Fraser, Donald John

Summary

Don Fraser ASTC MEngSc PhD FIEAust, was Associate Professor, Structural Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, University of New South Wales until he retired in 1992.

For more than three decades Don took an increasing interest in researching engineering history and heritage, and introduced a series of lectures on the "History of Civil Engineering" to the University. He was a founding member of the Sydney Engineering Heritage committee in 1978, and for many years he was a member of the National Engineering Heritage Committee, Institution of Engineers Australia, and was Chairman in 1984.

Details

Don took a special interest in the history of bridges, particularly in New South Wales, and the interaction with political, social and international influences. In 1985 Don was awarded the 'Monash Medal' by the General College Board, Institution of Engineers Australia for his three papers on bridge history in NSW, published that year in the Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Transactions.

As a consultant, Don prepared many bridge reports for State Rail, the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), and heritage consultants, as well as researched many journal articles, conference papers and books. He also prepared heritage nomination reports for 21 historic bridges in NSW, and participated in organising the EHA plaquing ceremonies.
In 2007 he was presented with an 'Award of Merit for Engineering Heritage' by Engineering Heritage Australia, and in the same year was awarded a NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Award.

Chronology

1949 - 1959

Career position - Cadet civil engineer, New South Wales Government Railways

1953

Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

c. 1953

Education - Associate Diploma of Civil Engineering, Sydney Technical College (ASTC)

1954

Career event - Graduate Member (GradIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1959

Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

c. 1960

Education - Master of Engineering Science (MEngSc) University of New South Wales

1960 - 1967

Career position - Structural engineer, with government work and with structural consultants

1968 -

Career position - Lecturer, University of New South Wales

1968

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Associate Members were designated Members on this date.]

1975

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of New South Wales

1978 -

Career Position - Founding member, Sydney Engineering Heritage Committee

1984

Career position - Chairman, National Panel on Engineering Heritage, Engineers Australia

c. 1984 - 1992

Career position - Associate Professor, Structural Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, University of New South Wales

1985

Award - Monash Medal, awarded by the General College Board, Institution of Engineers Australia, for his three papers on the Bridges of New South Wales.

1992

Life event - Retired

2007

Award - Award of Merit for Engineering Heritage, awarded by Engineering Heritage Australia

2007

Award - New South Wales Government Heritage Volunteer Award

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Fraser, Don, 'Chapter 1: The seventy years 1790-1960' in Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney, Don Fraser, ed. (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), pp. 1-16. Details
• Fraser, Don, 'Chapter 3: Roads and streets' in Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney, Don Fraser, ed. (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), pp. 41-62. 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

Conference Papers

• Best, R.E.; Fraser, D.J., 'Railway Lattice Bridges in New South Wales', in Conference on The Protection of the Engineering Heritage, 1982, Brisbane, 9-12 May. Preprints of Papers (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1982), pp. 85-92.. Details
• Best, R.E.; Fraser, D.J., 'Railway Lattice Girder Bridges in New South Wales', in Engineering Conference 1984: Conference Papers (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1984), pp. 18-23., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.610806838028219. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Engineering Heritage - a Case Study', in Engineering Conference 1981: Engineering in 1981 (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1981), pp. 334-342.. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.645408265654697. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Darlington Point Bridge Reconstruction', in Fifth National Conference on Engineering Heritage 1990: Interpreting Engineering Heritage; Preprints of Papers (Perth, Western Australia: Fifth National Conference on Engineering Heritage 1990: Interpreting Engineering Heritage; Preprints of Papers, 1990), pp. 81-87.. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.624259843276640. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Cowra Bridge - Preservation of a Unique Structure', in Sixth National Conference on Engineering Heritage, 1992, Hobart 5-7 October 1992: Preprints of Papers (Hobart, Tasmania: Institution of Engineers, Australia, Tasmania Division, 1992), pp. 1-8.. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.423489577969535. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'The changeover to American bridge technology in New South Wales, Australia - Why 1892?', in Sustaining Heritage: Second International and Thirteenth National Engineering Heritage Conference and NSW Railways Seminar (Sydney, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 2005), pp. 201-209.. Details
• Fraser, Don, 'American bridges in New South Wales 1870-1932', in Third Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference. Dunedin 2009 (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, 2009), pp. 120-128., https://www.engineeringnz.org/documents/1274/Proceedings_of_the_Third_Australasian_Conference_on_Engineering_Heritage_Dunedin_2009.pdf. Details
• King, W. K.; Fraser, D.J., 'The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge (1886-1946)', in Engineering Conference Newcastle: Engineering Towards the 21st Century; Conference Papers (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1983), pp. 36-42., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.487978291494165. Details
• Pearson, B.J.; Best, R.E.; Fraser, D.J., 'Engineering Heritage and the Bridges of New South Wales', in Third National Conference on Engineering Heritage 1986: Practices and Responsibilities of Engineering Heritage; Preprints of Papers (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1986), pp. 65-72.. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.680717746188986. Details

Edited Books

• 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. Don Fraser was a contributing author. Details
• Coltheart, Lenore; Fraser, Don ed., Landmarks in Public Works: Engineers and Their Works in New South Wales, 1884-1914 (Sydney: Hale and Iremonger, 1987), 144 pp. Details
• Fraser, Don ed., Sydney: from settlement to city: an engineering history of Sydney (Crows Nest, New South Wales: Engineers Australia, 1989), 328 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Don Fraser wins John Monash Medal [1986]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 58 (1) (1986), 12. Details
• Deakin, M. A. B.; Fraser, D. J., 'Cardioid-Tracked Bascule Bridges in NSW', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE18 (2) (1994-1995), 163-171. Details
• Fraser, D. J., 'Effective lengths in gable frames, sway not prevented.', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia: Civil Engineering, CE22 (3) (1980), 171-180. Details
• Fraser, D. J., 'Timber Bridges of New South Wales', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE9 (2) (1985), 92-101. Details
• Fraser, D. J., 'Early Reinforced Concrete in New South Wales (1895-1915)', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE9 (2) (1985), 82-91. Details
• Fraser, D. J., 'Moveable Span Bridges in New South Wales Prior to 1915', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE9 (2) (1985), 71-81. Details
• Fraser, D. J., 'The First Sixty Years of Metal Bridges in New South Wales', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE10 (1) (1986), 44-53. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Two Whipple Trusses in New South Wales - an engineering heritage case study', Civil Engineering Transactions, 23 (4) (1981), 272-282. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Civil Engineering in New South Wales 1881-1905', Bulletin of the Australian Railway Historical Society, 36 (578) (1985), 267-283. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'Bridging the barrier', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE14 (2) (1990), 116-124. Details
• Fraser, D.J., 'American Bridges in New South Wales, 1870-1932', Australian Journal of Multi-disciplinary Engineering, 8 (1) (2010), 23-31, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.573281608315060. Details
• Fraser, Don, 'American Bridges of the NSW North Coast Railway', Australian Journal of Multi-disciplinary Engineering, 7 (2) (2009), 109-115, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.311400883471193. Details
• Fraser, Don, 'American Bridges in New South Wales 1870-1932', Newsletter of Engineering Heritage Australia, 23 (July 2010) (2010), 8. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Annual Report of the Colleges 1984', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 57 (1984), 44-49. 'Joint Colleges Committee and Multidisiplinary Activities: National Panel on Engineering Heritage. Dr Don Fraser continued as chairman in 1984', p.49. Details
• Peake, Owen, 'Awarding Merit [Donald John Fraser, Bill Paterson]', Newsletter of Engineering Heritage Australia, 21 (December 2008) (2008), 8. Details
• Pearson, B. J.; Best, R. E.; Fraser, D. J., 'Engineering heritage and the bridges of New South Wales', Transactions of The Institution of Engineers, Australia: Multi-Disciplinary Engineering, GE11 (2 (November)) (1987), 92-100. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 1985 [Sixty-sixth Annual Report] (1986), 24 pp. 'Awards and Honours - The John Monash Medal [1985] went to Dr D J Fraser, MIEAust, for his paper, "Moveable Span Bridges in New South Wales Prior to 1915" published in the Multidisciplinary Engineering Transactions, October 1985', p.11. Details

Theses

• Fraser, Donald J., 'The effective section properties of beam-slab structures.', PhD thesis, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of New South Wales, 1974. Details