P007504 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2024-10-07 human Ken McInnes updated 2025-07-16 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007504b.htm person Fowler Thomas Walker AACR2 31 December 1888 1 September 1942 Place of Birth Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Freemasons' Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Agriculturalist Inventor Engineer Agricultural educator Thomas Fowler, successfully pioneered a tilt-slab method for the construction of precast concrete farm buildings and houses, patenting his Fowler system of construction in 1926. The system initially involved casting walls on site, on flat horizontal tables, with door and window openings. The slabs were then tilted up onto previously prepared piers. The Fowler system of construction was readily adopted by many leading architects and builders, was supported by the Australian Cement Company, and operations quickly expanded with casting factories at Werribee and Laverton. In 1939, the newly formed Victorian Housing Commission held a competition for the design of houses, and awarded second place design, by architect Arthur Cedric Leith, and fourth place design, by Frank Heath, to houses that used the Fowler system. The following year, the Commission awarded Fowler a contract to build twenty-eight houses based on the Leith design, and other orders followed. After Fowler died, the plant continued producing three houses a week, using six fixed casting tables, and was soon used by the Housing Commission. Thomas was possibly assisted in the design of the Fowler tilt slab system, by his mechanically trained brother James Barrington Walker (1887 - 1946), and his civil engineer father Thomas Walker Fowler (1859 - 1928). Before 1926, Fowler was a respected irrigation and agriculture expert and trainer. 1908 1908 Education - Diploma of Agriculture, Dookie Agricultural College 1909 1916 Career position - Agricultural officer, at Tatura farm, Nanneela district of Rodney, Tongala, and then at Werribee 1916 1918 Military service - First World War. Gunner, 36th Artillery Group, Australian Imperila Force [served in France] 1918 1918 Career position - Irrigation agricultural instructor, Weymouth [establised the first agricultural class by the A.I.F. Education service in England] 1919 1942 Career position - Farmer, Werribee 25 Sep 1926 25 Sep 1926 Patent - An improved method of and means for use in erecting concrete structures [3982/1926] 1927 1942 Career position - Manager, Fowler system of concrete construction Fowler, Thomas Walker (1859 - 1928) 1926003982: An improved method of and means for use in erecting concrete structures (1926 - )

Thomas Fowler was the inventor named on the patent.

 Housing Commission of Victoria, State of Victoria (1938 - 1984)

In 1939, the newly formed Victorian Housing Commission held a competition for the design of houses, and awarded second and fourth place design to houses that used the Fowler system. The follwing year, the Commission awarded Fowler a contract to build twenty-eight houses, and other orders followed. After Fowler died, the plant continued and was soon used by the Housing Commission.

 'Fowler, Thomas Walker', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Fowler, Thomas Walker Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Australian Patent search database IP Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Australian Patent search database Commonwealth of Australia 2015 Newspaper Article: Irrigation Development at Werribee "Agrestic" Irrigation Development at Werribee 1921 Weekly Times 23 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 Resource: A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992 CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992 A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch Resource: B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch