William Henry Warren

William Henry Warren (1852-1926)

William Warren was born in Somerset in 1852 and apprenticed and educated in the United Kingdom. Emigrating to Sydney in 1881 he at first worked for the Public Works Department but was soon appointed as a lecturer in engineering in the Department of Physics at the University.

The evolution of the discipline into a distinct faculty was involved, not formally occurring until 1920, but through the whole process Warren was the leading proponent and as the Professor of Engineering built the fledgling department. In these early years he was responsible for the education of many leading engineers in Australia including John Bradfield. Working with W. C Kernot, who held a similar position in Melbourne, Warren promoted the development of engineering in universities and in the wider community.

Warren had a great involvement in wider affairs through several Royal Commissions and Boards, being consulting engineer to the New South Wales government, as well as contributing to reports about projects in Egypt and India.

He was the first president of the Institution of Engineers Australia on its formation in 1919. He retired from the university at the end of 1925 and died a few days later.

Further details of his life and career may be accessed using the links:

https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/22487

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/warren-william-henry-4804