THE AUSTRALASIAN REGION AND THE
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY
ISSMGE 75th Anniversary Celebration Session
THE PAST
Harry G. Poulos
Coffey Geotechnics
Coffey Geotechnics
OUTLINE
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Figures
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Facts
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Some personalities
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Achievements
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Prof. Ted Brown

Prof. Neil Taylor

Mr. Sam McKenzie

Prof. Michael Pender
“Australian Advances in Geomechanics” E.T. Brown, 1991, Proc.
IACMAG Conference, Cairns
SOME FIGURES
AUSTRALASIAN MEMBERSHIP
OF THE SOCIETY
1000
900
Number of Members
800
700
Australia
600
New
Zealand
500
400
300
200
100
0
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
Year
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
AUSTRALASIAN MEMBERSHIP
OF THE SOCIETY
Australasian % of Total ISSMFE/ISSMGE Membership
8.00
% of Total Membership
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Year
ANZ has 0.35% of the world’s population
2005
2010
2015
SOME FACTS
ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
SOCIETY
 First started as local groups of interested people in
soil mechanics
 First National Committee on Soil Mechanics &
Foundation Engineering formed in 1947
 6 Australians presented 9 papers in the 1948
Rotterdam International Conference
ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
 Systematic teaching of Soil Mechanics started in the
1950’s
 D.H. Trollope – University of Melbourne, 1950
 E.H. Davis – University of Sydney, 1952
(E.T. Brown, 1991)
ORIGINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
 Local groups held technical meetings in Sydney and
Melbourne
 Occasional specialty seminars e.g. Foundations,
Melbourne 1968
Poulos’ First Technical Talk :
Sydney July 1963
Talk by E.H. Davis – 6 days later!
Specialty Seminar, ca 1968
THE AUSTRALIAN
GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
 Formed in 1970
 Sponsored jointly by Institution of Engineers Australia
& Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy
 Serves as the National Society for ISSMFE/GE, ISRM
& IAEG – integrated geotechnical professional
Learned Society
 NZGS has adopted a similar approach
THE AUSTRALIAN GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
Chairmen
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D.H. Trollope 1971-2
C.R. Longworth 1972-3
A.D. Hosking 1974-5
W.E. Bamford 1976-8
P.C. Hollingsworth 1979-81
H.G. Poulos 1982-4
P.W. Mitchell 1985-7
N.S. Mattes 1988-90
M.C. Ervin 1991-3
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G.R. Mostyn 1994-5
A.B. Phillips 1996-7
C. Haberfield 1998-9
J.P. Carter 2000-1
A.R. Leventhal 2002-3
M.B. Jaksa 2004-5
M.A. Woodward 2006-7
Neil Benson 2008-9
Graham Scholey 2010-11
Sam Mackenzie 2012-13
THE NEW ZEALAND
GEOTECHNICAL SOCIETY
 NZGS has adopted a similar approach to AGS
 The first meeting of the NZ National Committee was held on 17
July 1958.
 J.W. Ridley was elected Chairman and Dr. R. Northey Secretary.
 Statutes for the “New Zealand National Society for Soil
Mechanics and Foundation Engineering” were drawn up
 Subscription was set at ten shillings per annum
 The International Society and the Australian National Committee
were informed that the group was under way
 In 1972, the Society changed its name to the “NZ Geomechanics
Society” , and in 1996 to NZ Geotechnical Society.
Australasian Vice-Presidents of ISSMFE/GE
Years
Australasian V-P
1953-57
J.M. Lee (??)- not official
1957-61
G.D. Aitchison
1961-65
J. Birrell
1965-69
D.H. Trollope
1969-73
E.H. Davis
1973-77
P.W. Taylor
1977-81
A.D. Hosking
1981-85
R.D. Northey
1985-89
J.H.H. Galloway
1989-94
H.G. Poulos
1994-97
M.C. Ervin
1997-2001
M.F. Randolph
2001-05
J.G. Murray
2005-09
J.P Carter
2009-13
M.C.R. Davies
Australasian Bids for International
Conferences
 1965 – Unsuccessful – Mexico City (1969)
 1977 – Unsuccessful – Stockholm (1981)
 1987 – Unsuccessful – New Delhi (1994)
 1991 – Unsuccessful – Hamburg (1997)
 1995 – Unsuccessful – Istanbul (2001)
 2013 – Sydney to bid for 2017
SOME PERSONALITIES
THE “FOUNDING FATHERS”
Gordon Douglas Aitchison (1918 - 2003)
Born
6 March 1918
Adelaide, South Australia
Died
June 2003
Mornington, Victoria
G.D. Aitchison
 Major contributions to the mechanics of
unsaturated soils
 Developed a very strong group within the
CSIRO Division of Geomechanics
 Some Disciples:
 Prof. Ian Donald
 Dr. Brian Richards
Edward Hughesdon Davis FAA (1920 - 1981)
Born
16 December 1920
Hendon, England
Died
27 February 1981
Sydney, New South
Wales, Australia
E.H. Davis
 Major contributions to soil mechanics, theories
of plasticity and elasticity, consolidation theory
 Developed a strong group at the University of
Sydney
Some Disciples:
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Don Douglas
Prof. Harry Poulos
Prof. John Booker
Prof. John Carter
Prof. Kerry Rowe
David Hugh Trollope AO (1925-2011)
Born
9 March 1925
Swansea, Wales
Died
8 March 2011
Bendigo, Victoria
D.H. Trollope
 Major contributions to arching in soils, “clastic
mechanics” (the mechanics of discontinua)
 Developed groups at the University of Melbourne and
James Cook University
Some Disciples:
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Prof. Ted Brown
Dr. Jack Morgan
Dr. Dick Parry
Dr. Kevin Rosengren
P.W. Taylor (1925-2011)
 Born 1925
 Died 2011
P.W. Taylor
 Major contributions to geotechnical earthquake
engineering and cyclic/dynamic soil behaviour
 Developed group at the University of Auckland
 4th NZ Geomechanics Lecturer, 1984
Some Disciples:
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Prof. Michael Pender
Prof. Geoff Martin
Dr. Bruce Menzies
Dr. Terry Kayes
R.D. Northey (1924-2011)
Born 5 April 1924
Died 16 November 2011
 DSIR, New Zealand: 1950-81
 Soil mechanics & foundations
 Geotechnical risk
 3rd NZ Geomechanics
Lecturer, 1979
A Key Disciple:
 Dr. John Hawley
R.D. Northey
A Characteristic of our Pioneers
 They came on the scene in the early days of
soil mechanics
 Opportunities to advance knowledge were
substantial
 They focussed on building knowledge, and not
primarily on publishing papers
 They (generally) built teams and inspired their
students & disciples
ANZ Conferences
 1952 Conference – focused on shear strength
of soils
 Organized by D.H. Trollope in Melbourne
 Now recognized as the FIRST regional
conference of the International Society
st
1
Review of
ANZ Conference
– Geotechnique March 1953
st
1
Review of
ANZ Conference
– Geotechnique March 1953
Subsequent ANZ Conferences on Soil
Mechanics & Foundation Engineering
 1956 – Christchurch
 1960 – Sydney
 1963 – Adelaide
 1967 – Auckland
Pattern established – 2 conferences in Australia, 1 in New
Zealand
ANZ Conferences on Geomechanics
– Series Started in 1971
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Melbourne 1971
Brisbane – 1975
Wellington – 1980
Perth – 1984
Sydney – 1988
Christchurch – 1992
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Adelaide – 1996
Hobart - 1999
Auckland – 2004
Brisbane – 2007
Melbourne - 2012
Early ANZ Geomechanics
Conferences
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
PUBLICATIONS
Australian Geomechanics Journal (1971-79) - annually
Australian Geomechanics (1980-present) – now quarterly
Example of Influential Issues
Australian Geomechanics is the quarterly newsletter and journal of the
Society since 1971
Australian Geomechanics Journal
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEW ZEALAND
GEOTECHNICAL SOCIETY
PUBLICATION
Geo News- bi-annually
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GEOMECHANICS SOCIETY
PRIZES & AWARDS
 John Jaeger Memorial Award – every 4 years, from 1980
 E.H. Davis Lecture – every 2 years, from1985
 D.H. Trollope Medal – PhD thesis – every 2 years – from
1988
 Geotechnical Practitioner of the Year – every 2 years - from
2004
 AGS – Don Douglas Youth Fellowship – every 2 years –
from 2000
 The Australian Geomechanics Award – annually – best
paper – from 2003
AGS provide awards and honours in recognition of
achievement in the practice of geomechanics
Awards and Honours
Letter from Mrs. Kitty
Davis after E.H. Davis
Award set up
John Jaeger Memorial Medal
Jaeger Medal Recipients
1980 – E.H. Davis
1984 – G.D. Aitchison
1988 – H.G. Poulos
1992 – B.G. Richards
1996 – D.H. Stapledon
1999 – D. Coffey
2004 – E.T. Brown
2007 – R. Fell
AUSTRALASIAN PARTICIPATION IN ISSMFE/GE
TECHNICAL COMMITTEES
The region has been strongly involved in TCs: e.g.
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Education
Professional Practice
Pile Foundations
Ground Improvement
Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering
CONCLUSIONS
 The Australasian Region has participated vigorously in
the activities of ISSMFE/ISSMGE
 Membership per capita is the largest of the 6 regions
 Regional conferences started in Australasia
 Cooperation among ISSMFE/GE, ISRM & IAEG has been a
hallmark of both AGS & NZGS
 The future for the geotechnical profession is bright in this
region, building on the strong foundation developed by
the pioneers in both countries