Ian R Stevenson
Ian R Stevenson
(1924- )
Ian R Stevenson was born at Wanganui, New Zealand, on 26 October 1924. His family migrated to Australia in 1928, when Ian was four years old. His father was a solicitor who became a schoolteacher upon his ‘retirement’. He taught at Sydney Grammar until the age of 85. Stevenson’s mother was the strength of the family. Stevenson was sent to a boarding school in Armidale and finished his education at Sydney Grammar School.
During the Second World War he served for three years with the Royal Australian Air Force as a wireless operator and later Flying Officer in Beaufighters in New Guinea. After the war he studied at Sydney University as a repatriation student, graduating BSc, BE (Hons 1) in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, with the University Medal in 1950.
After graduation Stevenson worked for 15 years with Standard Telephones and Cables. STC was the Australian subsidiary of the US based International Telephone and Telegraph Company. It employed 5000 people, with a major factory in Sydney and branches in each state. Its main business was in all aspects of communications including telephones, radio transmitters, line communication equipment, radio valves and semi-conductors. It carried out considerable research and development in conjunction with its world-wide associates with whom it was closely linked.
During this time, he gained experience in design, research, manufacturing, marketing and management, and travelled extensively overseas on business.
From 1951 to 1954 he worked at STC as graduate engineer gaining experience in production and testing of radio valves. The work involved the design and manufacture of test equipment and production tooling.
From 1954 he was a senior engineer responsible for quality control and development of new manufacturing techniques in the production of radio valves and semiconductors.
In 1957 he became Division Manager responsible for establishing the first manufacturing unit outside of the USA and Europe for the production of transistors and other semi-conductor devices.
From 1962, and until 1965, he was Development and Commercial Manager for Solid State Products, responsible for the development and marketing of advanced equipment for Government and private industry. During this period took out four patents related to the use of semi-conductor devices in switching equipment.
From 1965 Stevenson worked with Civil & Civic Pty Ltd. Civil & Civic was the design and construction company within the Lend Lease Group, one of Australia's major property development, financial and insurance operations.
In 1965 his role was as Chief Industrial Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, responsible for design and estimating in two sections of Head Office Design. In 1968 his role changed to Project Engineer, NSW Branch.
From 1970 until 1976 he was Area Project Manager, responsible for all project management activities in NSW (Industrial Group), South Australia and West Australia. The position involved supervision of the work of all project managers in the nominated areas and their selection and training.
In 1977 and 1978 Stevenson was Manager - NSW Industrial Branch, responsible for all activities of this newly formed branch at Parramatta N.S.W. Turnover was approximately $27 million dollars, and projects active at the time involved shopping centre extensions, local government projects and industrial projects in metropolitan and country areas.
Between 1979 and 1983 Stevenson was Industrial Development Manager at Head Office. His key responsibility was marketing to companies in the heavy industrial and resources sector in conjunction with Lend Lease Engineering. This involved detailed research into markets different to Civil & Civic's normal business, and the development of strategies for entering them. Industries investigated included coal and metalliferous mining, chemical process and petrochemical.
Between 1983 and 1987 he was Industrial Marketing Director, Head Office responsible for the Company's industrial marketing and conversion. This required involvement in each State's business planning, the selection and training of marketing executives and the converting of major industrial projects.
At the time of the oral history interview which is the basis of this biography he was Consultant in the Head Office Marketing Group, responsible for assisting in the establishment of Lend Lease industrial, and for the conversion of specific major industrial projects. Projects handled involved those for private companies such as Unilever, James Hardie, Colgates, Schwarzkoff, CSR, BHP, Arnotts, Tubemakers and Johnson & Johnson and Government bodies such as Aussat, OTC and Australia Post.
Major projects in design during his time at Civil and Civic time included:-
Australia Square Office.
Princes Gate Office.
Nabisco Biscuit Factory.
Meatworks at Townsville, Moree, Forbes and Goulburn.
To access an oral history interview with Ian R Stevenson please use this link:'
