Millen, John Dunlop
John Dunlop Millen was an Irish-born, Tasmanian mining engineer. For a full account of his life please see The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, where he served as Senator between 1920 and 1938.
https://biography.senate.gov.au/millen-john-dunlop/
Specifically relevant to Engineers Australia is that he was a foundation member of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1919 and President in 1924.
In 1932 Henri Mallard, a noted Sydney photographer, donated a copy of his film of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the nation through one of its institutions. Wherever it was deposited it seems to have come into the possession of Millen and the Senate, for it was Millen who wrote to Mallard, on Senate letterhead paper, to thank him for the donation.
'The Senate
'August 1932.
'Dear Mr Mallard,
'I feel I must write to you an appreciation of your film of the Sydney Bridge. This picture is a very excellent production, and is of great value as a record, and is of very definite historical use.
As an engineer I very much appreciate the record of such a great constructive work. The film shows in full detail the creation and erection of a great engineering feat. The photography through the whole of the reel is of outstanding merit.
There is no essential detail in the erection of the structure omitted. The film has a great attraction both on account of the artistic handling of the subject, and the good judgment shown in the selection of the material portrayed.
I therefore offer to you my appreciation of the excellent results attained.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
J D Millen
Somehow over the next few years, (Millen’s term ended in 1938 and he died in 1941), the film came into the possession of the Institution. The obvious facilitator in this process is Millen with his strong links to the organisation.
Also associated with the film are two large albums of still photographs of the bridge by Mallard now held in the EA Canberra library. The albums include the original of Millen’s letter cited above, so are presumably part of the same package delivered to the Institution by Millen
The albums include 115 original enlargements of Mallard’s photographs, printed by Harringtons, a Sydney photography store of which Mallard was the manager. The total number of images taken by Mallard of the Bridge is unknown but reference to the holdings of other institutions and later published books would suggest that what is held by EA is a substatial and original part of Mallard’s work.
In 1969 Frank Litchfield, resident engineer on the bridge as a young man, was shown the film and his commentary as he watched recorded and dubbed over the otherwise silent movie. This film was exhibited a number of times at Institution events. The original film is now believed to be held in the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra. For the 75th anniversary of the Bridge in 2007 the Institution used the Mallard film as the basis for a new production, with a modern voice-over, illustrative diagrams and some extra film and images not by Mallard. This production was made available as a DVD.
This production may be viewed on thi webite at:
It is intended to make Mallard’s photographs available on this website also
