Deputy Chancellors

John Job Crew Bradfield

(1867 - 1943)

CMG, DScEng
Fellow of Senate: 1913 - 1943
Deputy Chancellor: 1942

• Above: John Bradfield by H C Krutli (National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an23278893).

• Above: Fellow of Senate John Bradfield (centre) with Professor Edgeworth David (right) during construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1931. (University of Sydney Archives) Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Close-up of previous photo, Fellow of Senate John Bradfield (centre) with Professor Edgeworth David (right), 1931. (University of Sydney Archives) Click here to view enlargement.

• Above: Fellow of Senate John Job Crew Bradfield (and later Deputy Chancellor) 4th from right at head table (close-up below), at the fourteenth Annual Dinner of PNR School of Engineering), 5 August 1921 (University of Sydney Archives). Click here to view enlargement .

• Above: Close-up of the previous photo - Fellow of Senate John Job Crew Bradfield is 4th from right (University of Sydney Archives).

Biography

John Job Crew Bradfield, civil engineer, was born on 26 December 1867 at Sandgate, Queensland.

He was educated at the North Ipswich State School and the Ipswich Grammar School, and passed the Sydney senior public examination in 1885 gaining the medal for chemistry. Dux of his school, he won a Queensland government university exhibition and in 1886 matriculated at the University of Sydney. From St Andrew's College, he graduated BE with the University Gold Medal in 1889.

Bradfield worked as a draftsman under the chief engineer, railways in Brisbane before joining the New South Wales Department of Public Works in 1891 as a temporary draftsman. An associate from 1893 of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, he graduated ME with first-class honours and the University Medal in 1896.

Bradfield was associated with a great range of engineering work including the Cataract Dam near Sydney and the Burrinjuck Dam which formed part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and in 1909 became assistant engineer. In 1912 he proposed a suspension bridge to connect Sydney and North Sydney, but in April also submitted a cantilever design. Next year the committee recommended acceptance of his scheme for construction of a cantilever bridge from Dawes Point to Milsons Point. In 1913 his title was changed to chief engineer for metropolitan railway construction.

In 1914 he went overseas to investigate new approaches to metropolitan railway construction. Early next year he reported on the proposed electric lines for the city of Sydney.

The easy passage of the Harbour Bridge Act undoubtedly increased Bradfield's determination to promote other sections of his scheme.

In 1924 he received the first doctorate of science in engineering awarded by the University of Sydney, for a thesis entitled 'The city and suburban electric railways and the Sydney Harbour Bridge'. The opening of the St James and Museum stations and the new section of the Central Station at Chalmers Street on 20 December 1926 marked his plan's first result.

In February 1930 he was retired by the railway commissioners; however he continued to represent the government in dealings with the contractors and to supervise construction of the bridge.
In 1933 he was appointed CMG and he retired from the public service in July.

In 1934 Bradfield was appointed consulting engineer for the design, fabrication and construction of a bridge and approaches across the Brisbane River from Kangaroo Point to Bowen Terrace. He was also technical adviser to the constructors of the Hornibrook Highway near Brisbane and helped to plan and design the University of Queensland's new site at St Lucia.

Bradfield had wide interests within his chosen profession. In 1919 he was a founder of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.

He always maintained close links with the University of Sydney: he was a member of its Senate in 1913-43, a trustee of Wesley College in 1917-43, a councillor of the Women's College from 1931, and from 1942 Deputy Chancellor. He was a member of the University Club.

He died at his home at Gordon on 23 September 1943.

Information source: Australian Dictionary of Biography