Hartnett, Laurence John - Bright Sparcs Biographical entry

Bright Sparcs
Biographical entry

Home | Browse | Search | Previous | Next

Hartnett, Laurence John (1898 - 1986)

CBE, Kt cr

Online Sources

Archival/Heritage Sources

Published Sources

Mechanical engineer and Business executive

Born: 26 May 1898 England. Died: 4 April 1986.

(Sir) Laurence John Hartnett was Managing Director of General Motors-Holden's Ltd Australia 1934-47 and a director of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Pty Ltd, Melbourne 1935-47. He was Director of Ordnance Production within the Munitions Department and presided over the first meeting of the Optical Munitions Panel. Hartnett was a guiding influence over the Panel's work. He was also involved with many external bodies including a stint as Chairman of Ferro Corporation (Australia) Pty Ltd and John Hart Pty Ltd. Hartnett completed a mechanical engineering apprenticeship with Vickers Ltd; Lt., before joining the Royal Navy Air Service and the Royal Air Force. After the war he joined General Motors and worked at many of their branches all over the world, before coming to Australia in 1934.

Career Highlights

Chronology
1917 - 1919 Served with the Royal Navy Air Service and the Royal Air Force
c. 1920 - c. 1933 Senior Executive of General Motors in India, Ceylon, Malaya, Singapore, Sweden, Finland, USA, UK
1934 - 1947 Managing Director of General Motors-Holden's Ltd Australia
1935 - 1947 Inaugural Director of Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Pty Ltd
1940 - 1945 Director of Ordnance Production within the Munitions Department
1942 - 1946 Chairman of the Army Inventions Directorate
1945 - 1971 Council member of the Science Museum of Victoria
1949 - 1986? Chairman and Managing Director of Hartnett Holdings Pty Ltd
1974 Public Service Star of Republic of Singapore received

Online Sources

Published Sources

'Hartnett, Laurence John', in The Giant's Eye: the Optical Munitions Exhibition, A Bright Sparcs Exhibition, Australian Science Archives Project, 1997, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/omp/people/hartnett.htm. [ Details ]

See Also

Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/scripts/tia-dynindex.php3?EID=P001344. [ Details ]
Bolton, H. C., 'Optical Instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 War: successes and lost opportunities', Australian Physicist, 1990, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/bolton2.htm. [ Details ]
Mellor, D.P., 'Optical Munitions', Chapter 12 in Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 4: Civil, volume 5 'The Role of Science and Industry', Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1958, 1958, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/mellor.htm. [ Details ]

Sherratt, Tim; Condé, Anne-Marie, A Wartime Observatory Observed - the Mount Stromlo Community, 1940-1945, Australian Science Archives Project, Canberra, 1994, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/tps_stromlo_draft.htm. [ Details ]

Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.

Prepared by: McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993
Modified: 5 December 2006

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
Disclaimer, Copyright and Privacy Policy
Submit any comments, questions, corrections and additions
Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001344b.htm

[ Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education ] [ Top of page | Bright Sparcs Home | Browse | Search ]