P007268 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 2023-09-07 human Ken McInnes updated 2025-12-24 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007268b.htm person Brown William Piper AM FTSE HonFIEAust AACR2 12 April 1914 21 December 2004 Place of Birth Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland Place of Death Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia Civil engineer Bill Brown, AM FTSE BE DEng HonFIEAust, civil engineer, was a pioneer in the design and mass-production of precast prestressed concrete structures in Australia. In particular he took a lead role in its use in Victoria for bridge decks for the Country Roads Board and the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, and for precast single and multi-storey buildings for the Housing Commission of Victoria. He also made a major contribution to education, business and local government - through his long time involvement and strong support for industry-based learning with Swinburne Technical College / Swinburne University of Technology; with W P Brown and Associates, the Concrete Institute, the Institution of Engineers Australia, and the Institute of Arbitrators; and as a Councillor and Mayor of Hawthorn City Council. His distinguished contributions to engineering were acknowledged when he became the first Australian to be awarded the Federation lnternationale de la Precontrainte Medal in 1976; when he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1981; appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1982; awarded an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1985; and honoured as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1988. The W P Brown Medal, was established in his honour by the Institution of Engineers Australia, and was presented annually to the best final-year engineering student at Swinburne University of Technology. The Dr William Piper Brown PhD scholarship at Swinburne also perpetuates his memory.

Associated Major Projects:

* 1950: William Anglis abattoir, Footscray. EPM Concrete mass-produced thousands of pretensioned concrete I-beams, floor panels - the first large scale use of prestressed concrete in Australia;
* 1953: High Strength Concrete Pty Ltd. Manufactured bridge planks for the Country Roads Board (CRB), the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SRWSC), and a variety of single and double T standardised building components;
* 1953: Engaged by Housing Commission Victoria, to design and commission a plant to manufacture pretensioned concrete components;
* 1953: Engaged by the SRWC to design their Tatura plant to produce component short-span prestressed concrete Bridge decks;
* c1956 Designed components, plant, factory, handling and erection for pre-stressed multi-storey domestic buildings for the Housing Commission Victoria. [With Prof Arthur Francis].

Associated Major Papers:
* 1968: "The use of lightweight concrete in the Melbourne area, particularly in high-rise precast residential construction". Proceedings of the First International Congress on Lightweight Concrete, London, May 1968

1921 1921 Life event - Migrated to Australia with his parents 1930s 1930s Education - Footscray Technical School 1930s 1930s Career position - Apprentice, Edward Campbell and Sons [Structural steel fabrication] 1930s 1930s Career position - Apprentice, Charles Ruwolts 1938 1938 Education - Diploma of Civil engineering (DipCE), Swinburne Technical College 1941 1945 Military service - Civilian engineer, seconded to the Navy [To work on the design and installation of antisubmarine defences, including the 5km submarine boom in Darwin Harbour] 1943 1943 Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia c. 1945 c. 1951 Career position - Engineer, Commonwealth Experimental Building Station, North Ryde c. 1946 c. 1946 Career event - Associate Member (AssocMInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1946 1950 Career position - Building Research Establishment, UK [studying European approaches to post-war rebuilding] 1950 1950 Life event - Returned to Australia 1950 c. 1953 Career position - Chief engineer, EPM Concrete [Designing mass-produced pretensioned concrete I-beams, floor panels - the first large scale application in Australia.] 1953 Career position - Established High Strength Concrete Pty Ltd [For over a decade made bridge planks for the Country Roads Board (CRB), the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SRWSC), and a variety of single and double T standardised building components] 1953 Career position - Established W P Brown and Associates, consulting engineers [Designing pre-stressed concrete components, plant, factories, handing and erection mechanisms] 1961 1973 Career position - Councillor, City of Hawthorn 1962 1962 Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1962 1983 Career position - Councillor, Swinburne Technology College / Swinburne Institute of Technology 1968 1969 Career position - Mayor, City of Hawthorn 1968 1983 Career position - Building Regulations Committee, Victoria 13 Sep 1968 13 Sep 1968 Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.] 1970 1970 Career position - Chairman, Victoria Division, Institution of Engineers Australia 1976 1976 Career position - First president, Concrete Institute of Australia 1976 1976 Award - Federation lnternationale de la Precontrainte (FIP) Medal c. 1977 1977 Career position - Arbitrator in civil engineering contract dispute resolution 1977 1978 Career position - President, Victoria Chapter, Institute of Arbitrators 1977 1979 Career position - President, Victorian Council of the Professions 1979 c. 1982 Career position - Federal Councillor, Institute of Arbitrators 1981 1981 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1981 1981 Award - Bachelor of Engineering (BE), honoris causa, Swinburne Institute of Technology 1982 1982 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of service to engineering c. 1983 c. 1983 Life event - Retired 1984 1984 Award - Life Governor, Swinburne University of Technology 1985 1985 Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia - for outstanding achievements in engineering, long service to the engineering profession and service to the community in education, local government building regulations and arbitration 1988 2004 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) 1998 1998 Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, Swinburne University of Technology [for distinguished service to the university and eminence in the field of engineering] 2004 2004 Buried - Cremated, Springvale Crematorium Francis, Arthur James (1914 - 2008)

Prof Arthur Francis and Bill Brown collaborated on the design of pre-cast pre-stressed multi-storey buildings for the Housing Commission, c 1956.

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

Awarded the Medal 1981.

 Commonwealth Experimental Building Station (CEBS) (1944 - 1988)

Senior engineer 1945 - c1951.

 W. P. Brown and Partners Pty Ltd (1953 - )

Founder, Director 1953 -

 Swinburne Technical College (1908 - 1992)

Councillor 1962 - 1983

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1988 - 2004

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Elected Honorary Fellow 1985; Chairman, Victoria Division 1970.

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

Chairman, Victoria Division 1970

 'Brown, William Piper (Bill)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Brown, William Piper (Bill) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: First prestressed concrete floors in Australia : Important Victorian contract First prestressed concrete floors in Australia : Important Victorian contract 1953 Building, lighting and engineering 48 Journal Article: IEAust elects five new Honorary Fellows IEAust elects five new Honorary Fellows 1985 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 57 19 14 Edited Book: Two hundred years of concrete in Australia Lewis, Miles Two hundred years of concrete in Australia North Sydney Concrete Institute of Australia 1988 Book: The End was to Build Well: a Half-century of Australian Government Building Research Bock, Geoff The End was to Build Well: a Half-century of Australian Government Building Research North Ryde, New South Wales CSIRO, Division of Building, Construction and Engineering 1995 Report: Annual Report 1981 [Sixty-second Annual Report] Institution of Engineers Australia Annual Report 1981 [Sixty-second Annual Report] 1982 Resource: Fellows of the Academy Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Academy 2024 Report: A general introduction to building research and development in Great Britain and Australia [Building research review lecture: no. 1] Brown, W. P. A general introduction to building research and development in Great Britain and Australia [Building research review lecture: no. 1] Melbourne Department of Works and Housing 1950 Journal Article: Recent tests on prestressed concrete beams Brown, W. P. Recent tests on prestressed concrete beams 1953 Commonwealth Engineer 41 3 87-8 Conference Paper: The use of lightweight concrete in the Melbourne area, particularly in high-rise precast residential construction Brown, W. P. The use of lightweight concrete in the Melbourne area, particularly in high-rise precast residential construction London Cement and Concrete Association 1968 Proceedings of the First International Congress on Lightweight Concrete Brooks, Anthony E. 137-145 Journal Article: Some structural aspects of the Tullamarine Airport terminal building Brown, W. P. Some structural aspects of the Tullamarine Airport terminal building Sydney 1968 Australian Prestressed Concrete Group 7 Journal Article: The use of mechanical equipment on small house building sites in Great Britain Brown, W. P. The use of mechanical equipment on small house building sites in Great Britain 1950 Building and Engineering 42-6 Journal Article: A lifetime of commitment Dr William (Bill) Brown AM 1914 - 2004 Longworth, Roy A lifetime of commitment Dr William (Bill) Brown AM 1914 - 2004 2005 Swinburne News Autumn 17 Resource: Obituary: Brown, William Piper [1914 - 2004] Stevens, L. K. Obituary: Brown, William Piper [1914 - 2004] Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2005 Journal Article: The IEAust's top award, the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, has gone this year to a leading Melbourne engineer, W. P. Brown [1981 Award] The IEAust's top award, the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, has gone this year to a leading Melbourne engineer, W. P. Brown [1981 Award] 1981 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 53 22 33 Journal Article: Obituary: Bill Brown - concrete pioneer and consultant Taylor, D. Obituary: Bill Brown - concrete pioneer and consultant 2005 Engineers Australia 77 2 68 Journal Article: Obituary: Stephen John Pinter 1941-2009 Grojic, Slobodan Obituary: Stephen John Pinter 1941-2009 Crows Nest, NSW Engineers Media 2009 Engineers Australia 81 10 71