Eric Scriven
SCRIVEN Eric George Bennett, BE AMIEAust (1897-1941)
Highly regarded military commander with skills in engineering, coastal defence, signalling and architecture.
Eric was born at the family home, ”Shottery”, in Yeronga, a suburb of Brisbane, on April 5, 1897. He was, the fourth child of Ernest George Edward Scriven and his wife, Helen Edith Scriven, nee Bennett. His father was one of the co-founders of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Stock. Ernest later became Under Secretary of that department.
Eric’s maternal grandfather, Edward James Bennett, trained as a professional engineer in London at the Royal College of Engineering, Putney and ultimately became Chief Draftsman of the Queensland Survey Office.
As a child, Eric was taught at home by his mother before being enrolled at the State School Yeronga from 1904 to 1907. That was followed by four years at the Brisbane Central State School, and from July 1911 three years at Brisbane Grammar School where he gained his Sydney University Junior Certificate.
The Brisbane Courier dated December 2, 1914 reported Eric’s pass of the entrance examination for the Royal Military College Duntroon, held in October 1914. He was one of only four candidates accepted for Duntroon from Queensland.
He entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in March 1915. He graduated from the college in 1918 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He was posted to Queensland in the 3rd Divisional Engineers in the 1st Military District.
In 1919 he was sent to Royal School of Military Engineering, Chatham, England and on June 7, 1920 was back in Australia. In November 1920, he was transferred to the Permanent Military Forces in the newly formed Staff Corps. In March 1921, he was transferred to Tasmania. In May 1921, he was reported as being a Military District Adjutant and Quarter Master, Engineer and Signal Services. In June 1921, the Daily Telegraph (Launceston) reported that Eric had been appointed as Member and Secretary of the District Inventions Board.
He enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering Degree at Sydney University, living at St Paul’s College from February 1922 to December 1924. He completed the degree requirements in December 1924.
He had been transferred to Queensland, in June 1924, as Adjutant and Quarter Master, Engineering Units, of the 1st Military District, Queensland.
He joined the Queensland Division of the Institution of Engineers, Australia (IEAust) on April 24, 1925. In May 1925, Eric was posted to the Engineer Depot at Kelvin Grove, Queensland.
He married Mary Sowerby (Mollie) McAulay, in Hobart, on December 19, 1925, with the wedding and reception being held at Mollie’s parents’ home, Gare Loch, Sandy Bay.
His move to involvement in coastal defence was initiated on January 1, 1926, with his appointment as Officer Commanding Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) Coast Defences for the 1st Military District. He concurrently held the roles of Adjutant and Quarter Master Engineering and Signals Unit, 11th Mixed Brigade.
In December 1926, Eric was promoted to Captain and in January 1927 became Officer Commanding Coast Defences (RAE) based in Sydney. From 1928 to 1934, Eric was Assistant Director of Works, 2nd District Base, located at Victoria Barracks, Sydney.
In May 1933, Eric and Mary attended the National Conference of the IEAust in Brisbane.
On July 8, 1934, he was seconded to the Department of Interior, based at Customs House, Sydney, as Assistant Director with the position of Supervising Engineer Fortifications. He had the responsibility of planning and undertaking civil works for coastal defences in Australia.
Between 1934 and 1940 Eric was involved in coastal defences at Rottnest, Garden Island, Leighton, Point Peron, Cowan Cowan (Moreton Bay), Port Moresby, North and South Head (Sydney), Cape Banks and Henry Head (Botany Bay), Fort Wallace (Newcastle) and Darwin.
Eric was announced, in May 1935, as a recipient of a King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in recognition of his service to Australia. He was part of the Federal List of awardees.
In June 1936, Eric was promoted to Brevet Major in the Staff Corps. Around December 1937 he moved to Canberra with the Department of the Interior.
In September 1938, Eric and Mary attended the National Conference of the IEAust in Canberra. Eric was elected Vice Chairman of the Canberra Division of IEAust in 1939.
With the outbreak of World War 2, Eric, then with the Staff Corps of the Permanent Military Forces, enlisted in the AIF and in June 1940 was promoted to Commander, Royal Engineers 8th Division, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, based at its headquarters in Liverpool, New South Wales. The 8th Division had been formed from the 2/10th Field Company raised in Victoria, the 2/11th from Queensland, the 2/12th from New South Wales and the 2/4th from Western Australia. The headquarters were Rosebery Racecourse, Sydney.
He continued to be involved in improving defence capability in Australia including all weather road access to Darwin and Darwin coastal defences.
Eric travelled to Malaya on February 11, 1941, visiting Kuala Lumpur and returning to Darwin in mid-March. He had multiple trips to defence facilities including North Head and Cape Banks (Botany Bay).
He left Darwin on June 25, 1941 as part of a reconnaissance of Ambon and Timor in conjunction with Netherlands authorities. This included assessment of the fixed defences at Koepang (now known as Kupang, Timor). On June 26, 1941, he flew to Koepang by Qantas Flying Boat.
In addition to visiting Koepang, he inspected an airport at Atamboea. On the return trip to Koepang, he was killed in a car accident on June 30, 1941. His body was repatriated to Darwin. He was survived by his wife, Mollie.
Eric’s family in Queensland had been supporting the fabrication of camouflage nets which were in high demand and essential to protect military installations and equipment from surveillance and attack. Mollie assisted in the introduction and quality control of groups, in Tasmania, making these nets. Mollie was also appointed Head of the Australian Women’s Amy Service in Tasmania, in November 1941, with the rank of Captain.
Eric was a highly regarded military commander with skills in engineering, coastal defence, signalling and architecture. Mount Scriven and Scriven Battery on Garden Island, Western Australia, are named in his honour.
His older brother, Harry Scriven, was also an engineer and became a Fellow of IEAust. Harry was General Manager of Walkers Limited, a heavy engineering, locomotive and shipbuilding firm based in Maryborough, Queensland. Harry is listed as an Eminent Queensland Engineer.
References:
Brisbane Courier, 3.12.1914, p. 8.
The Telegraph (Brisbane), 17.8.1920, p. 9.
Daily Telegraph, 1.6.1924, p. 4.
The News (Hobart), 26.12.1925, p. 5.
Brisbane Courier, 1.5.1933, p. 10.
Sydney Morning Herald, 6.5.1935, p. 6.
Courier Mail, 12.11.1936, p. 7.
Daily Telegraph, 11.9.1938, p. 10.
Canberra Times, 1.6.1939, p. 2.
Mercury (Hobart), 24.11.1941, p. 4.
R R McNicoll, Royal Australian Engineers 1919 to 1945, Royal Australian Engineers Corp Committee, Canberra, 1982.
Helen Wilson, Eric Scriven a life cut short, Canberra, 2026 .
Compiled by Chris Fitzhardinge July 28, 2026.
