ASHET

About ASHET

ASHET  is the Australian Society for History of Engineering and Technology. It is a non-profit society, incorporated in the state of New South Wales.

Its objects are to encourage and promote community interest and education in the history of engineering and technology in Australia. It is a national society, with members throughout Australia, though at present a majority of the members are in Sydney, where the society was formed in 2003.

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Management committee

A new management committee was elected at ASHET’s 2009 Annual General Meeting, held on 23 April 2009. The present committee members are:

This committee will retire at the end of the annual general meeting in 2010 and be succeeded by a new committee to be elected at the meeting.

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ASHET office bearers and committee

As the number of nominations for office bearer and committee positions did not exceed the number of positions, all of those nominated were declared elected and took up office at the close of the annual general meeting on 23 April 2009.

Ian Jack was reelected as President, a position he has held since ASHET was founded in 2003. Ian also serves as President of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Until he retired, he held a position as Associate Professor of History at the University of Sydney. He has published extensively in the areas of local history and historical archaeology.

Mari Metzke was elected Senior Vice President. Mari is Manager of the Royal Australian Historical Society, and prior to her appointment to this position in 2005 held the position of Outreach Officer of the Society for 18 years. She also has a long term involvement in the Hornsby and District Historical Society.

David Craddock was elected Vice President. He is a Past President of the Royal Society of New South Wales and is a member of the Hornsby and District Historical Society. He has a special interest in the history of aeronautics in Australia, and is the author of severa books and papers on the subject.

Ian Arthur was elected Secretary. Ian had a leading part in the formation of ASHET. He is a retired Sydney engineer, who has held many positions in the Institution of Engineers Australia including councilor, Chairman of Sydney Division and Chairman of its Engineering Heritage Committee.

John Roberts was elected Treasurer. John is a retired accountant. He is a foundation member of ASHET, and has a special interest in railway history. He is actively involved in the Convict Trail Project, and the Hornsby and District Historical Society, and is treasurer of both these organisations.

Felicity Barry, Robert Renew and Ian Bowie were elected to serve as members of the committee.

Felicity Barry is an archaeologist with the New South Wales Heritage Office. She graduated in 2005 as a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the university of Sydney with First Class Honours and two prizes. Her thesis, written while working for the Roads and Traffic Authority, was on indigenous archaeology in Sydney based on excavations for the Western Sydney Orbital.

Ian Bowie is a civil engineer and Honorary Associate, formerly Senior Lecturer, in the Engineering School at the University of Sydney, where he lectures in Soil Mechanics. He is a member of the Engineers Australia Sydney Division Committee on Engineering Heritage.

Robert Renew has recently retired from a position as Senior Curator with the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. He has special interests in the history of engineering innovation, and the use of natural resources.

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2010 Annual General Meeting

ASHET’s 2010 annual general meeting will be held at History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney, on Thursday 15 April at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served at 5.30 p.m. before the meeting. The meeting, expected to be brief, will be immediately followed by a joint meeting of ASHET and the Royal Australian Historical Society, with a talk by Tony Dawson.

Each member is entitled to appoint another member as proxy by notice given to ASHET’s public officer no later than 24 hours before the time of the meeting. Download Proxy Form here. ASHET’s Constitution requires that no member may hold more than five proxies.

The following business will be conducted at the annual general meeting:

• Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting, and special general meeting held in 2009.
• Receive committee report on activities during 2009.
• Receive and consider financial statement.
• Elect office bearers and ordinary committee members.

In accordance with ASHET’s Constitution no other business may be conducted at the annual general meeting.

Click Here To Download a copy of the 2009 Annual Report

Click Here To Download a copy of the 2009 Financial Report

These reports will also be included in the next issue of ASHET News, to be published during March.

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Election of Office Bearers

At the close of the annual general meeting on Thursday 15 April 2010, all the present office bearers and committee members retire. Office bearers and committee members for the coming year will be elected at the annual general meeting.

Nominations are called for election to the following positions:

• President
• Senior vice-president
• Vice president
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Three ordinary committee members

Nominations must be in writing, signed by two members of ASHET and accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. They must reach the secretary by Thursday 8 April, seven days before the date of the meeting on 15 April.

Click here to download the 2010 Nomination Form

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ASHET Constitution

When ASHET was formed, it adopted a Constitution based on the standard rules for a non-profit association incorporated in New South Wales. Click here to download a copy of the Constitution.

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Guidelines for Groups

ASHET encourages the formation of local and special interest groups. The management committee has approved a set of guidelines for groups. To view and download a copy of the guidelines for groups click here.

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Annual Report 2008

To download a copy of the committee’s Annual Report for 2008 click here. To download the financial reports click on ASHET Financial Report 2008.