Person
Rodda, Stanley Northey (Dobbie) (1877 - 1939)
- Born
- 9 November 1877
Grass Valley, East Oakland, Alemeda County, California, United States of America - Died
- 16 January 1939
"Oomoo" Kalorama, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Educational administrator and Mining engineer
Summary
Stanley Rodda MAusIMM, was the Principal of the Working Men's College, Melbourne from 1913 to 1927, and a Councillor from 1927 to 1936, and President in 1931. He expanded the scope of the technical teaching programs of the College before, during and after the First World War.
He took a special interest in establishing welding classes and an automotive school, and was active in the formation of the Victorian Institute of Welding Engineers, the Australian Welding Institute, and the Australian Institute of Automotive Engineers. He also lobbied for Melbourne to be a centre for training aeronautical engineers, as it had an established industry and the Aircraft Laboratory was in Melbourne.
He was a mining engineer, from a mining family, who studied at the University of California, then gained wide experience in mine management in California, South Africa, West Africa, Western Australia, England and Queensland.
In 1931, he established the firm "S. N. Rodda Pty Ltd - Mineral Earth Millers", to pulverise diatomaceous earth and commercially make Tripolite and to make its absorptive properties available for telephone insulators, and for other industry, agriculture and defence uses.
The original Working Men's College Building 10, now demolished, was named the "SN Rodda School of Motor Mechanics", and "Rodda Lane" is also named after him.
Details
Chronology
- 1898 - 1901
- Career position - Assistant general manager, Lancaster mine, Krugersdorp, South Africa
- 1901
- Career position - General manager, Tarauah and Abosso mines, West Africa
- 1901 - c. 1904
- Career position - Assistant-metallurgist and manager, Associated Northern group of mines, Kalgoorlie [As well as overseeing operations in Fremantle, Port Pirie and Dapto]
- c. 1904
- Career position - Mining engineer, potential hydraulic gold mine, California [Recommended against it, due to the environmental issues of the sluicing operation.]
- c. 1904 - c. 1906
- Career position - Consulting mining engineer, London [ reporting on numerous industries-mining, manufacturing plants, cement works, textiles, throughout England. Including the Mona Parys, Anglesey.]
- 1907
- Career position - Mine manager, Chillagoe Co's. Redcap Mine, Mungana, Queensland
- 1907 - 1911
- Career position - General manager, Mungana (Chillagoe) Mining Co Ltd, Queensland
- 1909
- Life event - Naturalisation
- 1910
- Career event - Member (MAusIME), Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers
- 1910
- Life event - Married Eileen Marie Lannah Meagher at St. Kilda, Victoria
- 1913 - 1927
- Career position - Principal, Working Men's College, Melbourne [Succeeded by Mr. F. Ellis, MW BE in 1927]
- 1919
- Career position - Vocational training adviser, Repatriation Department
- 1925
- Career position - Foundation President, Victorian Institute of Welding Engineers
- 1927
- Career position - Foundation President, Australian Institute of Automotive Engineers
- 1927 - 1936
- Career position - Councillor, Working Men's College, Melbourne
- 1931
- Career position - President, Council, Working Men's College, Melbourne
- 1931
- Career event - Established S. N. Rodda Pty Ltd - Mineral Earth Millers
Related entries
Published resources
Newspaper Articles
- Anon, 'College director. Engineer appointed. Experienced in many lands. Mr. S.N. Rodda.', Weekly Times (1913), 33, col.3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222262021. Details
- Anon, 'People we know :Mr Stanley Rodda', Punch (1917), 6, col.2-3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121080954. Details
Resources
- 'Rodda, Stanley Northey (1877 - 1939), Principal', RMIT University History, RMIT University Archives, 2022, https://www.lib.rmit.edu.au/university-archives/finding-aids/ohrm/web/biogs/E000010b.htm. Details
Ken McInnes
Created: 29 September 2022, Last modified: 10 January 2023