Person

Eaton, John Henry Osborn (1869 - 1948)

ISO

Born
11 April 1869
Goolwa, South Australia, Australia
Died
1 September 1948
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
Civil engineer

Summary

John Henry Osborn Eaton, ISO MInstCE MIEAust, was appointed Engineer-in-Chief, Engineering and Water Supply Department, South Australia, from when it was formed in 1929, until 1935 when he retired. He was the representative of South Australia on the River Murray Commission for 27 years, from 1918 until 1946, and was a leading champion of Murray River water conservation. He was responsible for the construction of the locks and barrages on the Murray River in South Australia, and played a leading role in other water engineering works in Adelaide and South Australia.

His distinguished career was recognised when he was appointed a Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO) in 1934, for his service as Engineer-in-Chief and when he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1935.

Details

Chronology

1879 - 1884
Education - Whinham College, North Adelaide
1884 - 1889
Career position - Trainee Surveyor, Water Conservation Department, South Australia [under J W Jones]
1889 - 1892
Career position - Surveyor, Engineer-in-Chief's Department, South Australia. [under A B Moncrieff MInstCE]
1892 - 1899
Career position - Assistant Surveyor, Engineer-in-Chief's Department, South Australia [under G Stewart MInstCE, Engineer-in-Chief]
1899 - 1912
Career position - Surveyor, Engineer-in-Chief's Department /Engineering Department, South Australia [He set out the tunnel from the Clarendon Weir to the Happy Valley Reservoir, the railway from Laura to Booleroo, and the Barossa Arch Dam. Under C A Bayer MInstCE.]
1903
Career event - Gave evidence to the Waterworks Commission [SA PP 1903 (23)]
1912 - 1918
Career position - Resident engineer, Hydraulic Engineers Department, South Australia [working on Murray River locks]
1918 - 1924
Career position - Assistant engineer, Engineer-in-Chief's Department, South Australia
1918 - 1946
Career position - Representative of South Australia, on River Murray Commission [succeeding G Stewart]
1919
Career event - Foundation Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1919 - 1928
Career position - Member of Committee, Adelaide Division, Institution of Engineers Australia
1920
Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1921
Career event - Gave evidence to the Standing Committee on Railways - Victor Harbor Improvements. [SA PP 1921 (32)]
1922 - 1923
Career position - Chairman, Adelaide Division, Institution of Engineers Australia
1923 - 1927
Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia
1924
Career event - Gave evidence to the Royal Commission on South-East Drainage [SA PP 1925 (55)]
1924 - 1929
Career position - Construction engineer, Hydraulic Engineers Department, South Australia [engineer for Murray River works]
9 Feb 1926
Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London
1929 - 1935
Career position - Engineer-in-Chief, Engineering and Water Supply Department, South Australia [First Engineer-in-Chief of this new department]
1930
Career event - Gave evidence to the Standing Committee on Public Works - Patawalonga Creek Diversion [SA PP 1930 (62)]
1934
Award - Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO) - for service as South Australia Engineer-in-Chief
1935
Career event - Gave evidence to the Select Committee on Mount Bold Reservoir [SA PP 1935 SS (33)]
1935
Life event - Retired [succeeded as Engineer-in-Chief, by H.T.M. Angwin]
1936
Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • Cumming, D. A.; Moxham, G. C., They built South Australia : engineers, technicians, manufacturers, contractors and their work (Adelaide: D.A. Cumming and G.C Moxham, 1986), 241 pp. p.55. Details
  • Eaton, J. H. O., Notes on the River Murray works (Adelaide: 1920), 24 pp, http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/156904. Details
  • Eaton, J. H. O., A short history of the River Murray works (Adelaide: River Murray Commission, 1945), 70 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Eaton, J. H. O., 'The River Murray works', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers Australia, 1 (1920), 193-213, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.632728047219707. Details
  • Eaton, J. H. O., 'Mount Bold Storage, Adelaide', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 5 (1933), 47-. Details
  • Eaton, J. H. O., 'A century of engineering in South Australia [Part 2]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 9 (10) (1937), 405-406. Details
  • Eaton, J. H. O., 'A century of engineering in South Australia [Part 1]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 9 (4) (1937), 127-139. Details
  • Institution of Engineers Australia, 'Sixteenth Annual Report [1935]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 8 (1936), 145-149. 'Prizes - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal [1935] to Mr J H O Eaton, ISO MIEAust, Adelaide Division', p.146. Details

Resources

Ken McInnes

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