Joseph Ellis
ELLIS, Joseph Arthur, CBE MICE FIEAust (1887‐1973)
Born at Workington in the north of England, Ellis studied Engineering at Liverpool University and joined the Queensland Government Railway in 1910. He moved to Western Australia to be appointed the Engineer for Railway Construction in the Public Works Department under F W H Stileman, in 1925. Ellis became Assistant Chief Civil Engineer in the Government Railway under H A Cresswell in 1931 and constructed over 1,000km of railway in the next four years.
Appointed the Commissioner of Railways in 1934 in succession to E A Evans, he faced the difficulties caused by restricted finance during the depression. While struggling with the problems of shortages of men and materials during the war, he reported on methods of using the narrow gauge railways of Australia more effectively, and he became Director of Locomotive and Rolling Stock Construction in the Department of Munitions.
When peace returned, he planned, with S J Hood and F Mills, his Civil and Mechanical Engineers, the rehabilitation of the WA Government Railways. After retiring in 1959 and being succeeded by H E Hall, he became a Director and the Chairman of Western Collieries, which he had helped to establish to mine coal at Collie, and also a Director of Tomlinson Steel. He was awarded the CBE in l963.
He was a member of the Senate of the University of Western Australia between 1937 and 1943.
His published papers include:
Unusual bridge erection methods, JIEA 1, 1929, p. 239.
Chairman's address, Perth, JIEA 3, 1931, p. 255.
Railway Progress in Western Australia, JIEA 8, 1936, p. 15.
References:
PSL 1928, 1930.
Report on Government Railways, Tramways and Electricity Supply, V&P WA 1931, 25
Report … bulk handling of wheat … Commission, V&P WA 1935, 5
RSC standardisation of railway gauge - Kalgoorlie to Fremantle, V&P WA 1946, A1
RRC Australian Standard Garrat Locomotive, V&P WA 1946, 11
RRC Western Australian Government Railway, V&P WA 1948, 10
LWPA p. 259.
WWA 1944 p. 326.; 1965 p. 279.
Western Australian, 26/3/1973, p. 3.
Burke, D, Kings of the Iron Horse, Methuen Australia, pp. 199-200.
G SM 1, p. 209.
Fitch, pp. 35-41., 150-152.
WAIEA
