Shakespear, Robert Henry (1837 - 1888)

Summary

After joining the Victorian Public Service as a Draughtsman on Railways in 1859, Shakespear was appointed a District Engineer for waterworks at Castlemaine in 1865, and supervised the construction of the Malmsbury Dam.

He was the Engineer for the Borough of Hawthorn in 1873, Emerald Hill in 1880, and for St. Kilda from 1883. Projects included: Major drainage of West St.Kilda, Middle Park and Prahran; Brighton Road from St.Kilda to Elsterwick; the 'Junction' at St.Kilda; and the 'Lower Esplanade' at St.Kilda.

He was a member of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors. He was also a Foundation member and Councillor of the Victorian Institution of Engineers in 1883 and its President in 1885.

Details

Published Technical Papers:

* "The Subdivision, Marking out, and Method of Description of Town Allotments", Victorian Institute of Surveyors, (1874-1880), R.H. Shakespear;
* "Engineering Surveying-Water Supply", Victorian Institute of Surveyors, (1874-1880), R.H. Shakespear;
* 1881. "Notes on the Method of Entry in the Level Book.", Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 3 Sep 1881, R.H. Shakespear;
* 1870. 'Progress Report of Board - Malmsbury Reservoir' VIC PP 1870 SS (14).;
* 1878. 'Echuca Bridge - Report of Royal Commission' VIC PP 1878 (57).;
* 1880. 'North-West Canal' V&P LA VIC 1880-1 C20.;
* 1886. 'Water Supply of Geelong';
* 1887. VIC Patent 5211. "An improved method of conveying drainage into sewers", 30 Jul 1887.

Chronology

c. 1858

Life event - Migrated to Victoria from England

1859

Career position - Draughtsman, Victorian Raiways Department

1863

Career event - Licensed Surveyor, Real Property Act, Victoria.

1865 - 1870

Career position - District Engineer, Castlemaine, Water Supply

1873 - 1882

Career position - Consulting engineer, Hawthorn Council, Victoria

1878

Career event - Appointed Captain, and Officer Commanding the Corp of Engineers, Victorian Volunteer Force

1879

Career position - Member of Municipal Surveyors' Board, Victoria

1880

Career position - Member of Board for Examination of Volunteers in Military Engineering, Victorian Volunteer Force.

1880 - 1884

Career position - Appointed Major, Corps of Engineers, Victorian Volunteer Force

1880 - 1885

Career position - Engineer, Emeral Hill, Victoria

1883

Career event - Foundation Member (MVEA), Victorian Engineers Association

1883 - 1884

Career position - Councillor, Victorian Engineers Association

1883 - 1885

Career position - Consulting Engineer, St.Kilda Borough Council, Victoria

1884

Career position - Major, in Command, Corps of Engineers, Victorian Militia, Victoria

1885

Career position - President, Victorian Engineers Association

1886

Career position - Member and Chair, Sludge Board, Mines and Water Supply, Victoria

1888

Life event - Buried, Woodend Cemetery, Victoria

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Cumming, D. A., Some Public Works Engineers in Victoria in the Nineteenth Century (Melbourne: University of Melbourne, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 1985), 59 pp. pp.28-29. Details

Journal Articles

• Shakespear, R. H., 'Notes on the method of entry in the Level Book', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 2 (1880-1884), 26-29. Details
• Shakespear, R. H., 'Engineering surveying - Water Supply', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 1 (1874-1880), 72-80. Details
• Shakespear, R. H., 'The subdivision, marking out, and method of description of town allotments', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Surveyors, 1 (1874-1880), 40-48. Details
• Shakespear, Robert Henry, 'President's address 1885 (vol. I)', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Engineers Association vol. I 1883-1885 (1885), 31-33. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24223. Details
• Shakespear, Robert Henry, 'Notes on the Merri Creek Tube (Paper)', Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Engineers Association vol. I 1883-1885 (1885), 34-42. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/24224. Details