Culver, Robert (Bob) (1926 - 2009)

Summary

Bob Culver, AM BSc BE FTSE HonFIEAust DUniv, civil and hydraulic engineer, was Senior Lecturer, Reader and Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide from 1949 until 1991. From 1951 he was responsible for all hydraulic and coastal engineering teaching and all research activities of the Robin Hydraulic Laboratory. His pioneering work in understanding the dynamics of the coastal zone, lead to the 1970 report he prepared for the South Australian government, known as "the Culver report". This report was instrumental in the introduction of South Australia's Coast Protection Act, No.49 of 1972, recognised internationally as a model of coastal zone management legislation, and from 1972 to 1989 he was a member of the board administering the Act. He was an adviser to federal and state governments, designed the first super-critical urban drainage scheme, the "Typhoon" irrigation spray head, and assisted the Victorian Arts Complex in the design of its water decorations.

His distinguished career and engineering achievements were acknowledged when he was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1987; appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1991; awarded an Honorary Doctor of the University by the University of Adelaide in 1992; and awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1994.

Details

Chronology

1945

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

1947

Education - Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc(Eng)), University of Adelaide

1949

Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE), University of Adelaide

1949 - 1953

Career position - Lecturer, Civil engineering, University of Adelaide

1952

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

1954 - 1965

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Civil engineering, University of Adelaide

1956 - 1957

Award - Carnegie Travelling Scholarship [Visiting areas of specialist hydraulic interest in the US and Europe]

1966 - 1989

Career position - Reader, Civil engineering, University of Adelaide

1968

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Associate Members were designated Members on this date.]

1969 -

Career position - Committee member, South Australian Division, Institution of Engineers Australia

1970

Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1970

Career event - Published the 'Culver report': "Final summary report on beach erosion studies ..."

1972 - 1989

Career position - Member, Coast Protection Board, South Australia

1973 - 1985

Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia

1976 -

Career position - Founding chairman, Civil College Board, Institution of Engineers Australia

1977 - 1989

Career position - Member of Council (elected by Academic staff), University of Adelaide

1985

Award - Long Service Medallion, University of Adelaide

1987 - 2009

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)

1990 - 1991

Career position - Associate Professor / Reader, Civil engineering, University of Adelaide

1991 -

Career position - Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, University of Adelaide

1991

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of service to engineering, particularly in the fields of hydraulics and coastal engineering

1991

Life event - Retired

1992

Award - Honorary Doctor of the University (DUniv), University of Adelaide

1994

Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia

2000

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

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in civil and maritime engineering

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Culver, R., Final summary report on beach erosion studies. A report commissioned by the Seaside Councils Committee and State Government of South Australia (Adelaide: University of Adelaide, Department of Civil Engineering, 1970). Details

Conference Papers

• Biggs, J.; Culver, R.; Walker, D., 'A computer controlled data collection system', in Conference on Computers in Engineering 1981 (Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1981), pp. 102-105., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.480841863502274. Details
• Culver, R.: Walker, D., 'The South Australian wave recording programme', in Sixth Australian Conference on Coastal and Ocean Engineering, 1983 (Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1983), pp. 156-159., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.917089932914715. Details
• Culver, R.; Hirst, M. J.; Walker, D. J., 'The use of computer graphics in the Civil Engineering Laboratory', in Australian Conference on Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis: 1979 (Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1979), pp. 37-40., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.547529267635372. Details
• Culver, R.; Wynne, A. A., 'Deciding coastal engineering strategy - the South Australian approach', in 1986 Engineering Conference: Engineers as Managers (Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers Australia, 1986), pp. 78 - 83., https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.530774114684971. Details

Journal Articles

• 'PNR Memorial Medal [Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal: 1994 Award to Dr Robert Culver]', Engineers Australia, 66 (1994), 50. Details
• Culver, R., 'Some measurement processes in beach erosion studies', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 37 (1965), 201. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Culver, Robin; Moxham, Kenneth; Stacy, Bill, 'Robust champion of engineering [Obituary: Robert Culver (1926 - 2009)]', Adelaide Advertiser, 84. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 2001 (Barton, ACT: 2001), 20 pp. 'Awarded Honorary Fellow, 2000', p.16. Details