Haigh, Frederick Bruce (1912 - 1974)

Summary

Frederick Bruce Haigh, MBE FIEAust, was Commissioner of Irrigation and Water Supply, Queensland, and Queensland Commissioner of the New South Wales-Queensland Border Rivers Commission. He was also Queensland representative on the Standing Committee of the Water Resources Council, a member of its Research and Education Committee, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Water Research Foundation and a member of the Board of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Queensland.

During his period as Commissioner, the Commission constructed eight dams and had three others under construction, which together brought the total storage capacity of storages under its control to 2,100,000 acre feet.

He was elected President of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1970 and in 1956 was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his military service, including with the CMF.

The Fred Haig Dam, completed in 1975 is named in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1930s

Education - Coburg High School, Victoria

1936

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

1937 - 1948

Career position - Engineer, First Mildura Irrigation Trust

c. 1938

Career event - Granted Certificate as Engineer of Water Supply, under Irrigation Act 1886 VIC

1939

Career event - Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1941

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

1941 - 1946

Military service - Second World War. Major, Royal Australian Engineers, Australian Imperial Force [in New Guinea and New Britain]

1946

Award - Mentioned in Despatches (MID)

1948 - 1949

Career position - Senior Irrigation Engineer, Irrigation & Water Supply Commission, Queensland

1949 -

Career position - Deputy Chief Engineer, Irrigation & Water Supply Commission, Queensland

1949 - 1955

Career position - Assistant Commissioner, Irrigation & Water Supply Commission, Queensland

1952 -

Career position - Member, Queensland Division Committee, Institution of Engineers Australia

1954

Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

1955 -

Career position - Commissioner of Irrigation and Water Supply, Queensland

1956

Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) - Army Engineers - Postwar Honours List

1960

Career position - Chairman, Queensland Division Committee, Institution of Engineers Australia

1962 -

Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia

13 Sep 1968

Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.]

1970

Career position - President, Institution of Engineers Australia

1970

Career event - Colonel Commandant Royal Australian Engineers

c. 1970

Career position - Member, Board of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Queensland

c. 1970

Career position - Queensland Commissioner, New South Wales-Queensland Border Rivers Commission

c. 1970

Career position - Queensland representative, Standing Committee of the Water Resources Council

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• 'President of The Institution for 1970 [Mr F. B. Haigh, MBE FIEAust]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 42 (1970), N27. Details
• Haigh, F. B., 'Presidential address - The northern miracle', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 43 (4-5) (1971), 3-11. Details

Resources

• CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B883, VX57923', B883 Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6123429. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Engineering Heritage : Biographies', in Engineering Heritage Australia : wiki website, Engineering Heritage Australia, 2024, https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Person:Haigh,_Frederick. Biography: Frederick Haigh. Details