William Bragg recruits Robert Chapman, an engineering teaching and technology giant, to South Australia in 1888

Robert Chapman, Adelaide University's first professor of engineering in 1907.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia

Robert Chapman, recruited to Adelaide University in 1888 by William Bragg, became a giant of South Australian engineering technology. After starting as assistant lecturer in mathematics and physics at the university, Chapman taught mathematics at South Australian School of Mines and Industries from 1900.

After lecturing in engineering for several years, he became the first professor of engineering at the university in 1907. From 1910-19, he replaced Bragg as professor of mathematics and mechanics. He resumed as professor of engineering from 1920 until he retired in 1937.

Chapman believed strongly that engineering should be trained beyond apprenticeships through joint courses by the university and the School of Mines and Industries. These started in 1903 and became university degree courses, including civil engineering, initially considered unwarranted as being “simply the opposite of military engineering”.

He continued to promote professionalism, as a founding member and president of the  South Australian Institute of Engineers, in 1913, and as president of the Institution of Engineers Australia. Chapman taught many who later distinguished themselves, including Essington Lewis, H.T.M. Angwin (chief engineer of South Australian Harbours Board), and his own son Robert Hall Chapman (chief engineer of South Australian Railways).

Despite his heavy teaching load, he did original research into the structures of metals, timber and concrete, and also studied tidal behaviour and astronomy.

He worked with  the South Australian government, as consultant on projects including bridges, roads, jetties, railways and breakwaters; the Australian Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association, the council of the University of Adelaide, occasionally as vice-chancellor; and the South Australian School of Mines and Industries as president 1939-42. He was also president of the South Australian Institute of Surveyors 1917-29. He wrote many papers on engineering as well as two books, The Elements of Astronomy for Surveyors (1918) and Reinforced Concrete (1921).

He was made a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1909 and supported the Astronomical Society of South Australia as president for a record 32 years. In 1928, he was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Medal by the Institution of Engineers and in 1931 the Kernot Memorial Medal by the University of Melbourne.