Person

de Burgh, Ernest Macartney (1863 - 1929)

Born
18 January 1863
Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland
Died
4 April 1929
Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Civil engineer

Summary

Ernest de Burgh was chief engineer for harbours and water-supply in New South Wales 1909-1927. During this time he was responsible for the design and construction of the Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean dams (Sydney water-supply); the Chichester scheme for Newcastle; and the Umberumberka scheme for Broken Hill and prepared the original plans for Canberra's water-supply. Before that, he designed and supervised the construction of many large timber and metal truss bridges, including what became know as the 'de Burgh Truss'.

Details

Associated Engineering Works:

1885-1886. Sydney sewerage:
* Cooks River Syphon.

1886-1903. Bridges:
* Taemas road bridge, Murrumbidgee river;
* Snowy river road bridge;
* Wilcannia Bridge, Murray river;
* Wentworth Bridge, Murray river;
* Albury Bridge, Murray river;
* Corowa Bridge, Murray river.
* Mulwala Bridge, Murrumbidgee river;
* Koondrook Bridge, Murray river;
* Swan Hill Bridge, Murray river;
* Wagga Wagga Bridge, Murrumbidgee river;
* Darlington Point Bridge, Murrumbidgee river;
* Singleton Bridge, Hunter river;
* Morpeth Bridge, Hunter river;
* Kempsey Bridge, Macleay river;
* Murwillumbah Bridge, Tweed river;
* de Burgh Bridge, Lane Cove river.

1903-1909. Water Supply Dams (assistant to L.A.B. Wade):
* Cataract Dam construction;
* Burrinjuck Dam;
* Murrumbidgee irrigation scheme, preparatory design.

1909-1927. Harbours, Water Supply and Sewerage:
* Sydney water supply scheme;
* Cordeaux Dam, sydney water supply;
* Avon Dam;
* Nepean Dam;
* Newcastle, Chichester water supply scheme;
* Broken Hill, Umberumberka water supply scheme;
* Port Kembla harbour works.

* 1921-1925. Canberra water supply, design.

Chronology

1881
Education - First Royal Scholarship, Royal College of Science, Ireland
1883
Education - Diploma of Engineering, Science and Arts Department, Royal College of Science, Ireland
1885
Life event - Emigrated to New South Wales, Australia
1885 - 1886
Career position - Engineer, Public Works Department, New South Wales, under W. C. Bennett
1886 - 1903
Career position - Assistant engineer, Public Works Department, New South Wales
15 May 1888
Career event - Associate Member (AssocMInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London
20 Nov 1894
Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London
1903 - 1909
Career position - Principal Assistant engineer, Rivers and Water Supply, Public Works Department, New South Wales, under L. A. B. Wade.
1904
Career event - Visited Europe to study dam construction and water supply
1909 - 1927
Career position - Chief Engineer, Harbours, Water Supply and Sewerage, Public Works Department, New South Wales
1919
Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1920
Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1921 - 1925
Career position - Member, Capital Advisory Committee. Planned Canberra's water supply.
1927
Life event - Retired

Related People

Published resources

Book Sections

Edited Books

  • Chrimes, M. M.; Cox, R. C.; Cross-Rudkin, P. S. M.; Elton, J. M. H.; Hurst, B. L.; McWilliam, R. C.; Rennison, R. W.; Sutherland, R. J. M.; Thomas, R. E. ed., Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 3: 1890-1920 (London, United Kingdom: Thomas Telford Publishing, 2014), 775 pp. 'de Burgh, Ernest Macartney', pp.174-5. Details
  • Coltheart, Lenore; and Nicholas, Amie eds, The timber truss bridge book ( Auburn, N.S.W.: Transport for NSW, 2019), 210 pp, http://heritagensw.intersearch.com.au/heritagenswjspui/handle/1/10518. Details

Journal Articles

  • 'E. M. De Burgh : The man behind the name', Main Roads - Journal of the Department of Main Roads, New South Wales, 41 (4) (1976), 127, http://opengov.nsw.gov.au/publications/16338. Details
  • Anon, 'Tathra Wharf', Newsletter of Engineering Heritage Australia, 21 (December 2008) (2008), 1. Details

Resources

See also

  • 'Flashback - 75 years ago : First De Burghs bridge opened', Main Roads - Journal of the Department of Main Roads, New South Wales, 41 (4) (1976), 125-127, http://opengov.nsw.gov.au/publications/16338. Details
  • Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_d.html. Details
  • Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp. p.75. Details
  • Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'Bridging the Gap - Ernest Macartney de Burgh' p.15. Details
  • Fraser, Don, 'Chapter 5: Bridges' in Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney, Don Fraser, ed. (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), pp. 97-122. Details
  • Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details
  • Spooner, E. S. (Hon.), 'History and Development of Port Kembla', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 10 (1938), 279-293. [de Burgh designed Port Kembla harbour improvements and coal loading plant structure 1914.]. Details

Rosanne Walker; Ken McInnes

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