Gordon Lutz
LUTZ, Gordon George, BE FIEAust (1914-2000)
Gordon Lutz was born in Perth on December 14, 1914, the son of schoolmaster, Louis August Alfred Lutz and his wife Margaret Maud Lutz, née Greer. He was educated at Perth Boys School and Perth Modern School, completing his Leaving Certificate in 1931.
Gordon enrolled in engineering at the University of Western Australia in 1932 and completed the five year degree course in 1936. He then travelled to Kalgoorlie where he lectured at the WA School of Mines. In December 1939 he took up the role of an assistant engineer at the Commonwealth Munitions Factory at Footscray, Victoria.
On January 4, 1941, Gordon married Lesley Jean (Mickey) Negus in Perth. They had three children, Margaret Jean, Peter Gordon and Julie Margaret.
In 1946, Gordon returned to Western Australia to join the staff of the University of Western Australia as a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. He was appointed Senior lecturer in 1950, and he also undertook the roles of Dean of Engineering and Head of Department in his 33 years with the University.
Gordon spent his 1957 sabbatical leave at the Harwell Atomic Energy Research Establishment in the UK, where the UK Atomic Energy Authority had just commissioned a pair of 26 MW enriched uranium nuclear reactors. He was subsequently, in 1965, Visiting Professor in Nuclear Engineering at San Jose State College in California. On his return to UWA he lectured in nuclear engineering to honours students, as well as in his broader areas of expertise related to heat transfer.
Gordon died on September 13, 2000, at Dalkeith and was survived by his wife, Mickey, and two of their children.
Gordon became an Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia in 1943 and a Member in 1958. He was WA Division Treasurer between 1950 to 1957 and Division Chairman in 1958. He was a National Councillor of the Institution of Engineers between 1959 to 1963, and by 1979 he was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.
Throughout his early years, Gordon was a talented sportsman, excelling at rugby, swimming and cricket, and then pursuing golf and fishing later in life.
References:
Cumming Papers;
UWA News Vol 19 No 17, 16.10. 2000, p7;
Margaret Sacks (editor), "The Way 79 Who is Who", Crawley Publishers, Nedlands, 1980:
Kalgoorlie Miner, 29.7.1939, p3;
West Australian, 12.12.1939, p8.
