Nick Zorbas
ZORBAS, Nicholas, BE(Hons) MEngSc MEd CEng MIEE MIEEE FIEAust (1936-2021)
Nick was born on May 2, 1936, at Perth, the son of businessman Achilles (Archie) Zorbas and his wife Irene Zorbas (nee Lakides).
Nick was educated at Christian Brothers College, in St Georges Terrace, Perth and was Dux of the College when he matriculated in 1953, also winning a Government Exhibition.
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He commenced an engineering degree at the University of Western Australia in 1954 with a cadetship in the Western Australian Government Railways. He graduated with a first class honours degree in Electrical Engineering in April 1959. He was a member of the University Engineers Club Committee in 1957.
He was then employed by the State Electricity Commission in Western Australia, working initially on the design of Bunbury Power Station, later working as Electrical Maintenance Engineer at the Fremantle Power Station and Bunbury Power Station.
Nicholas came to Melbourne, in 1964, and took on a Masters of Engineering Science by research, at Melbourne University, graduating in July 1965. During that year he married his wife Marie, and joined the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, working on the design of Hazelwood Power Station.
Nick and Marie had three children, Michelle, Angela and Peter.
Then in late 1969 the family moved to Western Australia when Nicholas was appointed as Lecturer at the W.A. Institute of Technology (now Curtin University), then promoted to Senior Lecturer two years later.
In 1973, the family returned to Melbourne where Nicholas took up the position of Principal Lecturer in Electrical Engineering at Swinburne Institute of Technology (now Swinburne University). Whilst Principal Lecturer at Swinburne, he completed his Masters of Education Degree at Melbourne University. In 1976 he was appointed as Head of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, which position he held for the next fourteen years.
In 1990 he was appointed Deputy Dean (Administrative) of the Faculty of Engineering, with 150 academic and technical staff. Then in 1993 he was appointed Director, Facilities and Services, responsible for all building works over four campuses, including construction of the new University campus at Lilydale.
Nick joined the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1957 as a Student Member, moved to being a Graduate Member in 1959 and became a Member in 1962. Subsequently he became a Fellow. Nick was also a Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
Nick died on June 5, 2021, in Melbourne, Victoria, aged 85. He was survived by wife and two of their three children.
References:
West Australian, 23.1.1954, p. 1.
Zorbas Family Papers
