de Burgh, Ernest Macartney (1863 - 1929)

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 entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Antill, J. M., 'De Burgh, Ernest Macartney (1863-1929), civil engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981), p. 266. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/de-burgh-ernest-macartney-5937. 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. '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
• Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 136 pp, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2025-08/EA2_Anything%20is%20possible_0.pdf. 'Bridging the gap - Ernest Macartney de Burgh' p.15. 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
• de Burgh, E. M., 'Belt conveyor coal loading plant at Port Kembla, New South Wales (Illustrated)', Commonwealth Engineer, 4 (5) (1916), 124-131. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5393500. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/44390495. Details
• Institution of Civil Engineers, London, 'Application: 6881, 1888', Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/3585/. Details
• 'de Burgh, Ernest Macartney (18630118-19290404)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1464208. Details

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
• Baker, Keith, A Century of Canberra Engineering (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Engineers Australia, Canberra Division, 2013), 292 pp. 'Engineers who influenced the site', p.5. Details
• Engineers Australia ed., Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2019), 236 pp, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2025-08/EA1_Wonders%20never%20cease.pdf. "The wonder of wood", pp.74-5. 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 (8) (1938), 279-293. [de Burgh designed Port Kembla harbour improvements and coal loading plant structure 1914.]. Details