Page 23 - EngineerIT August-September 2025
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Hendrik J van der Bijl
He studied physics in Germany, graduating with MA and PhD degrees at the
University of Leipzig. In 1912 he took up the post of assistant in physics at the Royal
School of Technology in Dresden. In 1913 he joined the Western Electric Company
The Expo for Young Scientists was founded in the USA, working with the team investigating the De Forest Audion. In 1918 he
in 1980 by Dr Derek Gray and has since published a paper bringing together his experiences in designing and using
thermionic tubes as amplifiers. His mathematical analysis of the triode stood the
provided opportunities for learners to
test of time and formed the basis of amplifier design until the transistor displaced
share their passion. The Hendrik van der it in the 1950s. Dr van der Bijl returned to South Africa in 1923, where he founded
Bijl Awards programme was started by the Electricity Supply Commission, now known as Eskom. He later established
ISCOR. The Hendrik J van der Bijl Awards are a tribute to his contribution to the
the late Dr Stafford Smithies and later
country and a fitting programme to recognise budding young scientists.
supported by Chris Yelland after the
Alfred Jennings
Faraday Awards, originally sponsored
Alfred Jennings, a Port Elizabeth telephone technician, developed wireless
by the London-based Institution of
communication at the same time as Marconi was experimenting in Italy. He
Engineering and Technology, were noticed crackling noises in his telephone earpiece every time an electric
discontinued in 2009 and renamed the tram passed his house. Realising it was the spark from the trolley, he began
experimenting and soon understood it was similar to Marconi’s wireless
Hendrik J van der Bijl Awards. Hans van de
experiments. Not long after, he demonstrated wireless communication from the
Groenendaal administers the programme steps of the Port Elizabeth City Hall with a setup on Bird Island off the PE coast.
with EngineerIT as media sponsor, adding
Trevor Wadley
value by sharing young scientists’ stories
Trevor Wadley was born in 1920. He attended Durban High School where he
and sponsor support across its newsletter, excelled in mathematics and science. He studied at the University of KwaZulu-
Natal, and in 1959 completed his D.Sc. thesis Heterodyne techniques in specialised
website and magazine.
radio instrumentation at the University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Science. In
1948, while at the CSIR, Wadley invented the Wadley Loop receiver, which allowed
Sponsorship of one or more awards precision tuning over wide bands — a task that previously required switching
multiple crystals. The Wadley Loop was first used by the British army, and later
in this programme will encourage
adapted into a commercial version that became the most popular shortwave
young scientists to continue working on
receiver on the market. Wadley also contributed to advances in radar and
their passion and choose a career in distance measuring equipment.
engineering. Contact hans@comsa.africa
Sponsoring a Hendrik van der Bijl Award may just be the start of another
to make your contribution to secure our Hendrik van der Bijl, Alfred Jennings or Trevor Wadley.
future skilled workforce.
