Joseph Newell Reeson (1868–1953) was an Australian civil engineer who pioneered the use of welding for large steel structures.
During this time he developed electric arc welding for the construction and maintenance of gas-works plant.
This included the construction of the first large electric arc welded steel structure in the world, when the No 3 gasholder at the Fitzroy Gasworks was completed in 1923.
[3] Reeson was also responsible for erecting constructional workshops, which made the company self-contained in manufacture and maintenance.
In 1926, he was awarded a Telford Premium medal for his Paper on “ The Influence of Electric Welding in the Design and Fabrication of Plant and Structures.”[5] He was also one of the first recipients of the Kernot Memorial Medal awarded in 1929 by the University of Melbourne for his research into electric welding.