Joseph Bertony
Joseph Bertony (1922 - 2019)
Joseph Bertony was born in Corsica on 14 March 1922.
Between 1937 and 1941 he was a Naval Apprentice and trained at the French Naval School of Engineers in Toulon and Algiers. Between 1942 and 1945 he served as a naval lieutenant in the Technical Investigation Corps.
He was Chief of Inspection and Security in the years 1947 – 1949 for Standard-Kuhlman, Marseilles, France, looking after preventive maintenance.
Between 1950 and 1952 he worked at the French Sugar Refineries of Madagascar as Chief of Works. He had control of news works expansion and the upgrade of existing infrastructure of this self-contained sugar refinery.
In 1953 he came to Australia and worked for Wundowie Charcoal Iron and Steel Industries in Western Australia, first as Design Draughtman, then Chief Draughtsman. The project in hand was a small 50-tonne per day blast furnace for charcoal iron with all ancillary plants. This tole ended in 1956 and at that time Joseph became a naturalised Australian.
From 1957 to 1959 he undertook a round-Australia study trip with stops at Rum Jungle uranium mine and in Townsville with Ariotti and Norman. For five years after 1960 he was employed by MR Hornibrook Pty Ltd as a design draughtsman, then Design Engineer, involved on the extensive development of construction methods and related plant design of method and falsework for the construction of the Sydney Opera House roof complex, including the special telescopic erection arches.
At the end of this task, and until 1974, Bertoni was employed by Burn, Griffits and Associates as Senior Design Engineer engaged in construction methods and related special plant and equipment design for the casting yard and launching of Roseville Bridge; methods and plant design for Jindabyne Pumping Station construction; salvage of failure of over-stressed ore boom stacker by temporary cable post-tensioning technics at the expansion project of New Caledonia Nickel.
Between 1975 and 1978 he worked for EM Moore Pty Ltd as Development Manager, mainly on loan contract to White Industries, engaged in custom equipment design for material handling and various construction projects, naval facilities, marine and underground works. In 1979 and 1980 he was Chief Structural Design Engineer for White Industries Limited following he purchase by White Industries of EM Moore Pty Ltd and was involved in the bridge construction systems as well as the design of related specialised plant and machinery as well as several mines development and infrastructure designs. These included the Ulan Coal Mine, The Diane Cooper Mine, Moolgun Creek and Douglas Park Bridges launching systems.
From August 1980 to February 1986 Bertoni worked for Roberts Constructions Limited as Engineering Design Manager to develop and implement Roberts’ design and multi-disciplinary engineering facilities, alternative and innovative design and methodology development in Australia and South Africa, beginning of computerisation of some design processes. i.e. Control design of Bayswater Power Station coal handling plant.
From June 1986 to December 1987 ne was by invitation contracted as Group Chief Engineer to Allco Steel Corporation with the objective to develop and implement Allco’s design and construct multi-discipline engineering facilities and was involved in power related projects in India and Australia, such as Vales Point (NSW) and Loy Yang (Victoria) power stations.
At the time of his oral history interview Bertone was an Engineering Consultant to multi-disciplinary engineering, mining and power generation projects in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. He was also involved with special purpose machinery development, a nee slurry pumping system, development of PC computer software for design assessment of belt conveyors, belt feeders, steel bins and bunker, post-tensioned water reservoirs, steel stacks, very large radial flow control, dampers control, project and tenders, cash flow projection etc. He was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia. Joseph Bertoni died on 7 April 2019.
For a further account of the life of Joe Bertony please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bertony
For an obituary of Joe Bertony please use this link:
To access an oral history interview with Joe Bertony please use this link:'
https://heritage.engineersaustralia.org.au/wiki/Oral_Histories_Sydney
