P007063 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2022-07-14 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-03-25 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007063b.htm person Fraser James CMG AACR2 20 August 1861 28 July 1936 Place of Birth Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Pymble, New South Wales, Australia Civil engineer Railway commissioner James Fraser CMG MInstCE MIEAust, was Chief Commissioner of the New South Wales Government Railways and Tramways from 1917 until 1929. During his term as Chief Commissioner, the Sydney Underground Railway was in the course of construction, and the electrification of the metropolitan lines was carried out. He controlled a large staff, including that of the Tramways, totalling 52,000. Fraser also rendered important service in an advisory capacity in the bulk handling of wheat and in the construction of grain silos and elevators. His entire career was in the New South Wales Railways commencing as a cadet in 1878 when he was 17, and rising to his appoinment as Chief Commissioner in 39 years later. In 1919, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in recognition of his service as Chief Commissioner for Railways in New South Wales, and the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal by the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1924. 1878 1882 Career position - Cadet and surveyor, Railway Construction Department, NSW 1882 1882 Career position - Assistant engineer, NSW Government Railways [Construction of North Western Lines, under Henry Deane] 1882 1888 Career position - Assistant engineer, NSW Government Railways [Construction of Illawarra Line, under Thomas Rhodes Firth] 1888 1889 Career position - Engineer, NSW Government Railways [Survey and plans for extension of railway into Sydney, under John Whitton] 1889 1890 Career position - Engineer, NSW Government Railways [Duplication of main Southern Lines, under William Theodore Foxlee] 1890 1892 Career position - Divisional engineer, NSW Government Railways 1891 1891 Life event - Married Maria E Firth, daughter of Thomas Rhodes Firth 1892 1893 Career position - Assistant Engineer-in-Chief, NSW Government Railways 1893 1910 Career position - Engineer-in-Chief, NSW Government Railways 1895 1895 Career event - Associate Member (AssocMInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1897 1897 Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1910 1914 Career position - Deputy Assistant Commissioner, NSW Government Railways and Tramways 1914 1917 Career position - Assistant Chief-Commissioner, NSW Government Railways and Tramways 1917 1929 Career position - Chief Commissioner, NSW Government Railways and Tramways 1919 1919 Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) - Chief Commissioner for Railways in NSW 1919 1919 Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1924 1924 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1925 1925 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1930 1930 Career event - Presented with a leatherbound illuminated address signed by 30,000 employees of the NSW Railways and Tramways 1931 1932 Career position - Transport (Co-ordination) Commissioner, New South Wales Fraser, Keith Aird (1893 - 1952) Boyd, Robert James (1876 - 1953)

James Fraser endorsed Robert Boyd's nomination for AssocMInstCE in 1907, and for MInstCE in 1922

 Deane, Henry (1847 - 1924)

James Fraser worked as an assistant engineer to Henry Deane

 Whitton, John (1820 - 1898)

John Whitten MInstCE endorsed James Fraser nomination for MInstCE 1897

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

Awarded the Medal 1924.

 New South Wales Department of Railways, State of New South Wales (1932 - ?)

Chief Commissioner 1917-1929; Assistant Chief-Commissioner 1914-1917; Deputy Assistant Commissioner 1910-1914; Engineer-in-Chief 1893-1910; Assistant Engineer-in-Chief 1892-1893; Divisional engineer 1890-1892.

 'Fraser, James', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Fraser, James Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Fifth Annual General Meeting [March 1925] and Fifth Annual Report [1924] Institution of Engineers Australia Fifth Annual General Meeting [March 1925] and Fifth Annual Report [1924] 1924 Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 5 xiv-xliii Journal Article: Locomotive design, New South Wales railways Fraser, J. Locomotive design, New South Wales railways 1919 Commonwealth Engineer 7 5 139-142 Newspaper Article: Obituary. Mr James Fraser. Anon Obituary. Mr James Fraser. 1936 Sydney Morning Herald 6 Newspaper Article: 30,000 Signatures. Illuminated Address.Presented to Mr James Fraser. Anon 30,000 Signatures. Illuminated Address.Presented to Mr James Fraser. 1930 Sydney Morning Herald 12 Newspaper Article: Mr. J. Fraser. Former Railways Commissioner. Death announced. Anon Mr. J. Fraser. Former Railways Commissioner. Death announced. 1936 Sydney Morning Herald 10 Journal Article: Memoirs Memoirs 1937 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 9 6 257-258 Journal Article: P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] P.N.R. Memorial Medal - 1941 Award [R. J. Boyd, M.E., M.I.E.Aust.] 1941 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 13 12 295 Book Section: Chapter 4: Sydney's railways Dorman, Selwyn; Hagarty, Don; Johnson, Geoff; Reid, Noel; Sharp, Stuart; Winney, Ken Chapter 4: Sydney's railways Crows Nest, New South Wales Engineers Australia 1989 Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney Don Fraser 63-96 Journal Article: P. N. Russell Memorial Medal [List of recipients 1923 - 1931] P. N. Russell Memorial Medal [List of recipients 1923 - 1931] 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 12 445