Commemorating Sir John Monash
It’s been 158 years since the University’s namesake was born.
This month, we’re celebrating the 158th anniversary of Sir John Monash’s birth. While he is known to many for his military career in World War I, his pioneering engineering work is less renowned despite its significant impact on Victorian infrastructure.
Monash was born on 27 June 1865 in Melbourne to Prussian Jewish parents. He began his schooling at Scotch College and graduated Dux at the age of 16. In 1893, he attended the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Master of Civil Engineering, followed by a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 1895, and a Doctor of Engineering in 1921.
While studying part-time, Monash began his career in engineering, working on the Princes Bridge in Melbourne in 1885 and supervised the construction of the Outer Circle Railway Line.
In 1894, Monash partnered with engineer J. T. N. Anderson, where he introduced the Monier method of reinforcing concrete to Victoria together. The first Monier arch bridge built with this method was the Morell Bridge in South Yarra in 1899, followed by Fyansford Bridge in Geelong (1900), eight bridges in Bendigo (1901-1902) and many more in the years to follow.
After the collapse of the partnership with Anderson, Monash established the Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co Ltd in 1905. Through this company, Monash oversaw the construction of bridges, water tanks, silos, culverts, walls, and buildings across Victoria and South Australia, many of which are still standing today.
After the First World War, in which he served as Commander of the Australian Corps and knighted on the battlefield by King George V, Monash returned to Melbourne and became Chairman of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1920. He later became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne from 1923 until his death in 1931.
Monash married Hannah Victoria Moss in 1891 and they had a daughter, Bertha, in 1893. An estimated 300,000 people attended his state funeral in 1931.
The Monash University Archives holds a number of records and artefacts related to Sir John Monash’s life and career including:
- Monash memorabilia, including sword and lance, doctoral gown, prayer shawl, family photographs, two volumes of diplomas and certificates (digitised versions available here and here), copies of engineering drawings, newspaper cuttings, replica medals;
- Papers of Alan Holgate (Department of Civil Engineering, 1965-1996) who researched the engineering work of Sir John Monash prior to WWI;
- Papers of Ann Mitchell (University Archivist, 1988-2003) who researched Sir John Monash’s family history.
For more information, check out Monash University Archives.