Robert Hall Chapman (6 January 1890 – 10 May 1953) was an Australian engineer, Commissioner for Railways in South Australia from 1947 to 1950.
History
Chapman was born son of
Robert William Chapman and Eva Maude Chapman, née Knox, who married on 14 February 1889, and had a home on High Street,
Burnside, South Australia.
He was educated at
St Peter's College and the
University of Adelaide, where he had an outstanding academic career.
He enlisted with the
First AIF in August 1915, and after training at the NCO School at Mitcham served with the 12th Battalion in France, rising to rank of Captain, wounded in battle, then attached to the (British) 23rd Field Company,
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
, Calibration Section on
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
.
He was appointed to the South Australian Railways as a civil engineer, and in 1923 was tasked with design and building of the railway bridge at
Murray Bridge Murray Bridge may refer to.
*Murray Bridge, South Australia, a city and locality
*Rural City of Murray Bridge, a local government area in South Australia
*Corporate Town of Murray Bridge, a former local government area in South Australia
See also
...
, after which he was appointed chief engineer for the State. He supervised the rebuilding of all railway bridges, station yards and locomotive depots, and the conversion of of track in the western division from narrow to
broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
. He supervised the construction, during World War II, of the
Finsbury
Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London.
The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn ...
munition works and the early stages of the
Salisbury munitions factory.
He was made acting Railways Commissioner with the retirement of
C. B. Anderson in 1946, then appointed to the substantive position on 16 January 1947, with a contracted term of seven years.
He died of a heart complaint in the (private) Ru Rua hospital a week after taking sick leave.
His assistant,
J. A. Fargher, was appointed his deputy while on leave,
[ then Commissioner in October 1953.
]
Recognition
Malcolm Mcintosh Malcolm McIntosh may refer to:
* Sir Malcolm McIntosh (public servant) (1945–2000), Australian scientist and public servant
* Sir Malcolm McIntosh (politician) (1888–1960), Australian politician
See also
* Malcolm Mackintosh
John Malc ...
, Minister of Railways, described him as a "great administrator . . . His candid and cheerful manner endeared him to a vast number of friends, and his just administration earned him the esteem of every employe of the railways".
Other appointments
Chapman was the State Government appointee to the board of the Cellulose Company at Snuggery, between Tantanoola
Tantanoola is a town in regional South Australia. The name is derived from the aboriginal word ''tentunola'', which means ''boxwood / brushwood hill or camp''. ''Tantanoola'' was originally named 'Lucieton' by William Jervois, Governor Jervois a ...
and Millicent. He relinquished that position when appointed Commissioner.
Family
Chapman was engaged to Florence Muriel Day, but she married footballer Charlie Perry. He married May Warren "Maysie" Knox (c. 1899 – 11 November 1947) in 1923. Their children included:
*Maysie Hall Chapman (born 1924) married Dean Simes of Barmera on 26 July 1947Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyde P ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Robert Hall
1890 births
1953 deaths
Australian civil engineers
Railway commissioners of South Australia