Monash, John (1865 - 1931)

Summary

Sir John Monash was General Manager of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria 1920-1930. Earlier he was a civil engineer involved with pioneering reinforced concrete bridges and buildings, and the Reinforced Concrete Co. He had an exceptional military career during World War I as a corps commander.

Details

VD 1907; CB 1915; KCB 1918; GCMG 1919.

John Monash's military career was extensive, and the focus of many biographies. In summary, he was a probationary lieutenant, North Melbourne Battery of the Metropolitan Brigade of the Garrison Artillery 1887-95, captain 1895-97, major with command of the North Melbourne Battery 1897-1908, lieutenant-colonel in charge of the Victorian section of the Australian Intelligence Corps (militia) 1908-13, colonel in command of the 13th Infantry Brigade 1913-14, chief censor 1914, commander, 4th Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force 1914, brigadier general from July 1915, major general from July 1916, lieutenant-general and corps commander from June 1918, serving in Gallipoli, Egypt, England and France and received many military awards.

Chronology

1885 - 1888

Career position - Assistant Contractors Engineer, Prince's Bridge, Melbourne

1887 - 1888

Career position - Assistant Contractors Engineer, New Falls Railway Bridge, Melbourne

1888 - 1891

Career position - Contractors Engineer-in-Charge, Outer Circle Railway, Melbourne

1891

Career position - Engineer, Elmore Urban Water Trust, Victoria

1891

Award - The "Argus" Civil engineering Scholarship, University of Melbourne

1891 - 1894

Career position - Engineer, Melbourne Harbour Trust

4 Apr 1891

Education - Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE), University of Melbourne

1893

Education - Master of Civil Engineering (MCE), University of Melbourne

7 Feb 1893

Career event - Associate Member (AssocMInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers

1894 - 1901

Career position - Partnership with J.T. Noble Anderson, as civil, mining and mechanical engineers and patent agents. Acquired the patent rights in Victoria for Monier reinforced concrete construction.

1895

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne

1895

Education - Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Melbourne

1901 - 1905

Career position - Monier Pipe Co. Pty Ltd of Victoria

1905 - 1920

Career position - Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co. Ltd

18 Dec 1906

Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers

c. 1907

Award - Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD), for long and meritorious service as a part-time commissioned officer.

1912 - 1915

Career position - President, Victorian Institute of Engineers

1914

Career position - Vice President, Section G (Engineering), British Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting

Oct 1915

Award - Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB), for distinguished service in the Field.

Jan 1918

Award - Knight Commander of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (KCB), for valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field.

Jan 1919

Award - Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG), for services rendered in connection with military operations in France and Flanders.

1919

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

1920

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

1920 - 1921

Career position - General Manager, Morwell scheme, State Electricity Commission of Victoria.

22 Mar 1920

Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

1921

Education - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), University of Melbourne

Jan 1921 - 1931

Career position - Chairman and Commissioner, State Electricity Commission of Victoria

1923 - 1931

Career position - Vice-chancellor, University of Melbourne.

1924 - 1926

Career position - President, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science

1925

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

1929

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

1930

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

Nov 1930

Award - Honorary Member, Victorian Institute of Engineers

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• John Monash - Records, 1876 - 1934, MS 1884; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

The University of Melbourne Archives

• Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co. Pty. Ltd - Records, 1880 - 1953, 64/12; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Books

• Callinan, Bernard, Sir John Monash (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1981). Details
• 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. pages 104-105, 129, 141, 142, 144. Details
• Serle, Geoffrey, John Monash: a Biography (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press in association with Monash University, 1982). Details

Book Sections

• Serle, Geoffrey, 'Monash, Sir John (1865-1931), soldier, engineer and administrator' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), pp. 543-549. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100533b.htm. Details

Conference Papers

• Ferguson, J. M., 'Australian Defence Forces: The Defence of Port Phillip Heads 1859-1945', in Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2001), pp. 149-151., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.520772320908597. Details
• Holgate, Alan; Taplin, Geoff, 'Monash, Anderson, Transport and Communication 1894-1914', in Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2001), pp. 153-156., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.520790953879855. Details
• Holgate, Alan; Taplin, Geoff, 'The Contribution of Sir John Monash to 20th Century Engineering in Australia', in Eleventh National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Federation Engineering a Nation; Proceedings (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2001), pp. 237-244., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.521089081419986. Details
• Holgate, Alan; Taplin, Geoff; Alves, Lesley, 'Issues in the Design and Construction of Wheeler's Bridge, Lawrence', in 9th National Conference on Engineering Heritage: Proceedings (Melbourne, Victoria: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1998), pp. 25-30., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.545256045141872. Details
• Holgate, Alan; Taplin, Geoff; Alves, Lesley; Hamann, Conrad, 'The Introduction of Monier Arch Bridges to Victoria', in First International and Eighth Australian Engineering Heritage Conference 1996: Shaping Our Future; Proceedings (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1996), pp. 29-35., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.624557970816771. Details
• Lewis, M., 'Monier and Anti-Monier: Early Reinforced Concrete in Australia', in Second National Conference on Engineering Heritage ‘The Value of Engineering Heritage': Preprints of Papers (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1985), pp. 85-90.. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.724803355720226. Details

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. 'Monash, Lt Gen. Sir John, KCB', pp.433-5. Details
• Lewis, Miles ed., Two hundred years of concrete in Australia (North Sydney: Concrete Institute of Australia, 1988), 137 pp. See pp.11, 12, 19, 23[n93], 25, 26, 37, 40, 76, 89, 100. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Lieut.-General Sir John Monash, G.C.M.G. (Illustrated)', Commonwealth Engineer, 7 (5) (1919), 132-133. Details
• 'Incidents in the Military Career of the Late Sir John Monash', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 3 (1931), 437. Details
• Barraclough, Samuel Henry Egerton, 'Sir John Monash - Engineer', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 3 (1931), 363-364. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, '150 Years, 150 Stories: John Monash', Uni News, 12 (2) (2003), 4. Details
• Holgate, A, 'John Monash: promoting early reinforced concrete in Australia', Proceedings of the ICE: Engineering History and Heritage, 163 (4) (2010), 237-247, https://doi.org/10.1680/ehah.2010.163.4.237. Details
• Holgate, Alan; Taplin, Geoff, 'The Contribution of Sir John Monash to 20th Century Engineering in Australia', Australian Journal of Multi-disciplinary Engineering, 2 (1) (2004), 99-107, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.479612087399233. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Tenth Annual Report [1929]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2 (1930), 123-127. 'Prizes - The Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal for 1929 was awarded by Council to Sir John Monash, Member, Melbourne Division', p.124. Details
• Monash, John, 'Notes on tests of reinforced concrete beams (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VI (1906), 29-42, 79-92. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24341. Details
• Monash, John, 'Further tests of reinforced concrete beam (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VII (1907), 43-54, 55-66. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24369. Details
• Monash, John, 'Notes on modern building construction (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. VIII (1908), 113-121, 132-134. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24397. Details
• Monash, John, 'Notes on modern building construction (Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. IX (1909), 22-27. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24409. Details
• Monash, John, 'Notes on some recent structures in reinforced concrete (Paper & Discussion)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. XIII (1913), 145-152. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24551. Details
• Monash, John, 'The engineering profession in Australia (Presidential address)', Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers vol. XIV (1914), 11-30. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24559. Details
• Monash, John, 'Theory and practice of reinforced concrete construction', Commonwealth Engineer, 1 (10) (1914), 336-338. Details
• Peake, Owen, 'John Monash and his innovative bridge designs: eight Bendigo bridges establish the era of Monier reinforced concrete in Victoria', Engineering Heritage Australia magazine, 1 (5) (2014), 11-3, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/Learned%20Society/eha%20magazine%20vol%201%20no%205%20December%202014.pdf. Details

Resources

• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/47662739. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2731333. Details
• 'Obituary. Sir John Monash, GCMG KCB, 1865-1931.', Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, https://doi.org/10.1680/imotp.1932.13324. Details
• Institution of Civil Engineers, London, 'Application: 8445, 1892', Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/3585/. Details
• Leading the Way: Sir John Monash, Online Exhibition, 1999, http://www.monash.edu.au/magpie/sirjohn.htm. Details
• 'Monash, John (18650627-19311008)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1269506. Details
• 'Awarded honorary LLD, 1920', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. 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_m.html. Details
• Alsop, Peter F. B., 'Bridge construction at the turn of the century [Letters]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 53 (2) (1981), 3. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'An Australian Giant - Sir John Monash' p.19. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp. pp.34-35,78-79. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne (Melbourne: Department of History, University of Melbourne, 2003), 168 pp. Details
• Lay, M. G., '20th Century Victorian Engineers - Case studies of engineers as leaders in Victoria from 1890 to 1990', in Fourth International Conference on Engineering Management, 1994: Preprints (Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1994), pp. 7-12., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.220235441294955. Details
• Palmer, Vance, National portraits (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1960), 230 pp. Details
• Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details