Ernest Martin Bullock

Ernest Martin Bullock
(1921 - 2008)

Ernest Bullock was born in Wellington, NSW, in 1921. His father was a mixed farmer, and his mother a school teacher. He had two older and one younger brothers. He married in 1943, and had three children over seven years.

His primary education was at Wellington Primary School and then Wellington Intermediate High School and two years at Dubbo High School to first matriculation. He was too young for University so repeated 5th year at Wollaroi College.

In 1941 he was awarded a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical/Mechanical) from Sydney University. Much later in life, in 1989, he returned to Sydney University and gained a Master of Engineering Science degree.

Bullock's first job was in December 1941 with NSW Government Railways as an Engineer in the Electrical Branch. His first assignment was a fuelling system at Ultimo Power Station. Next he designed two radar towers. The RAAF wanted a lightweight air-warning radar station (LWAW) and he designed the structural & mechanical aspects. The project had a 30-day deadline to design and produce the prototype.

It became a very effective design, to the extent that there is a LWAW exhibited at the Australian War Memorial.

15 radar stations were supplied to the British in Burma and US forces in South Pacific. The 50th anniversary of the design was celebrated in 1992, and a postage stamp issued. Bullock was involved in the design of further radar structures and antennas. Radar system electronics were made by the Gramophone Company, later to become EMI, and Amalgamated Wireless Australia (AWA). He was also involved in mechanical design for '103' & '104' converters to plans by Dr David Myers. These were devices for aiming guns using radar information.

After the war he was promoted to Field Engineer at the Mains Depot, Leichhardt from where he maintained 320 miles of overhead wires (1500 volts) and 400 miles of high voltage of transmission lines (11 kV to 66 kV). Ultimately he was in charge of 300 staff. In 1955 - 1957, Bullock played his part in the extension of railway traction electrification from Parramatta to Lithgow.

The next project was the extension of railway electrification from Hornsby to Gosford. This was an in-house task for both design and construction, and it required a unique design of overhead wire and catenary, due to severe gradients. He trained the Railway’s own staff to perform the work. At the time he sought approval for extension of the work to Newcastle, but this was not approved until 1980, by which time economic benefits had been lost.

In 1974 Bullock became Supervising Engineer, Country Electrical Services, within the Railways, and this included the electrical services of Wollongong, Lithgow, Newcastle, and all stations west of the Blue Mountains.

He then moved to Chief Engineer, Electrical Branch, under the re-arrangement of the Railways as the Public Transport Commission, the position was renamed General Manager, with overall responsibility for design, construction and maintenance of all high and low voltage power supplies required for traction, workshops, depots, offices, stations and railway yards.

In 1980 he was appointed to Chief Operations Manager when the State Rail Authority was established. He recommended further electrification in 1980 - from Albury to Brisbane, and west to Orange and Gunnedah, but this was not proceeded with. He introduced computerised seat bookings to improve 'no-show' situation. He was chairman of the steering committee for the introduction of the XPT, and a daily peak hour reliability review with allocation of responsibility for delays. He introduced a computerised wagon control system and new methods for overhead transmission line installation, for improved productivity.

He was involved with the Sydney Electrolysis Committee, the Electricity Supply Association of Australia, the Standards Association Electrical Engineering Board and various standardisation activities with a continuing involvement as part of his position Ther was liaison with the Urban Transit Authority and the installation of video passenger information systems at Central Station. His major contribution to NSWGR was 'to do a good job' in the pursuit of innovation and excellence.

In retirement, in addition to playing golf, he chaired the Railways of Australia committee setting standardised electrical traction voltages between states, and was retained by private consulting firm Hyland, Joy and Wardrop for various projects including a feasibility study for light rail system in Malaysia, and a study of the Melbourne overhead traction supply system.

He was a member of the Australian Water and Waste Water Association.

Ernest Bullock died in 2008.

Prepared by Freda Garnsey, 15 November 2002 from oral history interviews conducted on 12/11/99 & 15/11/99.

To access an oral history interview with Ernest Martin Bullock please use this link:'

https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Oral_Histories_Sydney