways; and a Military Engineer during the Second World War in the United Kingdom, North Africa, Palestine, Syria, New Guinea, Morotai and Borneo, with the ranks of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Brigadier.

As a civil engineer, he specialised in Tramway construction, maintenance and operation.

His career commenced with the Brisbane Tramways Trust from 1923-1939, where he implemented modern methods of track construction, and concluded with his long term position as Chairman of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (M&MTB) from 1949-1970.

As chairman of the M&MTB, he championed the role of Tramways as an efficient system for moving large numbers of people around the city, but any improvements were constrained by the high ongoing costs of maintaining roadway surfaces, as well as maintaining the tramway rails, poles and wires.

In the mid 1960s he ambitiously proposed an underground tramway along the length of Swanston Street. His persuasive arguments against the automobile and bus lobbyists during this period, ensured that the Melbourne tramways remained, when other metropolitan tramway systems around the world were removed.

His military engineering career, included siting of defence works in South England, 1940; Commander, Siege of Tobruk 1941; Commander, Syrian Campaign, 1941; Commander, design and construction of concrete defence works, roads, bridges, storage facilities at Tripoli, Syria (£1,000,000), 1941-42; Commander, Western Desert Egypt, including battle of El Alamein 1942; Chief Engineer, New Guinea 1943-44; Chief Engineer, Morotai and Borneo 1945.

1922 1922 Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1923 1924 Career position - Assistant Engineer, Brisbane Tramways Trust, under William Muir Nelson 27 Apr 1923 27 Apr 1923 Education - Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), University of Queensland 1924 1927 Career position - Inspecting Engineer, Brisbane Tramways Trust, under William Muir Nelson 1927 1939 Career position - Maintenance Engineer, Brisbane Tramways Trust Feb 1927 Feb 1927 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1939 1946 Military service - Second World War. Royal Australian Engineers 9 Sep 1942 9 Sep 1942 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - for military service in the Middle East 11 Feb 1943 11 Feb 1943 Award - Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) - in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East Aug 1943 Aug 1943 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 19 Jul 1945 19 Jul 1945 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - for military services in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the South West Pacific 1946 1947 Career position - Superintending Engineer, Brisbane Tramways 1947 Career position - Councillor, Institution of Engineers Australia 1947 1948 Career position - Deputy Manager, Brisbane Tramways 1947 1949 Career position - Honorary Secretary, Brisbane Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1948 1949 Career position - General Manager (acting), Brisbane Tramways 1 Oct 1949 Jun 1970 Career position - Chairman, Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board 12 Jun 1958 12 Jun 1958 Award - Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) - for distinguished service in the Field. 1962 1962 Career position - President, Institution of Engineers, Australia 13 Sep 1968 13 Sep 1968 Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.] 13 Jun 1970 13 Jun 1970 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - Services to the community 1 Aug 1977 1 Aug 1977 Award - Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal Nelson, William Muir (1871 - 1926) 1923 1926 Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, State of Victoria (1918 - 1983)

Chairman 1949 - 1970

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

President 1962

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

Chairman, Melbourne Division 1953

 'Risson, Robert Joseph Henry', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Risson, Robert Joseph Henry Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Past presidents - where are they now? Past presidents - where are they now? 1978 Engineers Australia 50 7 20-22 Journal Article: Presidential address [1963] - Moving people (Urban public passenger transport) Risson, Robert Joseph Henry Presidential address [1963] - Moving people (Urban public passenger transport) 1963 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 35 6 95-100 Journal Article: The president of The Institution for 1962 [Major-General R. J. H. Risson CB CBE DSO ED BE MIEAust] The president of The Institution for 1962 [Major-General R. J. H. Risson CB CBE DSO ED BE MIEAust] 1962 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 34 3 N15