Sir Robert William Chapman MIEAust (27 December 1866 – 27 February 1942) was an Australian mathematician and engineer.

History

Chapman was born in

Stony Stratford Stony Stratford is a market town in Buckinghamshire and a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is located on Watling Street, historically the Roman road from London to Chester. It is also a civil parish with a town council in the Cit ...

in Buckinghamshire, England, eldest son of Charles Chapman (c. 1838 – 14 September 1921), a

currier A currier is a specialist in the leather-processing trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade a ...

from

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, and his wife Matilda, née Harrison (c. 1840 – 23 October 1933). His parents returned to Melbourne in 1876, where he was educated at Wesley College and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, graduating MA and BCE with first class honours in Physics and Mathematics. In 1888, at the recommendation of Professor William Bragg, he was appointed a lecturer in Mathematics and Physics at Adelaide University. He was appointed Professor of Engineering in 1907 and served as (Sir Thomas) Elder Professor of Mathematics and Mechanics from 1910 when Professor Bragg was appointed to the Cavendish chair of physics in the

University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...

. Chapman then returned to his previous post in 1919. He served as Vice-Chancellor during the absence of Sir William Mitchell. He retired in 1937. He was appointed president of the School of Mines council in 1939 on the death of Sir

Langdon Bonython Sir John Langdon Bonython (;Charles Earle Funk, ''What's the Name, Please?'' (Funk & Wagnalls, 1936). 15 October 184822 October 1939) was an Australian editor, newspaper proprietor, philanthropist, journalist and politician who served ...

. His research work included: *(With Thomas Roberts (1845–1920)) Breakage of locomotive and other railway axles *Established a laboratory where local stone and timber could be tested *Distribution of stress in steel reinforcing rods in concrete *Effects of building a dam on the Mundoo Channel, Lake Alexandrina *Use of brown coal from Leigh Creek, including

briquette A briquette (; also spelled briquet) is a compressed block of coal dust or other combustible biomass material (e.g. charcoal, sawdust, wood chips, peat, or paper) used for fuel and kindling to start a combustion, fire. The term is a diminutive der ...

Recognition and memberships

He was elected to the

Royal Society of South Australia The Royal Society of South Australia (RSSA) is a learned society whose interest is in science, particularly, but not only, of South Australia. The major aim of the society is the promotion and diffusion of scientific knowledge, particularly in re ...

in 1888 and to the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a founding member of the South Australian Institute of Engineers and a foundation member of the

Institution of Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and Non-profit organization, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineerin ...

in 1921, in 1918 the first chairman of its South Australian division and the third Federal President. He was awarded their

Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal The Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal is awarded by Engineers Australia. It has been awarded since 1923 when its first recipient was the Australian engineer William Henry Warren, Prof William Henry Warren. It is given annually to an Honorary F ...

in 1928 and made honorary life member in 1932. He was awarded Melbourne University's Kernot Medal in 1927. He was president of the

Astronomical Society of South Australia The Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA) was founded in 1892 and is the oldest society of its kind in Australia. It is the only representative body for amateur astronomy in the state of South Australia. It holds regular general monthly me ...

for a record 32 years and elected a Fellow of the

Royal Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charitable organisation, charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, planetary science, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its ...

in 1902? 1909?. He was a member of the council of the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers and in 1920 elected president of the

Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) provides services to professionals engaged in all facets of the global minerals sector and is based in Carlton, Victoria, Australia. History The Institute had its genesis in 1893 with ...

. He was a member of the South Australian Institute of Surveyors from 1912 and president 1917–1929 He was a member of the councils of both the University of Adelaide and the School of Mines. On his retirement from the University of Adelaide in 1937 he was made Emeritus Professor; his portrait, by

Ivor Hele Sir Ivor Henry Thomas Hele, CBE (13 June 1912 – 1 December 1993) was an Australian artist noted for portraiture. He was Australia's longest serving war artist and completed more commissioned works than anyone else in the history of Aust ...

hangs in the School of Engineering's Chapman Lecture Theatre, which was named for him. He was appointed CMG in 1927 and knighted in 1938.

Family

On 14 February 1889 he married Eva Maud Hall, who survived him; they had six sons and two daughters: *Robert Hall Chapman (6 January 1890 – 10 May 1953) engaged to Florence Muriel Day, but she married footballer Charlie Perry. Robert Hall Chapman married May Warren Knox. He was chief engineer, later commissioner, with the South Australian Railways. *Charles George Chapman (19 November 1891 – April 1916), was a lieutenant with the Royal Engineers, killed in Mesopotamia during World War I. *Eva Florence Chapman (5 December 1893 – ) married Essington Day on 19 March 1919, lived at Burnside *Lilian Eleanor Chapman (1895– ) married Edgar Bills of Orroroo on 4 October 1922, lived at Peterborough *Walter Harrison Chapman (1896– ) of Bulolo, New Guinea *James Douglas Chapman (1901– ) married Gwendolen Ruth Johnston on 7 January 1929. He was an engineer with the

Adelaide City Council The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...

*Ernest Stirling Chapman (1907– ), dentist in Clare *Leslie Drake Chapman (8 December 1911– ) engaged to Ellen Rose McBeath. He was engineer associated with the Goolwa barrage

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Robert William Burials at North Road Cemetery People from Buckinghamshire Australian mathematicians Australian engineers University of Melbourne alumni 1866 births 1942 deaths People from the Colony of Victoria Colony of South Australia people English people of Australian descent Companions_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George