Essington Lewis
LEWIS, Essington, CH DipSASMI FACI MSCI HonMAIMM HonMAIMME HonFIEAust MRS(Vic) HonDSc FTSE (1881-1961)
Became Managing Director of BHP in 1926 and during WWII was responsible for harnessing Australia's manufacturing industry to the war effort. Retired as Chairman of BHP in 1952. In 1948 he became the Institution of Engineers Australia's 8th Honorary Member.
Known for his outstanding work ethic, Essington made a major contribution to industry development in Australia. His biography, written by Geoffrey Blainey, is entitled The Steel Master: a Life of Essington Lewis. He had a significant influence on the steel industry, able to anticipate future needs, and by the end of the 1920’s BHP was operating one of the cleanest, safest, and most cost-effective steel plants in the world.
Essington was born on January 13, 1881, in Burra, the third son of pastoralist and politician the Hon John Lewis and his wife Martha Lewis nee Brook. He was named after Port Essington, in the Northern Territory. It had been abandoned in 1849. It had been explored along with the hinterland, in 1871, by his father. His father then returned in 1875 to establish a 1,100 square mile cattle station there.
Essington was educated at the Government School in Burra and then, in 1894, went to St Peter’s College Adelaide. During his schooling he took a two-year break to work on his father’s pastoral properties before returning, in 1900, to complete his Senior Examination (Leaving Certificate) at St Peter’s College. He then, in 1901, enrolled in the South Australian School of Mines and Industries. In 1901, he was awarded the best First Year Student in the Department of Metallurgy. He completed his Mining Certificate in 1903. Following completion of his practical component of the course he was awarded a Mining Diploma in 1905.
He had started work for BHP Company Limited (BHP) in 1904, as an underground miner and in a short time became Foreman of the Broken Hill Sulphuric Acid Plant. After working in Broken Hill as a Metallurgist he became Assistant Manager of the company’s Smelting Works at Port Pirie.
Essington married Gladys Rosalind Cowan, at St John’s Church, Burnside, South Australia, on April 12, 1910.
They had seven children, James Essington born Port Pirie in 1911, David Warren born Malvern Victoria in 1916, Robert Brook born Malvern Victoria in 1918, Helen Rosalind born Melbourne in 1922, Mary Essington born Malvern Victoria in 1923, Janette born Caulfield Victoria in 1926 and Jane Warren born Malvern Victoria in 1928.
In 1913, Guillame Delprat, General Manager of BHP, took the company into steel production at Newcastle. Essington was given the role of expanding the output of iron ore at Iron Knob, in South Australia, for Australian steel production, as Manager of the Iron Knob Tramway and Ironstone Quarries. After 1915, Essington was a frequent visitor to Newcastle.
From 1915 to 1918, Essington was the Manager Broken Hill Munitions Company Pty Ltd, carrying out this role whilst also expanding BHP’s steelmaking capacity. He was promoted to Assistant General Manager BHP in 1918.
In 1920 he undertook a world tour of steelmaking plants and mines returning to become General Manager of the company in 1921. He became Managing Director of BHP in 1926 and then Chief General Manager BHP in 1938. He encouraged BHP to set up value adding to steel and the byproducts of steel production. In 1938 he was appointed Chairman of the Commonwealth Advisory Panel on Industrial Organisation.
In May 1940, Sir Robert Menzies appointed Essington Lewis Director General of Munitions, and in January 1942, Director General of Aircraft with the responsibility of harnessing the nation’s entire manufacturing industry to the war effort.
Essington Lewis refused a recommendation for a knighthood, but Prime Minister Curtin initiated Lewis's appointment in 1943 as a Companion of Honour with the citation:
- No Australian has given more unreservedly of his talents and energy in the service of his country or rendered greater service in the production of weapons for defence of Australia and other parts of the Empire.
After the war he was associated with several important industrial projects in South Australia - the establishment of the long-range weapons project at Salisbury and Woomera, the foundation of shipyards and steelworks at Whyalla and the production of the first all-Australian manufactured car, the Holden, in 1948.
Essington Lewis retired as CEO of BHP in 1950 and became Chairman of BHP from 1950 to 1952. He then took up the part time position of Deputy Chairman which he held at his death in 1961.
Essington was also Managing Director of Australian Iron & Steel, Ryland Bros (Aust) Pty Ltd, Wellington Alluvials Ltd, BHP By Products Pty Ltd, BHP Collieries Pty Ltd, Lysaght Bros & Co Pty Ltd, Australian Wire Rope Works Pty Ltd, Tubemakers of Australia Ltd, Commonwealth Steel Company Ltd and Stewarts & Lloyds (Aust) Pty Ltd.
He was Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Pty Ltd, Titan Nail & Wire Pty Ltd, Structural Engineering Company (WA) Ltd, Port Waratah Stevedoring Company Pty Ltd, Wiltshire File Company Pty Ltd and Associated Airlines Pty Ltd.
He was Chairman of British Tube Mills (Aust) Pty Ltd and the Industrial Design Council of Australia.
He was active in many associations and organisations being the Chairman of the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers, a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a Member of the Chemical Institute of Victoria, a Member of the Institute of Metals London and a Member of the Iron and Steel Institute London.
Essington was a regular speaker at Institution of Engineers, Australia (IEAust) events and became their eighth Honorary Member (equivalent to Honorary Fellow now), in 1948, for his role in the steel and associated industries.
His honours and awards included receiving the bronze medal of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in 1940, being made an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers in 1942. He was awarded the Kernot medal by the University of Melbourne in 1943 and the Bessemer gold medal by the Iron and Steel Institute, London, the next year. In 1948, he was awarded the Florence M Taylor medal for the Australian Institute of Materials Australasia. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the Sydney University in 1952.
He was added to the Engineers Australia South Australian Hall of Fame in 2015.
Essington died on October 2, 1961, after a heart attack whilst horse riding at his property, at Tallarook, north of Melbourne. He was aged 80 years. He was survived by five of his seven children. His wife Gladys had died in 1954.
References:
South Australian Register, 8.9.1877, p. 6.
Adelaide Evening Journal, 11.12.1900, p. 2.
Adelaide Register, 14.12.1901, p. 7.
Adelaide Express & Telegraph, 12.12.1902.
Adelaide Observer, 13.11.1909, p. 16.
Sydney Morning Herald, 30.6.1952, p. 3.
The Sun, 29.8.1952, p. 7.
Engineers Australia South Australian Hall of Fame Biography, 2015.
John Healy, Editor, S.A.’s Greats, The Men and Women of the North Terrace Plaques, Historical Society of South Australia, 2003.
Peter Thompson & Robert Macklin, The Big Fella, The Rise and Rise of BHP Billiton, William Heinemann Australia, 2009.
Compiled by Chris Fitzhardinge July 22, 2026.
