Prentice, Sydney Arthur (1908 - 2002)

Summary

Sydney Prentice, AO MEE BSc HonFIEAust, was the founding Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland from 1950 until his retirement in 1974. He was a prolific researcher and produced a large number of technical and scientific papers, related to electrical engineering and to engineering history.

The "Prentice Computer Centre" at the University of Queensland, which commemorates his name, was set up in 1962 largely as a result of his efforts.

Details

Chronology

1931

Education - Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (BEE), University of Melbourne

1931

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

1931 - 1937

Career position - Demonstrator in electrical engineering, University of Melbourne

1935

Award - Edward Noyes Prize, Institution of Engineers Australia [shared with J R Callow and W W Miller]

1936

Award - Robert Bage Memorial Scholarship, Engineering. University of Melbourne

1937 - 1940

Career position - Engineer, State Electricity Commission, Victoria

1938

Education - Master of Electrical Engineering (MEE), University of Melbourne

1938

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

1940 - 1945

Career position - Department of Munitions

1945 - 1950

Career position - Engineer, State Electricity Commission, Victoria

1947

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne

1950 - 1974

Career position - Professor of electrical engineering, University of Queensland,

1960

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

1960

Award - Electrical Engineering Prize, Institution of Engineers Australis

1968

Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.]

1973

Award - Prokof Divis Society Medal, Czechoslovakia

1975

Award - The Institution Award, Institution of Engineers Australia

1977

Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

1978

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - for services related to electrical engineering

1988

Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• George, W. I.; Prentice, S. A., Some references to early professional engineering societies in Queensland (1890-1919) (Brisbane: 1989), 168 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Prentice, S. A., 'Corbett, Arthur Brownlow (1877-1970), engineer and administrator' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1993), pp. 500-501. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130553b.htm. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'Barton, Edward Gustavus Campbell (1857-1942), engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1993), pp. 124-125. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130149b.htm. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'L'Estrange, William Mandeville Ellis (1868-1951), Electrical Engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 15: 1940 - 1980 Kem-Pie, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2000), pp. 86-87. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150108b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Professor S. A. Prentice [Awarded Prokof Divis Society Medal, Czechoslovakia]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 45 (1-2) (1973), 24. Details
• 'Institution News and Notes - Prizes [1975: R. W. Chapman Medal; Warren Memorial Prize; Electrical Engineering Prize; Chemical Engineering Prize; Mechanical Engineering Prize; Management Engineering Prize; Industrial Engineering Prize; Institution Award. 1976: Edward Noyes Prize; J. R. Bainton Prize; R. J. N. Franki Medal]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 48 (3-4) (1976), 11. Awarded The Institution Award (1975). Details
• 'Nine new Honorary Fellows [Em.Prof. David John Francis Allen-Williams; Prof. Lance Aubrey Endersbee; Kenneth John Kelsall; Steven Kenneth Langley; James Bruce Kirkwood; Em.Prof. Sydney Arthur Prentice; Harold C. Richards; Sir Sydney Schubert; Prof. Howard Knox Worner]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 60 (June 24) (1988), 43-44. 'Nine new Honorary Fellows' - Emeritus Prof Syd Prentice. Details
• Darveniza, Mat, 'Obituary: Sydney Prentice', Engineers Australia, 74 (6) (2002), 60. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, '19th Annual General Meeting - Minutes [Melbourne, 21st March 1939]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 11 (1939), 146-147. Edward Noyes Prize, 1935, presented to Mr S A Prentice, BEE AMIEAust, at the AGM, March 1939. Details
• Prentice, S A, 'Edward Barton 1858-1942 - Pioneer Electrical Engineer', Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 27 (1988), 1-110, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40603423. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'Some wartime problems with electrical insulating materials', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 17 (1945), 197-204. Discussion p.227. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'Thunderstorms in relation to Electricity Supply in Queensland', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 27 (1955), 99-. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'Thunderstorms in the Brisbane Area', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 32 (1960), 33-. Details
• Prentice, S. A., 'Electricity in early Brisbane', Technical Papers (Institution of Engineers Australia, Queensland Division), 23 (19) (1982), 1-6. Details
• Prentice, S. A.; Callow, J. R.; Miller, W. W., 'Radio interference from high tension transmission lines', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 7 (1935), 253-260. Details
• Prentice, S. A.; Christiansen, W. N., 'The Electrical Research Board : A review of the the first twenty years', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 37 (1965), N121-126. Details
• Prentice, S. A.; George, W. I.; and Richard, E. L., 'Nineteenth Century Queensland Engineers', Technical Papers (Institution of Engineers Australia, Queensland Division), 26 (18) (1985), 7-15. Details
• Prentice, S. A.; Parnell, T. M.; Fraser, S. G., 'High Voltage Research in Relation to Power Systems in Australia', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 33 (1961), 1-. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Forty-second Annual Report [1961] (1962), 14 pp. 'Prizes - Electrical Engineering Prize (1960 Award), to Professor S A Prentice, MEE BSc MIEAust, for his paper entitled "Thunderstorms in the Brisbane Area"', p.2. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 1988 (1989), 32 pp. 'Honorary Fellows - Council elected Prof Sydney Prentice, AO, FIEAust as Honorary Fellow', p.26. Details

Resources

• 'Prentice, S A (1908-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-576264. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DEng, 1977', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Prentice, Sydney Arthur', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P001782p.htm. Details