The contribution of Sir John Monash to 20th century engineering in Australia

General Sir John Monash contributed to many fields of engineering. From 1894 to 1914 he built up, initially in partnership with J T N Anderson, a thriving business specialising in reinforced concrete, mainly in Victoria. He readily met the challenges of introducing new technology: education of self and others; preparation of designs; site supervision; overcoming inertia and vested interest; surmounting financial setbacks and the vagaries of civil construction. Equipped with a degree in law, he was a formidable advocate. He took a keen interest in science, tertiary education, the well-being of the profession, and in the theory of military and public administration. His experience in engineering and law, with a parallel career in the Militia, exercised his keen intellect, tested his moral courage, and made him an excellent commander of the Australian Army Corps in France in 1918. After the war he applied his authority to providing Victoria with a unified system of power generation and distribution in the form of the State Electricity Commission.