P007012 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 2022-06-14 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-07 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007012b.htm person Connolly Willis Henry Kt CBE AACR2 25 November 1901 13 February 1981 Place of Birth Benalla, Victoria, Australia Place of Death St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia Electrical engineer Public servant Sir Willis Henry Connolly was an electrical engineer noted for his long and significant career with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, almost from its beginnings, rising to become the Chairman and General Manager from 1956 to 1971. From 1965 to 1980 he played a lead role in transforming non-university tertiary technical education in Victoria - as Chairman of the State Advisory Council on Technical Education; as Interim Chairman, and as President of the Victorian Institute of Colleges. His distinguished contributions to engineering were acknowledged when he was awarded the Kernot Memorial Medal in 1957, appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1962, awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1968, and appointed Knight Bachelor in 1971. He is commemorated by the Sir Willis Connolly Medal awarded jointly by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Barbarians. c. 1919 c. 1919 Career position - Workshop position, Edward Campbell & Son Pty Ltd, engineers 1919 1919 Career event - Foundation Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia c. 1920 c. 1920 Career position - Student engineer, Richmond Power Station, Melbourne Electric Supply Co. Ltd. 1921 1921 Career position - Clerical position, State Electricity Commission of Victoria, Yallourn 1922 1927 Career position - Junior engineer, Electric supply branch, State Electricity Commission of Victoria, Melbourne 1923 1923 Education - Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (BEE), University of Melbourne 1927 1927 Career event - Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1927 1929 Career position - Engineer, Briquetting and Research branch, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [under Hyman Herman] 1929 1931 Career position - Assistant Manager, Electrical sales, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [formulating new tariffs] 1932 1937 Career position - Assistant Manager, Metropolitan Electricity Supply, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [furthered the conversion of the supply to three-phase] 1933 1933 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1936 1936 Education - Diploma of Commerce (DipCom), University of Melbourne 1937 1948 Career position - Manager, State-wide electricity supply department, State Electricity Commission of Victoria [extending rural electrification, and uniform tariffs] 1947 1947 Education - Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), University of Melbourne 1948 1948 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1949 1955 Career position - Assistant General Manager, State Electricity Commission of Victoria 1956 1971 Career position - Chairman and General Manager, State Electricity Commission of Victoria 1957 1957 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1961 1965 Career position - Chairman, State Advisory Council on Technical Education 1962 1968 Career position - President, World Power (Energy) Conference 2 Jun 1962 2 Jun 1962 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Chairman of the Victorian Electricity Commission 1965 1967 Career position - Interim Chairman, Victoria Institute of Colleges 1967 1967 Award - Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa (Hon DEng), Monash University 1967 1974 Career position - First President, Victoria Institute of Colleges 1968 1968 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. 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.] 1971 1971 Life event - Retired from the State Electricity Commission of Victoria 1971 1981 Career position - Consulting engineer 12 Jun 1971 12 Jun 1971 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - In recognition of service to the Victoria Electricity Commission 1977 1981 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences 1 Aug 1977 1 Aug 1977 Award - Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal 1978 1980 Career position - President, Victoria Institute of Colleges 1980 1980 Award - Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany Herman, Hyman (1875 - 1962)

Willis Connolly was seconded to work with Hyman Herman, Briquetting and Research branch, State Electricity Commission of Victoria, 1927 - 1929.

 State Electricity Commission of Victoria, State of Victoria (1921 - c. 1993)

Chairman and General Manager 1956 - 1971; Assistant General Manager 1949 - 1955; Manager, State-wide Electricity Supply Department 1937 - 1948; Assistant Manager, Metropolitan Electricity Supply 1932 - 1937.

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

Awarded the Medal 1968.

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

Awarded the Medal 1957

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Fellow 1975 - 1981

 Electrical Research Board (1944 - ?)

Member 1954 -

 'Connolly, Willis Henry', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Connolly, Willis Henry Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Kernot Memorial Medal [1957 W. H. Connolly BEE MIEAust] Kernot Memorial Medal [1957 W. H. Connolly BEE MIEAust] 1958 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 30 7-8 vi Report: Forty-ninth Annual Report [1968] Institution of Engineers Australia Forty-ninth Annual Report [1968] 1969 Journal Article: People - Sir Francis Blackwood; John Pritchard; Nick Zorbas; Frank Lees; Obituary: Sir Willis Connolly; R. S. Hopkins; Dr Keith Walshe; Doug Chatfield; Neil van Hazel; Ross Hicks; Dr Steve Szololay; Bruce Robinson; Neville Jones. Institution of Engineers Australia People - Sir Francis Blackwood; John Pritchard; Nick Zorbas; Frank Lees; Obituary: Sir Willis Connolly; R. S. Hopkins; Dr Keith Walshe; Doug Chatfield; Neil van Hazel; Ross Hicks; Dr Steve Szololay; Bruce Robinson; Neville Jones. 1981 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 53 4 34