Nationality Australian Name Essington Lewis | Occupation Mining engineer Parents John Lewis | |
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Years active Employee 1904 – 26Managing Director 1926-50Chairman 1950-61 Employer Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd (BHP) Spouse(s) Gladys Rosalind Cowan (m. 1910) Education University of South Australia | ||
Essington Lewis, CH (13 January 1881 – 2 October 1961) was an Australian industrialist.
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Early life
Essington Lewis was born in Burra, South Australia on 13 January 1881. His father was the pastoralist and politician John Lewis (1844–1923), founder of Bagot, Shakes & Lewis. He was named after Port Essington, where his father owned a cattle property. He was educated at St. Peter's College, Adelaide and the South Australian School of Mines.
Career
After joining Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd (BHP) (now BHP Billiton) in 1904, he rose through the company ranks to become Managing Director in 1926 and Chairman in 1950, a position he held until his death in 1961. For the whole of his period as M.D., he had a close working relationship and personal friendship with Chairman of Directors Harold Gordon Darling (1885 – 1950).
During his travels to Germany and Japan in the 1930s, he realised the threat of these countries to Australia. Accordingly, he helped establish the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and many munitions facilities meaning Australia was better prepared for industrialisation when the war started in 1939. During World War II, he also served as Director-General of the Department of Munitions. He supported the establishment of the motor industry in Australia in 1948, being rewarded by being able to purchase the first commercially produced Holden 48/215.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour on 24 September 1943.
Personal life
In 1910, he married Gladys Rosalind Cowan, OBE, the only daughter of James Cowan. Their family consisted of five children – sons James Essington and Robert Brook, and daughters Helen, Mary and Jane. His sons were educated at Geelong Grammar School and the daughters at the Clyde School. The family lived in Malvern, Victoria and owned a country property named "Landscape" near Tallarook in central Victoria. Robert Brook (1918-2009) is notable as being the Master of St Mark's College, University of Adelaide from 1957 to 1968 and the Master of Menzies College, La Trobe University from 1968 to 1970.
Death
He died while riding his horse on his property "Landscape" near Tallarook on 2 October 1961, aged 80.
Legacy
He is the subject of the musical play I am Work by John O'Donoghue.