Julius, George Alfred (1873 - 1946)

Summary

Sir George Julius, MIMechE MIEAust, was a consulting engineer with the firm Julius, Poole & Gibson, the inventor of the racecourse totalizator, and was the foundation Chairman of CSIR 1926-1945.
He was a founder of the Institution of Engineers, Australia in 1919, a Council member 1919-1940, and President 1925.

The Sir George Julius Medal is named in his honour.

Details

Portrait by Norman Carter held by CSIRO Melbourne.

Chronology

1896

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), Canterbury College, New Zealand

c. 1896

Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Canterbury College, New Zealand

1896 - 1907

Career position - Assistant engineer, Western Australian Railways

1898

Life event - Married Eva Droughsia Odieuna O'Connor, daughter of engineer C. Y. O'Connor

1907 - 1914

Career position - Consulting engineer, Allen Taylor & Co. Ltd

1909

Career event - Member, Electrical Association of New South Wales

1910 - 1913

Career position - President, Engineering Association of New South Wales

1911

Career event - Member, Royal Society of New South Wales

19 Apr 1912

Career event - Member (MIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London

1914 - 1946

Career position - Senior partner with William Poole from 1914 and A.J. Gibson from 1922, in consulting engineering firm 'Julius, Poole & Gibson'.

1915

Career event - Member, Electrical Association of Australia [from Electrical Association of New South Wales]

1917 - 1918

Career position - President, Electrical Association of Australia

1919 - 1920

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

1919 - 1940

Career position - Councillor, Institution of Engineers, Australia

1920

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1922

Career event - Elected Member (Engineering), Australian National Research Council

1925

Career position - President, Institution of Engineers, Australia

1926

Career position - Chairman, Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association

1926 - 1945

Career position - First Chairman, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1927

Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering, Institution of Engineers Australia

1929

Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - for service as Chairman of the CSIRO.

1932

Career position - President, Rotary Club of Sydney

1932 - 1937

Career position - President, Australian National Research Council

1936 - 1937

Career position - Chairman, Commonwealth Committee on Secondary Industries Testing and Research

1937

Career event - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS)

1939

Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne

1941 - 1945

Career position - Chairman, Australian Council for Aeronautics

1943

Award - Honorary Member (HonMIEAust), Institution of Engineers, Australia. - For notable contributions to science and practice of engineering in Australia and activity with Engineering Association of NSW (-1919) and Councillor (1919-1940) and President (1925).

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• George Alfred Julius - Records, 1945 - 1964, MS 041; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies

• George Alfred Julius - Records, 1925 - 1946, Series 34 and others; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies. Details

The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program

• George Alfred Julius - Records, 1907 - 1914; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details

Powerhouse Museum

• Julius, George Alfred (1873-1946), 1917 - 1988, 94/222/23; Powerhouse Museum. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Currie, George; Graham, John, The Origins of CSIRO: Science and the Commonwealth Government, 1901-1926 (Melbourne: CSIRO, 1966), 203 pp, https://ebooks.publish.csiro.au/content/origins-csiro. Details

Book Sections

• Corbett, Arthur, 'Julius, Sir George Alfred (1873-1946)' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 9: 1891 - 1939 Gil-Las, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1983), pp. 528-529. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090526b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• 'The Late Sir George Julius, Hon. M.I.E.Aust.', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 18 (July-August) (1946), 17. Details
• 'Obituary: George Alfred Julius, Kt', Australian Journal of Science, 9 (1) (1946), 14-15. Details
• 'First members of institution [Diamond Jubilee feature article]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 51 (20) (1979), 69. 'Registered member number 2'. Details
• Currie, George; Graham, John, 'G. A. Julius and Research for Secondary Industry', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 2 (1) (1971), 10-28. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9710210010.htm. Details
• Doring, Margret, 'The Julius tote and its outstanding engineer', Engineering Heritage Australia magazine, 1 (1) (2013), 20-2, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/Learned%20Society/eha%20magazine%20vol%201%20no%201%20December%202013.pdf. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Eighth Annual General Meeting [February 1928]', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 8 (1928), xiv-xv, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.297787442072439. 'P. N. Russell Memorial Medal - The President announced that the 1927 award of the Medal had been made to Mr G A Julius (Member), Sydney, a Past President of the Institution', p.xiv. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Tenth Annual Report [1929]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2 (1930), 123-127. 'Standards Association of Australia - Institution of Engineers Australia to be represented on the Council by: Sir Henry Barraclough, Mr R J Boyd, Sir George Julius, Mr D F J Harricks, Mr A J Gibson, and Senator J D Millen', p.124. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Twenty-third Annual Report [1942]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 15 (1943), 35-51. 'Honorary Membership - Sir George Julius, KtBach DSc BE Consulting Engineer, of Sydney, awarded Honorary Membership', p.38. Details
• Julius, G. A., 'Mechanical aids to calculation', Commonwealth Engineer, 7 (11) (1920), 333. Details
• Upstill, Garrett; Spurling, Thomas H.; and Healy, Terence J., 'CSIR and Australian industry, 1926-49', Historical Records of Australian Science, 32 (1) (2021), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR20012. Details

Resources

• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94409820. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5541184. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 2570/1926 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius, titled - Improvements in machines for printing and issuing totalisator tickets and for operating totalisator registers and indicators', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4202310. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 16585/1915 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by: George Alfred Julius - Titled - Improvements in totalizators', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4136831. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 14960/1933 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius, K.B. titled - Improvements in totalisator ticket issuing machines', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=5168442. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 23452/1925 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by: George Alfred Julius - Titled - Ticket cancelling attachfment for strip ticket printing machines', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4225633. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 4790/1926 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by: George Alfred Julius - Titled - Improvements in race totalisators', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4216455. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, ' NAA: A627, 18095/1929 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Methd of and means for calculating and indicating the ratio of two variable quantities', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4211136. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 27111/1930 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius , titled - Totalisator odds indicator apparatus', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4218360. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 1451/1931 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Totalisator odds indicator appartus', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4218688. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 3584/1931 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Integrating mechanisms for totalisators', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4137051. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 3585/1931 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Improvements in odds indicator transmission mechanism for totalisator machines', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4137052. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 3586/1931 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Improvements in grand total transmission mechanism for totalisators', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4137053. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, ' NAA: A627, 3587/1931 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius and Awdry Francis Julius, titled - Totalisator odds indicator remote control mechanism', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4137054. Details
• CA 555 Australian Patent Office, 1904-1992, 'NAA: A627, 15133/1914 : Application for Letters Patent for an invention by George Alfred Julius, titled Keyboard controlled machine for printing tickets and recording issues thereof', A627 Applications for patents, single number series with year suffix, 1904-1992, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4139867. Details
• Totalisator History - an Australian Achievement, http://www.ozemail.com.au/~bconlon. Details
• 'Julius, G A (18730429-19460628)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617171. Details

Resource Sections

• Ward, C., 'Sir George Alfred Julius', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Julius-Sir-George-Alfred. Details

See also

• 'P. N. Russell Memorial Medal [List of recipients 1923 - 1931]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 3 (1931), 445. 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_j.html. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'The Each-way Engineer - Sir George Julius' p.54. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp. pp.200-201. Details
• Rees, A. L. G., 'Ian William Wark 1899-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, 6 (4) (1987), 533-548. https://doi.org/10.1071HR9870640533. Details
• Sherratt, Tim, 'CSIRO' in Oxford Companion to Australian History, Graeme Davison; John Hirst; Stuart Macintyre, ed. (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 164-165. http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/csiro_history.htm. Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details