Joseph Brady (engineer)

Joseph Brady (18 August 1828 – 8 July 1908) was an Irish born, civil engineer active in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, undertaking works on railways, water supplies and ports.

[1] In Victoria, Brady became engineer with Edward N. Emmett's Bendigo Water Works Company, for whom he designed and constructed the original town reservoir and reticulation services between 1858 and 1863.

After a break on railway projects he won the Victorian government prize of £500 for the best scheme to supply water to the Bendigo and Mount Alexander goldfields.

[2] While the Trust engaged Sir John Coode to provide advice and designs on the harbour improvements, Bradey was able to convince the commissioners to accept his modification resulting in considerable efficiencies and cost savings.

As a result, Melbourne gained one of the largest single excavated dock basins in the World, which put the Harbor Trust in good stead for the next 80 years.

Two of his papers: 'The Geelong and Sandhurst Water Supplies' (1878–79)[4] and 'Early railway construction in New South Wales' (1904–05)[5] were published in the institution's Proceedings.

The eldest son, Lyndon Francis, moved to Western Australia where he was a pioneer of the timber business as manager with the Millar Karri and Jarrah Co. Georgina was the only daughter to marry, her husband, Edward Wardell, was master of the Melbourne Mint.

[9] In 1868, the mayor and citizens of Dalby presented Brady with a testimonial and an inscribed silver claret jug (now in the possession of a grandson in Adelaide).