Australia has a rich natural and cultural heritage that underpins our sense of place and national identity and makes a positive contribution to the nation’s wellbeing. Included in our cultural heritage is an important contribution from engineering.
Recording and understanding this contribution helps us to:
- improve on and design better for future generations
- conserve, maintain and manage our heritage assets, places and items
- support sustainability initiatives and conserve natural resources through repurposing and adaptive reuse.
Our work
Engineering Heritage Australia’s (EHA) vision is to be recognised as the expert group for the practice of heritage and conservation engineering and on all aspects of Australian engineering heritage and history.
EHA has four main areas of activity:
We perform important work by:
- Developing heritage engineering short courses in collaboration with the University of Canberra.
- Managing the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program, bringing public recognition to significant works.
- Contributing to the Heritage and Conservation Engineering area of practice.
- Delivering the biennial Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference.
- Conferring the John Monash Medal and the Colin Crisp Award.
- Facilitating an Australian engineers oral history program.
- Providing continuing professional development on heritage engineering best practice, facilitating site visits and conducting engineering heritage walks
- Producing and publishing newsletters, bulletins and magazines.
Leadership
EHA’s activities are supported by volunteers. There is a national committee and branches in every state and in the Australian Capital Territory. Branches develop and deliver programs locally, promoting the conservation of engineering heritage and representing Engineers Australia in state heritage matters.
Current members of the national committee are:
- Michael Taylor FIEAust CPEng(Ret) – Chair
- Eamon Madden FIEAust CPEng – Deputy Chair
- Barry Finlay FIEAust CPEng(Ret)
- Mervyn Lindsay FIEAust CPEng NER
- Richard Muncey MIEAust CPEng(Ret)
- Ben Skerman MIEAust CPEng NER
- Robert Taaffe FIEAust
- Philip Willis FIEAust CPEng(Ret)
- Geoffrey Anderson – Corresponding member
- Gregg Klopp – Corresponding member
- Ian Newnham – Corresponding member
EHA’s wiki provides a wealth of information on engineering heritage including details of 150-plus places of engineering interest, biographies of more than 500 Australian engineers and an interactive map showcasing the 250-plus items recognised by the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.
Engage with us
Join EAXchange to view our resources, heritage information and publications. You can also network with other technical society members on this interactive forum.
To keep up to date with the latest news and events, join our Engineering Heritage Australia Group on LinkedIn.
Related groups
- Engineering Heritage New Zealand
- Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) – Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers
- Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) – Panel for Historical Engineering Works
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK) – Engineering Heritage Awards
- American Society of Civil Engineers – Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Program
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers – Landmarks Program
- The Newcomen Society (UK)
Our publications
Assessment of an industrial site
The purpose of this practice note is to provide engineers and others with essential background information on the assessment of the engineering heritage significance of an industrial site.
Assessment of engineering heritage items
The purpose of this practice note is to provide engineers and others with a process for assessing engineering heritage significance.
Conservation of engineering heritage items
Conserving a wheeled steam engine
The purpose of this practice note is to provide engineers and others with essential background information on the appropriate process for conserving a wheeled steam engine.
EHA Magazine, volume 1, edition 1
This edition includes Edward Barton and the Barton White & Company Power Station and Factory, the National Steam Centre, Scoresby, Ord River Diversion Dam, Overland Telegraph and the Phoenix Foundry in Ballarat.