Wije Ariyaratne
Wije Ariyaratne (BEng, ME, Grad Dip (B Mgt)) is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and an Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia.
Ari has completed 50 years’ of service as a professional engineer of which 47 years have been with DMR/RTA/RMS. His experience in bridges and structures covers design, construction, maintenance, asset management, bridge load testing, R&D work and strategic management of people and technology. For the last 19 years he has been the Director Bridges & Structures leading Roads & Maritime Services’ Bridge & Structural Engineering with around 100 staff. During this period, he has been responsible for managing the technical risk of Australia’s oldest and the most complex bridge assets of over 5950 bridges with a replacement value of $18.5 billion.
Ari is the winner of the most prestigious award in NSW, 2018 NSW Premier’s Award in the category “Delivering Infrastructure (individual)”
Ian Berger
With a background in archaeology and materials science, Ian Berger (BA (Hons), Assoc Dip.Civ Eng (Surveying)) has provided technical advice and carried out heritage assessments for capacity upgrades and repair works to timber truss bridges since joining the then-RTA in 2001.
Ian Bowie
Most of Ian Bowie’s career has been on the staff of the School of Civil Engineering of the University of Sydney. He was one of the earliest members and office-holders of the Engineering Heritage Committee of Sydney Division of Engineers Australia and continues on the heritage committees of the Roads and Maritime Services and the National Trust in NSW. A most gratifying part of his work has been the supervision of many final year undergraduate theses on heritage topics carried out by enthusiastic engineering students, thereby ensuring that some knowledge in this field continues into the profession.
Tony Brassil
Tony Brassil has been a professional industrial archaeologist for more than thirty years. Tony started a research officer for the National Trust of Australia (NSW) in the late 1970s documenting industrial heritage and working with the Industrial Archaeology Committee and its expert members. In the mid-1980s, Tony moved into consultancy field, commencing work on the documentation of the old Ultimo Powerhouse, as it was being converted into the Powerhouse Museum. Consultancy work has led to engagement on a wide range of industrial sites and relics over subsequent decades. A particular interest in bridges stems from his involvement in the establishment of the Bridges Liaison Committee, between the National Trust and the Department of Main Roads’ Bridge Engineering Department, back in 1981 and an ongoing involvement in the RMS Heritage Committee.
Lenore Coltheart
Lenore Coltheart (BA (Hons), PhD) has published widely in Australian history, most recently with her study of an iconic Canberra building, Albert Hall: heart of a nation. Dr Coltheart’s contribution to Australian engineering heritage spans thirty years, from her roles as editor of the NSW Public Works’ history series and author of Between Wind and Water: the coastal engineering of New South Wales. Her heritage expertise, appreciation of local history and awareness of the stories landscapes can tell, are all evident in her chapter in this book and in her achievement as its co-ordinating editor.
Don Fraser
Don Fraser (BE, PhD) retired from the University of NSW, School of Civil Engineering in 1992, where he was an Associate Professor in Structural Engineering. He began his career as a cadet civil engineer in 1949 with the NSW Government Railways. He joined the University of NSW in 1968 and gained his PhD in 1975. Don was a member of the National Engineering Heritage Committee (now Engineering Heritage Australia) for many years and served as Chairman. In 1985, he was awarded a Monash Medal by the Institution of Engineers Australia (now Engineers Australia) for his papers on bridge history in NSW which were included in the Road and Traffic Authority’s road bridge maintenance handbook. In 2007, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Engineering Heritage by Engineering Heritage Australia, and a NSW Government Heritage Volunteer award.
Denis Gojak
Denis Gojak (BA (Hons)) joined Roads and Maritime Services as Senior Heritage Specialist in 2009. By training he is an archaeologist with a career mainly focussing on the human history of south-eastern Australia. Denis has worked in various public sector organisations and private heritage consultancy over the past 35 years, and is also currently completing a doctorate in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sydney.
Rex Glencross-Grant
Rex Glencross-Grant (BE, MEngSc, MTT, LGE, CP Eng, FIEAust, NPER, APEC Engineer, JP, CF) retired from University of New England in December 2018 as Course Coordinator and Convenor of Engineering. Other professional interests are alternative energy, solid waste management and engineering heritage. Recent presentations have included lift-span bridges and punts, ferries and pontoons on NSW inland rivers; laminated timber arch bridges in Australian colonies; novel concrete arch bridges in Northern NSW and construction of aerodromes on New Caledonia and Norfolk Island during WWII. Prior to academia Rex worked for NSW Dept of Main Roads (as Works and Bridge Engineer), and local government Engineer (Moree, Bombala and Norfolk Island Administration).
Ian Jack
Educated at Glasgow and London, Ian Jack has spent his academic life at the University of Sydney, where he has been Head of the Department of History, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and, most recently, Senior Fellow and Archivist at St Andrew’s College. Developing a special interest in material culture, he joined with archaeologists in founding the first courses in Historical Archaeology in Australia in the 1970s and has published widely on industrial heritage.
Amie Nicholas
Amie Nicholas (BE, Grad Dip (PM), ME, M.Herit.Cons., MIEAust, CP Eng, NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)) is a chartered Heritage and Conservation Engineer, and is currently working as Regional Bridge Engineer for South West Region of Roads and Maritime Services based in Wagga Wagga. She has fifteen years of experience in the design, construction and maintenance of roads, tunnels and bridges. Amie’s primary area of interest is historic timber truss bridges, having completed two Masters degrees on this topic (one on structural behaviour and the other on heritage aspects), and having developed standards, guidelines and heritage documentation for the structures.
Brian Pearson
After Brian Pearson (BE, FIEAust, CP Eng, JP) completed his studies in Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney in 1947 he was appointed to the Bridge Section of the Department of Main Roads (the DMR) later in the same year. Periods of service at Port Macquarie and Deniliquin followed. He resigned in 1955 for overseas experience. He constructed bridges in Africa for English Consulting Engineers before returning to Australia two years later and was reappointed to the DMR. Initially he removed the tram tracks from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and converted this area to roadway. He was then appointed to supervise a major reconstruction program for Sydney bridges, including Gladesville and Captain Cook and Roseville Bridges, following which he was reappointed to the Bridge Section finally occupying the position of Chief Bridge Engineer. He was the seventh occupant of this position since establishment of the DMR. in 1928 and had the unique distinction of working under each of his six predecessors during his two periods of engagement with the DMR.
Ray Wedgwood
Ray Wedgwood (BE, MEngSc, FIEAust) has 41 years’ Government experience in the planning, design, construction, maintenance and management of bridges. A particular interest has been in the development of Codes of Practice for Bridge Design (AS 1550) and associated technologies such as SAA Codes for welding, steel fabrication and concrete technology. Since retirement in 2004, Ray has been an ex-officio member of the RMS Heritage Committee, which he formerly chaired, joined the National Trust and been involved in heritage related projects such the refurbishment of the Allan timber truss bridge over the Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa, south east of Canberra and advising CAWB about the viability of the existing Windsor Bridge over the Hawkesbury River. He also has advised on the development of the RMS timber truss management policies and contributed a chapter to a book about the Sydney Harbour Bridge.