MS 4712
Papers of J.J.C. Bradfield
Scope and Content Note
Papers
1908-1943
2.42 metres (13 boxes, 2 folio boxes), plus 9 elephant folios
Available for reference
The papers of J.J.C. Bradfield were donated by his son, Dr K.N.E.
Bradfield of Port Moresby, in 1973 and 1975.
The collection comprises typescripts of many articles and speeches,
contracts, tenders, specifications and plans of major engineering works,
correspondence, newspaper cuttings, photographs and printed material.
Biographical Note
John Job Crew Bradfield was born in Sandgate, Queensland on the 26
December 1867. He was educated at Ipswich State School, Ipswich Grammar School
and the University of Sydney, where he graduated as a Bachelor of Engineering
in 1889. In 1891 he married Edith Jenkins. They had six children.
In 1891 Bradfield joined the New South Wales Department of Public Works
as a temporary draftsman, becoming permanent in 1895. He was involved in such
major projects as the Cataract Dam and Burrunjuck Dam. In 1909 he became
assistant engineer and in 1913 he was appointed chief engineer for metropolitan
railway construction. He went overseas in 1914 to study railway construction
and in the next few years wrote many papers advocating the electrification of
suburban railways. Work commenced on the underground railway in 1923 and the
first stations were opened in 1926.
In 1922 Bradfield was sent overseas to inquire into tenders for a
cantilever bridge. The 1922 Sydney Harbour Bridge Act provided for either a
cantilever or an arch bridge. In 1924 Bradfield recommended that the tender of
Dorman Long & Co be accepted and for eight years he represented the
Government in its dealings with the contractors. In 1924 he received the first
doctorate of science in engineering at Sydney University for his thesis on
electric railways and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was
opened on 19 March 1932. Bradfield retired from the Public Service in the
following year.
In 1934 Bradfield was appointed consulting engineer for the design and
construction of the Story Bridge in Brisbane, which was opened in 1940. He
helped to design the University of Queensland at St Lucia. In his later years
he advocated ambitious schemes to irrigate western Queensland and central
Australia. He was a councillor of the Institution of Engineers, Australia
(1920-24), a member of the Senate of the University of Sydney (1913-43), and a
member of the Australian National Research Council.
Bradfield died in Sydney on 23 September 1943.
Series List
Series
| 1 |
Lectures and addresses and writings, 1915-30 |
| 2 |
Sydney City Railway, 1915-37 |
| 3 |
Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1915-37 |
| 4 |
Brisbane River Bridge, 1934-39 |
| 5 |
Other bridge projects, 1897-40 |
| 6 |
Water Supply and Irrigation Scheme, 1938-42 |
| 7 |
Other projects, 1908-42 |
| 8 |
Newspaper cuttings, 1921-25 |
| 9 |
Personal documents, 1910-43 |
| 10 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1920-38 |
Series Description
Series 1 Lectures and Addresses and Writings,
1915-30
Series 1 contains typescript copies of many of Bradfields lectures
and other writings, mainly about Sydney. Examples include, Sydney
Past Present and Future (presented to the London Town Planning
Institute in 1922), The Sydney Harbour Bridge and City Railway
(presented at the Mosman Town Hall in 1926), Population and
transportation problems of the city of Sydney (presented to the Town
Planning Association of NSW 1916), Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme, Part
1, Burrinjuck Dam, weirs and regulators, main canals (presented at
Queensland University in 1918), Engineering developments in NSW since the
inauguration of the Commonwealth (presented at the P.N. Russell
Engineering School, Sydney University in 1920).
In 1924 Bradfield received the first doctorate of science in engineering
at the Sydney University for his thesis on electric railways and the Sydney
Harbour Bridge.
The typescript lectures are in exercise books in numerical order (1-78).
Numbers 8,9,16,17,18,30,69 and 74 have not been received. No. 35 Index to
Papers appears to be a draft to the lecture index. There are some discrepancies
between the index in folder one and the numbers that appear on the
typescripts.
Folder/Items
| 1 |
Lecture Index 1915-30 |
| 2 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1915-17 |
| 3 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1917-18 |
| 4 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1918-20 |
| 5 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1920-21 |
| 6 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1921-22 |
| 7 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1922-22 |
| 8 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1922-23 |
| 9 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1923-24 |
| 10 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1924-26 |
| 11 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1926-26 |
| 12 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1926-26 |
| 13 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1926-27 |
| 14 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1929-30 |
| 15 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1929-30 |
| 16 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1930-30 |
| 17 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, 1933-41 |
| 18 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, n.d. |
| 19 |
Lectures, addresses and writings, n.d |
| 20 |
Bradfields doctoral thesis, University of Sydney, The
City and Suburban Electric Railways and the Sydney Harbour Bridge,
1924 |
Series 2 Sydney City Railway, 1915-37
In 1913 Bradfield was appointed chief engineer for metropolitan railway
construction. He wrote many papers advocating the electrification of suburban
railways. In 1923 work commenced on the underground railway and the first
stations were opened in 1926.
Series 2 contains a bound typescript of the Index to the History of
the Construction of the City Railway and notes, pamphlets and reprints of
articles by Bradfield. There are two different typescripts, both entitled
The city railway.
Folder/Item
| 1 |
Index to the History of the Construction of the City Electric
Railway |
| 2 |
Typescript draft entitled The City Railway and
publication entitled Electrification of Sydney and suburban
railways(1926) The City Railway, n.d. Pamphlets: The
city railway, The School Magazine, XII, no 1,
1927 Electric tramway: the Spit to Manly, 1915 |
Series 3 Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1915-37
From 1924 Bradfield worked as the Government representative in dealing
with the Sydney Harbour Bridge contractors, Dorman Long & Co. Bradfield is
usually regarded as the designer of the bridge but from time to time his claim
has been challenged. In 1922 the Sydney Harbour Bridge Act paved the way for
bridge construction. The material in this series includes contract drafts, a
contract tender report, legislation, bridge design plans, Bradfields
broadcasts, congratulatory letters (including a poem by Dame Mary Gilmore), and
ceremonial invitations and speeches (including a copy of an address by A.P.
Campbell on the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge).
Folder/Elephant Folio
| 1 |
"Sydney Harbour Bridge Act;1922" "Sydney Harbour Bridge
(Administration ) Act, 1932" typescript notes on financial estimates,
(1934) |
| 2 |
No.1 specification (typescript ) |
| 3 |
No.2 first revised typescript draft sent to Government Printer |
| 4 |
No.3 first proof copy received from Government Printer |
| 5 |
Contract to build Sydney Harbour Bridge (1923) |
| 6-7 |
Report on tenders: typescript, original and copy |
| 8 |
Legal papers on wage claims |
| 9 |
Typescript copies of broadcasts on the Sydney Harbour Bridge |
| 10 |
Invitations and ceremony speeches |
| 11 |
Letters of congratulations including a poem by Dame Mary Gilmore
(March-April 1932) and copies of Bradfields letters |
| 12 |
Pamphlets |
| 13 |
Newspaper articles (1927-33) including a Sydney Morning
Herald article dealing with the bridge design dispute and letter (1930)
from E.A. Buttershaw (Minister for Works) recognising Bradfield as the Bridge
designer |
| 14 |
Commemorative Scroll for opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932)
(Elephant Folio) |
|
|
Series 4 Brisbane River Bridge, 1934-39
In 1934 Bradfield was appointed consulting engineer for the design and
construction of the Brisbane River Bridge (also known as the Story Bridge).
This series comprises a set of bound typescript papers relating to
Bradfields appointment, financial estimates, survey reports, conditions
of contract, design specifications and detail maps, photographs and bridge
sketches.
Folder/Elephant Folio/Folio
| 1 |
Correspondence (1933) and indenture (1938) |
| 2 |
Cost estimates and Tender Report ,1935 |
| 3 |
Tender and State awards submitted by Evans, Deakin-Hornibrook
Construction Pty Ltd |
| 4 |
Triangulation foundations; reports, 1934 |
| 5 |
Cross River Commission Report |
| 6 |
General design |
| 7 |
Specification for design and details |
| 8 |
Specification, general conditions, conditions of contract and
schedule of quantities,1935 |
| 9 |
Bound typescript by Bradfield entitled The story of King
George the Fifth Memorial Bridge, Brisbane:1. The site and the materials in the
making' |
| 10 |
Bound typescript by Professor J.W.S. Cumbrae-Stewart entitled
'Brisbane River Bridge: the southern gate', 1935 |
| 11 |
Newspaper articles 1932-34. Story Bridge (printed and
bound), invitations |
| 12 |
Typescript copies of speeches about the Bridge, 1935-40 |
| 13 |
Journal articles, 1935-39 |
| 14 |
Pencil sketches of Brisbane River Bridge (Elephant
Folio) General design including details of estimated value of land and
properties to be acquired. (Folio 6) Technical and traffic considerations
influencing the location and the general design, 1934 (Folio 7) Brisbane
River Bridge sketches (Folio 1 and 2) |
Series 5 Other Bridge Projects, 1897-40
Series 5 consists of material relating to Bradfields other bridge
projects which include a contract for the Kempsey Timber Bridge (1897) and
newspaper cuttings, plans and correspondence about the Hobart Derwent Bridge
and the Auckland Bridge.
The material for the St Lucia Bridge, Brisbane, consists of design
details and plans.
Folder
| 1 |
Contract for timber bridge on iron piers over the Macleay River, at
Kempsey (1897) |
| 2 |
Hobart Derwent Bridge: correspondence, papers and plans (1936) |
| 3-5 |
Auckland Bridge. Newspaper cuttings, plans, correspondence
(1936-38) |
| 6 |
St. Lucia Bridge, Brisbane: maps and designs (1940) |
Series 6 Water Supply and Irrigation Scheme,
1938-42
In his later life Bradfields research focused on 'Devising schemes
to develop Australias fertile but arid hinterland intoa veritable garden
of Eden by the miracle of water conservation and irrigation.' The research
material includes rainfall figures, newpaper clippings, photographs, maps and
correspondence relating to schemes to irrigate western Queensland and central
Australia.
Folder/Elephant Folio
| 1 |
Rainfall observations for Queensland |
| 2 |
General addresses and papers by Bradfield on the water scheme |
| 3 |
Rainfall figures for Flinders Shire, Qld. Newspaper clippings about
a water scheme for central Australia, 1938-39 |
| 4 |
Orographical map of Australia: two sketch maps showing the Tully,
Herbert and part of the Burdekin, Flinders and Thompson River systems |
| 5-6 |
Slides (printed and mounted on paper): photographs and a few maps
of the Tully and Herbert Rivers dam sites in Queensland |
| 7-9 |
Slides: as above except the photos and maps concern the Burdekin
and Flinders Rivers dam sites |
| 7-10 |
Photographs, clippings and typewritten notes and tables regarding
the Wura, Rockhampton (Qld) irrigation scheme, 1938-40 |
| 11-12 |
Water Scheme correspondence, 1938-42 |
| 13 |
Papers and writings of various people collected by Bradfield
concerning water conservation |
| 14 |
Printed material concerning water conservation and meteorology
|
| 15 |
22 maps, Queensland (1927-35) (Elephant folio) |
| 16 |
4 maps, Queensland (Elephant folio) Maps of the inland
irrigation scheme (Folio 4) |
Series 7 Other Projects, 1897-1940
Bradfields other main projects include the Barren Jack Dam (1908)
the Cataract Dam, two Highways proposals (Warringah and Quay), St. Lucia
University, Brisbane (1936), Alpha Oil Shale (includes correspondence with R.K.
Dobbie, Florence Taylor), and the manufacture of aluminium in Australia (1940)
which includes Bradfields letter to F.M.Forde asking for
Government backing for the aluminium project.
Folder
| 1 |
Barren Jack Dam, specifications and plans, 1908 |
| 2 |
Proposed Warringah Highway. Correspondence, estimates papers,
plans, 1929-37 |
| 3 |
Proposal for the Quay Highway, 1929 |
| 4 |
University (St. Lucia) Building Committee. Report, 20 June 1936
|
| 5 |
University of Queensland. The lay-out proposed for the St. Lucia
site: an address by Bradfield, 22 June 1936. |
| 6-7 |
Manufacture of aluminium in Australia. Correspondence, newspaper
cuttings on war-time manufacture of aluminium, 1940-42 |
| 8 |
Alpha Oil Shale. Correspondence with R.K. Dobbie, Florence Taylor
and others, 1941-42 |
Series 8 Newspaper Cuttings, 1921-25
Folder/Item
| 1 |
Cuttings on Sir Ernest Rutherfords lectures in Sydney,
1925 |
| 2 |
Newspaper cuttings book, 1921-23 |
| 3 |
Newspaper cuttings book, 1922 |
Series 9 Personal Documents, 1910-43
The personal documents in this series include certificates;
correspondence with J.A. Lyons about Commonwealth Government works;
correspondence on the award of Bradfields doctorate; correspondence on
the award of the Telford Gold Medal in 1934 for his paper The Sydney
Harbour Bridge and approaches; a memorandum on his appointment to
Department of Public Works (1915); photographs of family members and copies of
Bradfields obituary and related articles about his death in newpapers and
journals.
Folder/Elephant folio
| 1 |
1910-43 |
| 2 |
1915-35 |
| 3 |
Certificates, 1910-40 (Elephant folio) |
| 4 |
Certificates, 1896-1924 (Elephant folio) Photographs (Folio
3) |
Series 10 Miscellaneous Papers, 1920-38 and Maps
Miscellaneous papers include cuttings, pamphlets, a letter about the
Niagara Arch and an extract from Indian Engineering (1920). There are
three elephant folio pockets of miscellaneous maps. The folio boxes contain
published material on engineering, a plan of trees planted in Canberra by the
Institute of Engineers and a box of glass slides about the Wura Water Scheme
and prehistoric animals.
Folder/Elephant folio/Folio
| 1 |
Pamphlets, newspapers and letter |
| 2 |
10 maps (Elephant folio ) |
| 3 |
9 maps (Elephant folio) |
| 4 |
9 maps (Elephant folio) Glass slides of Wura Water scheme and
prehistoric animals (Folio 9) Published material on engineering (Folio
5) Plan of trees planted in Canberra (Folio 8) |
Box List
|
Box |
Series |
Folder |
| 1 |
1 |
1-7 |
| 2 |
1 |
8-13 |
| 3 |
1 |
14-20 |
| 4 |
2 |
1-2 |
| 4 |
3 |
1-5 |
| 5 |
3 |
6-8 |
| 6 |
3 |
9-13 |
| 6 |
4 |
1-3 |
| 7 |
4 |
4-8 |
| 8 |
4 |
9-13 |
| 8 |
5 |
1-3 |
| 9 |
5 |
4-6 |
| 9 |
6 |
1-3 |
| 10 |
6 |
4-10 |
| 11 |
6 |
11-14 |
| 12 |
7 |
1-8 |
| 13 |
8 |
1-3 |
| 13 |
9 |
1-2 |
| 13 |
10 |
1 |
| Folio
Box |
Series |
Item |
| 1 |
4 |
1-2 |
| 1 |
9 |
3 |
| 1 |
6 |
4 |
| 1 |
10 |
5 |
| 2 |
4 |
6-7 |
| 2 |
10 |
8-9 |
| Map
drawer |
Series |
Item |
| 25 |
3 |
14 |
| 25 |
4 |
14 |
| 25 |
6 |
15-16 |
| 25 |
9 |
3-4 |
| 25 |
10 |
2-4 |
June 1973 Revised September 2000 |