Erich Shilbury
SHILBURY or SCHIMMELBURG, Erich Walter BE FIEAust (1900 - 1986)
Structural engineer, lecturer and head of department at the Perth Technical College for 22 years, Chairman WA Division IEAust 1963
Erich was born in Liegnitz Province, Silesia, Germany on May 31, 1900, the son of merchant Ernst Schimmelburg and his wife Betty Schimmelburg nee Chocky.
Erich was trained at the Berlin Technical University graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering. He then worked as a structural engineer in Berlin.
He married Betty Herzog on August 15, 1924 in Berlin. They had twins Brigitte Eva Therese Schimmelburg and Ludwig John Hans Schimmelburg born in 1930 in Breslau.
The family fled Germany in 1939 and landed at Dover on February 22, 1929. They sailed for Australia on the ship “Ascanius” a few days later on February 25, 1939. They arrived in Fremantle on April 4, 1939 and were classified as stateless.
In 1943, Erich was engaged as Senior Master in Mathematics at Wesley College, South Perth but after two years moved to Lecturing in Engineering at Perth Technical College (PTC). By 1953 Erich was Head of the Department of Engineering PTC. He held this position until his retirement in 1965.
In February 1944, Erich changed his and his family’s surname to from Schimmelburg to Shilbury.
Erich joined the Institution of Engineers, Australia as an Associate Member in 1946 and became a full Member in 1955. By 1979 he had been appointed as a Fellow. He was Chairman of the WA Division of the Institution in 1963.
In February 1962, Erich was appointed to the Municipal Engineers Examination Committee by the WA Government. He was already a Member of the Municipal Building Surveyors Examination Committee.
Prominent Perth structural engineer, Peter Bruechle, nominated Erich as being an inspirational engineer.
Erich died on September 14, 1986 aged 86 years and was survived by his wife Betty and his son and daughter.
Biography compiled by Chris Fitzhardinge, August 2024
References:
Michael White, WAIT to Curtin, Paradigm Books, 1996
P J Boyce, Honest Unsullied Days, Victor Publishing, 2001
Daily News, 8.4.1944, p10
Government Gazette WA, 20.10.1961, p2950
Government Gazette WA, 2.2.1962, p342
