Robert Chapman giant of engineering in Adelaide from 1911 with university and school of mines and industries

Professor Robert Chapman's engineering students went on to senior positions in industry around the world.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia

Robert Chapman, an inspired recruit to Adelaide University by William Bragg in 1889, became the university’s first professor of engineer with a huge effect on that field in Adelaide and beyond.

A Melbourne University graduate in 1888, Chapman worked on railway construction before becoming assistant to Bragg as lecturer in mathematics and physics at Adelaide University and, in 1890, began teaching mathematics at South Australian School of Mines and Industries. He lectured in engineering at the university from 1901 and, six years later, was its first professor of engineering.

In 1910-19, he replaced Bragg as professor of mathematics and mechanics but in 1920 returned to the chair of engineering until retiring in 1937.

Chapman’s ability to recognise fundamental essentials of any problem made him an excellent teacher, liked by students for kindness and lucidity. He also was an experimental investigator and practical engineer. He transformed training of engineers by getting joint diploma courses by the university and school of mines from 1903. Courses leading to university degrees in expanding areas of engineering started later.

Chapman promoted the status of engineering as foundation president of the South Australian Institute of Engineers from 1913, and a foundation councillor and later president of the Institution of Engineers, Australia. Chapman’s students were employed at power plants throughout Australia and in senior positions globally. They included G.C. Klug, Essington Lewis, W.E Wainwright,  Hugh Angwin (chief engineer of South Australian Harbors Board) and Chapman's son Robert Hall (chief engineer for railways in South Australia from 1924). Despite his heavy teaching burden,

Chapman was active in applied science beyond the university. He was a member of Adelaide Observatory committee and did original research, having extramural applications, into properties of timber, the micro-structure of metals and phenomena related to concrete. Active in setting up a South Australian standards laboratory, he often was consulted by governments regarding public works.

Chapman was Adelaide University council member from 1919 and occasionally vice-chancellor. From 1939, he was council president of the school of mines and industries and president of South Australian Institute of Surveyors 1917-29.

A fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1909, he supported the struggling Astronomical Society of South Australia. He was awarded the premier Peter Nicol Russell memorial medal by the Institution of Engineers in 1928 and the (W.C.) Kernot memorial medal of Melbourne University in 1931. Besides learned and scientific papers, Chapman published The Elements of Astronomy for Surveyors (1919) and Reinforced Concrete.