Barry Foreman
Barry Foreman (1931 - 2000)
Barry Foreman was born in Watsons Bay, Sydney on 2 October 1931. From his earliest years, he had a creative urge to build things such as Meccano set.
In 1943, aged 11 years. he was enrolled at Sydney Technical High School. He repeated 5th year and obtained good pass in the Leaving Certificate and then went on to the University of Technology, (later University of NSW), to study mechanical engineering for 2 years after which he transferred to Sydney Technical College where he gained an A.S.T.C. in Mechanical Engineering.
In 1964, at the University of NSW, he gained a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Engineering.
He was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.
In 1951 he started work with the Water Board (MSWDB) as an engineering trainee in fitting, machining and drafting, where he remained until 1954 when he became a design draftsman for Taubmans Industries making designs and detailing drawings for all facets of paint production; some site supervision of the erection of mechanical components was involved.
Between 1957 and 1958 he was the Design Engineer for Cummings & Welson P/L - involved in design and production of high precision mechanical units and components for professional cinematographs, aircraft components and maintenance tooling, including Boeing 707s, and gearboxes associated with telegraphic and telephonic apparatus.
From 1958 to 1959 he was site engineer and salesman, selling, tendering and involved in the production of pre-stressed and reinforced concrete products.
Commencing in 1959 and until 1963 Foreman was a Project Engineer at Alcan, Granville, engaged in construction of major expansion and modernisation project of aluminium semi-fabrication equipment. He then became Mechanical Maintenance Engineer for the entire Granville operation, but this lasted only a few months as he was then promoted to the position of Assistant Rolling Mill Superintendent. The Krupp mill was the first of its kind in Australia and presented many mechanical and production difficulties. The plant rolled aluminium for the first NSW Government Railways double-deck rail carriages.
From 1963 Foreman was Senior Industrial Engineer at Norton Australia Ltd. At first his job was one of work and method study. Then he had supervisory roles at various levels. In 1964 he was acting Production Manager, and his control encompassed day to day running and planning of coated abrasives, pressure sensitive tape and the adhesives department. In 1968 he was sent to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to solve a major work measurement and incentive problem. He was trained by HAY-MSL in job description writing and job evaluation and participated in job evaluations of all personnel to middle and upper management level in Belfast and London plants. He worked for the same company in Eastern Europe - then behind the Iron Curtain where US companies operated. At end of 1970 spent time in American manufacturing plants. He returned to Australia and was posted to the Data Services Department.
In 1973 Foreman was headhunted to Kalamazoo (Aust) Ltd and for the first three years was National Sales Administration Manager responsible for the Australia-wide sales force. And then another three years as Production Division Manager. The firm had good sales techniques but production, sales and marketing were not well-coordinated, and he did not like ethics of general management. For 1979 and 1980 Foreman was an Engineer for Ralston Equipment Pty Ltd, a small company that had a license to manufacture a German concrete pump (Schwing) and was selling agency for Japanese Kobe pile hammers. The company had cash flow problems, and the job was terminated.
During 1980 to 1982 he was Company Engineer at K J Baillie Pty Ltd. His job responsibility included engineering management, sub-contracted items of an engineering nature, field service and problem solving in areas of sales. Valve systems for mainly power station work were planned and put together in the workshop. Every major power station in Australia was involved in the company's workshop activities.
Between 1983 and 1988 he had various consulting assignments for companies such as: Multi-Clean Pty Ltd; Schrader Pongrass; Warburton Franki; Leigh Mardon; Vinidex Tubemakers; Australian Bio-Medical Corp; Kelloggs; Gelman Sciences; Jeldi; Westpac Banking Corp; John P Young & Associates; Lysaght Building Industries, and MHP Coated Division.
In 1988 and 1989 he was Industrial Engineering Manager with Alcatel STC Australia. The position was to improve manufacturing performance, but the job was difficult to achieve with management not wanting to break traditional practices.
After 1989 Fireman undertook various consulting assignments with companies such as Dairy Farmers Co-op; Lysaght Building Industries; Intergrale Pty Ltd; Arnotts Snack Foods; Selleys and Price Waterhouse.
He was on occasions an expert witness involving National Standards Commission, NATA and the NSW Police Department.
He worked with the NSW State Government as a new manufacturing policies and initiatives adviser.
He was also a Careers Advisor for schools and universities.
To see an Engineers Australia obituary for Barry Foreman please see:
Media:2067-BiographyForemanBarryObituary.pdf
To access an oral history interview with Barry Foreman please use this link:'
https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Oral_Histories_Sydney
