Corbett, Arthur Hardie (1906 - 1990)

Summary

Arthur Corbett, ME BEd FIEAust FIMechE, took a leading role within the engineering profession in Australia - as a Councillor and President of the Institution of Engineers, Australia; as the Foundation Professor of Engineering, Royal Military College, Duntroon; and as a well respected engineering historian.

Early in his career, in the 1930s, he contributed to the acceptance of electric arc-welding of steel structures in Australia, and through his work with the Hume Pipe Company (Australia) in New South Wales, contributed to the development of welded steel pipes, and the development of concrete pipes by a combination of vibration and centrifugal force.

Details

Chronology

1926

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

1928

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

c. 1929 - c. 1930

Award - Foundation Travelling Scholarship [Post-graduate training: General Electric Company, Schenectady, New York, and Peterborough, Ontario; and under Prof. C. R. Young, University of Toronto, Canada, in the field of welding research.]

1932

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

1934 - 1939

Career position - Works Superintendent, Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Ltd, New South Wales

1935

Education - Master of Engineering, University of Queensland

1939 - 1941

Career event - Engineer, A. E. Goodwin Pty Ltd

1941 - 1946

Military service - Second World War. Major, 2nd AIF

1946 - 1950

Career position - Lecturer / Senior Lecturer, University of Queensland

1950 - 1968

Career position - Foundation Professor of Engineering, Royal Military College, Duntroon, ACT

1951

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

1953 -

Career position - Member of Council, Institution of Engineers Australia

1956

Career position - Chairman, Canberra Division, Institution of Engineers Australia

1968 -

Career position - Professor of Engineering, Faculty of Military Studies, University of New South Wales, at Royal Military College, Duntroon, ACT

13 Sep 1968

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

1973

Career position - President, Institution of Engineers Australia

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Corbett, Arthur Hardie, The Institution of Engineers, Australia: a history of the first fifty years, 1919-1969 (Sydney: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1973), 288 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Corbett, Arthur, 'Chinn, Henry (1858-1940), surveyor and engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 638-639. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chinn-henry-5582. Details
• Corbett, Arthur, 'Corin, William (1867-1929), electrical engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981), pp. 115-116. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/corin-william-5782. Details
• Corbett, Arthur, 'Davis, Joseph (1854-1932), civil engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981), pp. 239-240, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davis-joseph-5915/. Details
• Corbett, Arthur, 'Harricks, Dudley Francis John (1880-1960), engineer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 9: 1891 - 1939 Gil-Las, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1983), pp. 208-209. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harricks-dudley-francis-john-6575. Details
• Corbett, Arthur, 'Julius, Sir George Alfred (1873-1946), mechanical engineer and inventor' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 9: 1891 - 1939 Gil-Las, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1983), pp. 528-529. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/julius-sir-george-alfred-6890. Details
• Corbett, Arthur, 'Newbigin, William Johnstone (1874-1927), mechanical engineer and company director' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 11: 1891 - 1939 Nes-Smi, Geoffrey Serle, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988), pp. 6-7, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/newbigin-william-johnstone-7823. Details
• Corbett, Arthur; Pugh, Ann, 'Russell, Sir Peter Nicol (1816-1905), ironfounder and benefactor' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 6: 1851 - 1890 R - Z, Bede Nairn, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1976), pp. 76-77. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/russell-sir-peter-nicol-4527. Details
• Corbett, Arthur; Pugh, Ann, 'Warren, William Henry (1852-1926), engineer and educationist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 6: 1851 - 1890 R - Z, Bede Nairn, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1976), pp. 356-357. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/warren-william-henry-4804. Details

Conference Papers

• Corbett, A. H.; Hocking, D. M.; Harris, S. F.; James, K. E., 'The role of Federal and State governments and private enterprise in energy strategy for Australia. (Report of Working Party 2)', in Towards an Energy Policy for Australia. Report of the Task Force on Energy. Canberra, July 20-22, 1977. (NCP no 77/6) (Institution of Engineers Australia, 1977), pp. 23-29.. Details

Edited Books

• Andrews, W.C.; Shellshear, W.; Cooper, I.; Pascoe, L.; Morison, I.; Price, C.J.; Dalgarno, K.J.; Minty, A.E.; Jones, H.A.; Clark, P.; Yonge, P.; Corbett, A.H.; Cooke, T.H.; Leslie, R.; Dalgleish, R.P.S.; Taylder, A.E.; Downey, K.E.; Connal, J.K. ed., Canberra's engineering heritage: Second Edition (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Institution of Engineers, Australia, Canberra Division, 1990), 242 pp. Details
• Legge, J. S. ed., Who's who in Australia 1968 (Melbourne, Victoria: The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, 1968), 955 pp. "Corbett, Arthur Hardie". p.206. Details

Journal Articles

• 'President of The Institution for 1973 [Professor A. H. Corbett, ME BEd FIEAust]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 45 (4-5) (1973), 18. Details
• Corbett, A. H., 'The testing of welds', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 5 (7) (1933), 248-251. Details
• Corbett, A. H., 'The first hundred years of Australian engineering education, 1861-1961', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 33 (4-5) (1961), 147-160. Details
• Corbett, A. H., 'Retiring President's address [1974] - Energy and the profession of engineering', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 46 (5-6) (1974), 4-8. Details
• Corbett, A. H., 'Years of development 1969-1979', Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia: General Engineering, GE3 (1979), 9-31. Details
• Corbett, A. H.; Metcalfe, J.; Kindler, J. E., 'Symposium on the weldability of Australian carbon steel plates', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 22 (6) (1950), 111-121. Details
• Corbett, A. H.; Metcalfe, J.; Kindler, J. E.; Reilly, W. L.; Mills, D. V.; Karmalsky, V.; Robertson, S. C.; Ross, G. F.; Hewitt, W. V.; Dickson, J. R.;, 'Symposium on the weldability of Australian carbon steel plates (Discussion)', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 22 (6) (1950), 121-128. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'The history of engineering and engineering education in Australia', Australian Journal of Science, 19 (4a) (1957), 101-116. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'Kernot. The Man among his Students', University of Melbourne Gazette, 8 (1962), 2-5. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'Australian engineering, 1788-1969', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 41 (9) (1969), 141-147. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'The genesis of mechanical engineering in Australia', The Chartered Mechanical Engineer: The Journal of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 15 (9) (1969), 416-419. Details
• Corbett, Arthur H., 'The Institution 1919-1979 [Diamond Jubilee feature article]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 51 (20) (1979), 23-28. Details

Resources

• CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B883, NX114323', 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=5664012. Details