John Bradfield (engineer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Job Crew Bradfield (December 26, 1867 - September 23, 1943) was an engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and had a grand vision for Sydney's railway system that has only been partly fulfilled. Other accomplishments include the design of the Story Bridge, Brisbane. He also designed the Cataract and Burrinjuck Dams.

Bradfield was born in Sandgate, Queensland, the youngest son of John Edward Bradfield (1823/4 - 1902) and Maria Crew (1828 - 1917). He received his early education in Ipswich, Queensland, attending Ipswich North State School and Ipswich Grammar School before completing a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1889 at the University of Sydney, and a Master of Engineering in 1896. In 1924 Bradfield received the first doctorate of science in engineering at the University of Sydney for his thesis on electric railways and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In later years he developed the Bradfield Scheme (never implemented) for diverting some coastal rivers of Queensland onto the western side of the Great Dividing Range.

He married Edith Jenkins, daughter of John Ventris Jenkins, on 28th May 1891. They had five sons, including Keith Noel Everal (1910 - 2006) and Stanley George (1906 - 1951); and one daughter, Mary Margaret (1892 - 1984).

The Bradfield Highway is named after him.