Richard Venus

Richard Venus graduated from the University of Adelaide with a degree in electrical engineering in 1969 and was employed by the Electricity Trust of South Australia for more than 30 years. For 8 years Richard was ETSA’s Industrial Advisory Engineer and a member of several Electricity Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) and Standards Association of Australia committees. For several years he was Chairman of the ESAA Electrofarming Committee.

Richard acquired his interest in engineering heritage in the late 1970s when he assisted two local authors in researching the history of electricity supply and distribution in South Australia. In 1994 he joined the South Australian Division’s Engineering Heritage Branch and became its Chairman in 1997.

Over several years Richard has compiled a number of comprehensive guides to field trips organised by the Heritage Branch along with Engineering Heritage plaquing nominations and in February 2008 he was presented with an Award of Merit for Engineering Heritage from Engineering Heritage Australia. In October 2009 he completed an innovative visitor guide to the engineering heritage of the City of Adelaide published by the South Australian Division to mark EA’s 90th anniversary year.

Richard is currently working towards a Master of Archaeology degree at the Flinders University of South Australia where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 (and still has his old student number). He is also striving to complete a history of the South Australian engineering company Southcott Pty Ltd which will have its 125th anniversary in 2011.

Paper: The Engineering of "Engineering a City"