Stuart Hohnen
HOHNEN, Stuart Alexander, BE(hons) MBA MIEAust FAICD (1944-2010)
Stuart was born at the Sutton Veny Private Hospital, in Chatswood, Sydney, on March 1, 1944, the son of banker Ross Ainsworth Hohnen and his wife Phyllis Adelle Hohnen (nee Whitten).
His father, Ross, was to become a pioneer of the Australian National University as its long serving Registrar and University Secretary.
Stuart was educated at Canberra High School completing his Intermediate Certificate in 1959 and his Leaving Certificate in 1961. He followed his older brother, Michael, in studying at Adelaide University. Stuart enrolled in an engineering degree course in 1962 and completed it with honours, in 1966.
In February 1967 he joined Nat Harrison (Aust) and became the Project Engineer on a gravity water main project in Canberra. In 1968 he travelled to the USA and completed a Master of Business Administration at Stanford University in 1970.
Stuart worked as Business Development Manager at Dillingham Company in San Francisco from 1970 to 1971. He returned to Western Australia in November 1971, working as an engineering consultant.
In 1973, he responded to an advertisement to work as an Internal Consultant in the Department of Development and Decentralisation. Stuart took up a permanent position at the WA Department of Industrial Development on May 2, 1975, as Principal Assistant Development.
In 1977 he was appointed Principal Assistant Planning being promoted to Assistant Coordinator in the Department of Resources Development in 1981. In 1982 he was promoted to Coordinator Department of Resources Development, a position he held until 1987. He was also Associate Commissioner of SECWA between 1986 to 1987.
He married firstly Patricia Hudson Porter on December 22, 1972 and they had a daughter.
He married secondly Jacoba Klomper on March 29, 1987 and they had two daughters.
Moving to the private sector he was Managing Director Indian Ocean Resources Limited from 1987 to 1990. He was Executive Director Menzies Gold Nl and Anglo Pacific Resources PLC between 1988 and 1990. He became Managing Director of the Cockburn Group Limited from 1991 to 1993.
He held a large number of important industry positions including Deputy Chairman Alinta Gas 1992 to 1998, Principal Ventnor Consulting Group 1994 to 2010, Councillor on the National Competition Council 1995 to 1998, Director of Carnarvon Petroleum NL 1992 to 2000, Director of Simcoa 2004 and Chairman of the Dampier Bunbury Pipeline Group of Companies 2005 to 2010.
Other roles included Chairman of the WA Planning and Coordinating Authority, Chairman of the Pilbara Regional Development Committee, Member of the WA Energy Advisory Council, Member of the WA Water Resources Council, Member of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) Executive Council and Member of the Industrial and Commercial Housing Authority up to 1980.
Stuart joined the Institution of Engineers Australia as a Graduate Member in 1967, becoming a Member by 1979. He was also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
In 2009, the CME recognised his contribution to WA by honouring him with the State's most prestigious gas industry award, the WA Gas Industry Development Award. He joined previous winners, the late Sir Charles Court, Woodside Petroleum executives Eve Howell and Keith Spence, and former Alinta managing director Phil Harvey.
Stuart died on June 20, 2010, aged 66. He was survived by his second wife Jacoba and his five children, including a stepdaughter and a stepson.
References:
Stuart Hohnen Papers, State Library WA, Call Number 8301A.
Sydney Morning Herald, 4.3.1944, p. 18.
Canberra Times 10.1.1962, p. 3.
WA Public Service Lists, 1975 to 1983.
West Australian, 23.6.2010
Compiled by Chris Fitzhardinge, March 19, 2025
