P007242 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2023-07-05 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-29 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007242b.htm person Kemp John Robert Kt AACR2 Kemp, John Winterburn 6 October 1883 27 February 1955 Place of Birth Yendon, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Civil engineer Sir John Kemp, ME MInstCE MIEAust, was the foundation Chairman of the Queensland Main Roads Board, 1920-1925, and Commissioner for Main Roads, Queensland 1925-1949. Earlier he had developed his skills through his education and pupillage in the Public Works Department Victoria, his early career as a country municipal engineer, and his role as a civil engineer with the then newly formed Country Roads Board under chairman William Calder 1913-1920. During the Second World War he was Deputy-Director-General, Allied Works Council and after the war was appointed Co-ordinator General of Public Works, Queensland and was responsible for a large number of major strategic projects across Queensland during this period. In recognition of his engineering achievements, he was awarded the Kernot Memorial Medal in 1932, the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1942, an Honorary Master of Engineering degree from the University of Queensland in 1949, and was appointed a Knight Bachelor in 1951. John Kemp was active within the Institution of Engineers Australia, and was its President in 1931.

Associated notable engineering achievements:
* Story Bridge 1940;
* Brisbane Graving Dock, Cairncross 1942;
* Burdekin River, high level bridge, at Ayr;
* Rocklea Munitions Works;
* Inland Defence Road (Ipswich to Charters Towers);
* Road from Mount Isa to Tennant Creek, Northern Territory;
* University of Queensland, St Lucia;
* Stanley River Works Board, Somerset Dam;

1901 1901 Education - Matriculation 1902 1902 Education - Engineering and Architecture Victorian Public Service Examination 1902 1906 Career position - Pupilage, Public Works Department, Victoria [Under W.Davidson, C. Catani, H.E.Morton] 1903 1906 Education - University of Melbourne 1906 1907 Career position - Engineering Assistant, Public Works Department, Victoria [Under W.Davidson, C. Catani] 1909 1909 Career event - Granted Certificate of Qualification as Municipal Surveyor (CE), Local Government Act 1903 VIC c. 1909 c. 1909 Career event - Granted Certificate as Engineer of Water Supply, Water Act 1890 VIC c. 1909 c. 1909 Career position - Assistant patent examiner, Commonwealth Patent Office, Melbourne 1910 1913 Career position - Engineer, Shire of Karkarooc, Victoria 1913 1920 Career position - Assistant Engineer, rising to Engineer, Country Roads Board, Victoria [Under W.Calder, succeeded by T Haynes Upton] 1919 1919 Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1920 1920 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1920 1925 Career position - Foundation Chairman, Queensland Main Roads Board 1924 1927 Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia 1925 1926 Career position - Vice-Chairman, Queensland Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1925 1949 Career position - Commissioner for Main Roads, Queensland 1927 1927 Career position - Chairman, Queensland Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1929 1930 Career position - Vice-President, Institution of Engineers Australia 5 Feb 1929 5 Feb 1929 Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1931 1931 Career position - President, Institution of Engineers Australia 1932 1932 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne [Presented in 1935] 1936 1936 Career position - Chairman, Royal Commission on Electrical Development in Queensland 1937 1937 Career event - Member (Engineering), Australian National Research Council 1937 1937 Career position - Member, Royal Commission on Transport, Queensland 1937 1937 Award - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1938 1938 Career event - Australian Commonwealth representative, International Roads Congress, The Hague, Holland 1939 1945 Career position - Deputy-Director-General, Allied Works Council 1939 1954 Career position - Co-ordinator General of Public Works, Queensland 1942 1942 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1944 1954 Career position - Chairman, Bureau of Investigation of Land and Water Reserves of Queensland 1944 1955 Career position - Member of Senate, University of Queensland 1947 1953 Career event - Deputy Chairman, Queensland-British Food Corporation 1949 1949 Award - Master of Engineering (ME), honoris causa, University of Queensland 1949 1949 Life event - Retired 1950 Career position - Member, Australian National Security Resources Board 1951 1951 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - in recognition for public service 1953 1953 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Management Sexton, Richard Ernest (1861 - 1930)

Richard Sexton MInstCE proposed John Kemp's nomination for MInstCE 1929.

 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) (1930 - )

Fellow 1937 -

 Australian National Research Council (ANRC) (1919 - 1955)

Member (Engineering) 1937 -

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

Awarded the Medal 1932 [Announced in 1935] "... who has been responsible during the last fourteen years for the construction of nearly 3000 miles of roads, including nine miles of bridges."

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

Awarded the Medal 1942.

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

President 1931; Vice-president 1929 - 1930; Councillor 1924 - 1927; Chairman Brisbane Division 1927; Vice-chairman Brisbane Division 1925 - 1926

 Country Roads Board, State of Victoria (1913 - 1983)

Assistant Engineer / Engineer 1913 - 1920

 Payne, Henry (1871 - 1945)

Henry Payne MInstCE endorsed John Kemp's nomination for MInstCE 1929.

 Allied Works Council (1942 - 1945)

Deputy-Director-General, Allied Works Council in Queensland, c1942 - 1945

 Nimmo, William Hogarth Robertson (1885 - 1970)

William Nimmo MInstCE endorsed John Kemp's nomination for MInstCE 1929

 Catani, Carlo Giorgio Domenico Enrico (1852 - 1918)

John Kemp served his pupillage under Carlo Catani 1902-1907

 Davidson, William (1844 - 1920)

John Kemp served his pupillage under William Davidson 1902-1907

 Main Roads Board, State of Queensland (1920 - 1925)

Founding Chairman 1920 - 1925

 Main Roads Commission, State of Queensland (1925 - 1951)

Commissioner for Main Roads 1925 - 1949.

 The University of Queensland (1910 - )

Awarded Honorary Master of Engineering (ME) 1949.

 Calder, William (1860 - 1928)

William Calder as Chairman Country Roads Board 1913-1920, was John Kemp's supervisor. He also endorsed John Kemp's nomination for MInstCE 1929.

 'Kemp, John Robert', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Kemp, John Robert Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: River flood measurement from height records (Discussions and communications) Hawken, R. W. H. (Kemp, J. R.) River flood measurement from height records (Discussions and communications) 1937 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 9 7 274 Journal Article: Low cost road construction in Victoria (Discussions and communications) Loder, L. F. (Kemp, J. R.) Low cost road construction in Victoria (Discussions and communications) 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 7 243-244 Journal Article: Twenty-third Annual Report [1942] Institution of Engineers Australia Twenty-third Annual Report [1942] 1943 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia MacLean, E. S. 15 2 35-51 Resource Section: Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage : Biographies Engineering Heritage Australia 2024 Engineering Heritage Australia : wiki website Journal Article: Presidential tour Kemp, J. R. Presidential tour 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 5 186-188 Journal Article: 93rd Council Meeting [30th November 1942, Sydney] Institution of Engineers Australia 93rd Council Meeting [30th November 1942, Sydney] 1943 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 15 1 17-18 Edited Book: Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Engineers Australia Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Barton, A.C.T. Institution of Engineers, Australia 2019 Journal Article: Presidential visit - to Newcastle Division Kemp, J. R. Presidential visit - to Newcastle Division 1931 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 3 12 435-436 Journal Article: The Relative Damage Caused to Roads by Wheels of Varying Diameter [Abstract] Kemp, J. R.; Crawford, D. A. The Relative Damage Caused to Roads by Wheels of Varying Diameter [Abstract] Sydney, NSW Institution of Engineers Australia 1923 Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 2 259-260 Journal Article: The Darwin Overland Road. III. The Queensland section Kemp, J. R. The Darwin Overland Road. III. The Queensland section 1941 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 13 7 160-165 Journal Article: Presidential address [1932] Kemp. John Robert Presidential address [1932] 1932 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 4 3 95-105 Journal Article: Obituary [Sir John Kemp (1883-1955); Tom Percival Strickland (1875-1955)] Obituary [Sir John Kemp (1883-1955); Tom Percival Strickland (1875-1955)] 1955 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 27 3 70 Resource: Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers Edited Book: Eminent Queensland Engineers [volume 1] Whitmore, R. L. Eminent Queensland Engineers [volume 1] Brisbane, Queensland The Institution of Engineers, Australia, Queensland Division 1984 Journal Article: Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1942 Award to Mr. J. R. Kemp Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1942 Award to Mr. J. R. Kemp 1943 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 15 1 20 Newspaper Article: Personal [J R Kemp awarded Kernot Memorial Medal] Personal [J R Kemp awarded Kernot Memorial Medal] 1935 The Argus 6 Newspaper Article: Citizen of the Week - J. R. Kemp [includes portrait] Citizen of the Week - J. R. Kemp [includes portrait] 1950 Brisbane Telegraph 5 Resource: Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 Institution of Civil Engineers, London Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930 ancestry.com