engineering

J. A. Fargher

J. A. Fargher is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand J. A. Fargher rather than just read about it. In short: John Adrian Fargher C.M.G., M.C.E, M.I.E., (13 January 1901 – 1977) invariably referred to as J. A.

Key takeaways

J. A. Fargher belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect J. A. Fargher to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of J. A. Fargher from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John Adrian Fargher C.M.G., M.C.E, M.I.E., (13 January 1901 – 1977) invariably referred to as J. A. Fargher, was Commissioner for Railways in South Australia from 1953 to 1966.

History Fargher was born in North Carlton, Victoria to engineer Philip Fargher and Matilda Maud Fargher, née Blacker, who married in Melbourne on 28 February 1894. He was educated at the Fairfield school, winning scholarships to Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne, where he studied Civil Engineering, gaining his Bachelor's degree in 1924 and Masters in 1926. In May 1923 he joined the Victorian Railways, and in November transferred to South Australia, where W. A. Webb had just been appointed Chief Commissioner of Railways and was intent on modernizing that state's network. He worked with R. H. Chapman on the new railway bridge at Murray Bridge. During World War II he was appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Engineer & Railway Staff Corps (South Australia). He was appointed acting Commissioner with the death of R. H. Chapman on 10 May 1953, and appointed to the position on 23 October 1953. He was largely responsible for the conversion of South Australia's locomotive fleet from steam to diesel and diesel-electric.

Other activities Fargher was involved with R. J. Bridgland in designing the University foot bridge (1937) over the River Torrens and the Birkenhead Bridge (1940) over the Port River. After designing several air raid shelters in Adelaide during WWII, Fargher was appointed Controller of Air Raid Shelters under the State Emergency Civil Defence Council, directly responsible to Colonel Veale, chairman of the Air Raid Precautions Committee.

Family Fargher married Elsie Pearl French in Melbourne on 27 February 1926. In 1962 they had a home at 8 Cambridge Terrace, Brighton. They had two daughters and a son, including:

Kathleen Fargher (17 November 1926 – ) Fargher died in hospital and his remains cremated. His wife, son and one daughter outlived him.

Notes

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with J. A. Fargher

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what J. A. Fargher claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to J. A. Fargher before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about J. A. Fargher ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of J. A. Fargher

In research: J. A. Fargher appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses J. A. Fargher in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: J. A. Fargher is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1901 births, 1977 deaths, 20th-century Australian engineers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for J. A. Fargher outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study J. A. Fargher in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what J. A. Fargher means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain J. A. Fargher out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is J. A. Fargher in simple terms?

John Adrian Fargher C.M.G., M.C.E, M.I.E., (13 January 1901 – 1977) invariably referred to as J. A.

Why does J. A. Fargher matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study J. A. Fargher?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on J. A. Fargher.