Bryan Bartley

Bryan Allen Bartley  (30 November 1928 – 24 March 2015) was a New Zealand civil engineer and inventor. He developed the Barmac crusher with fellow engineer Jim Macdonald.

Early life and family
Born in the Auckland suburb of Epsom in 1928, Bartley was the second son of Wilma Amy (née Slattery) and George Frederick Bartley, a pharmacist. He studied civil engineering at Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1950 or 1953.

Career
Bartley was employed by Winstone Aggregates and in the 1960s was instrumental in that company purchasing what is now its main quarry, Hunua Quarry near Papakura. He was one of the founders of the New Zealand branch of the Institute of Quarrying, and in 1989 served as the Institute of Quarrying's first international president.

In 1970, Wellington engineer Jim Macdonald built the prototype for a new vertical shaft impactor for creating construction aggregate. Over a period of eight years, Bartley and Macdonald developed the prototype into a viable commercial machine that became known as the Barmac crusher after its two creators. The pair licensed the manufacture of their crusher around the world, and sold the business in 1994. By 2003 over 3500 Barmac crushers had been sold worldwide, the largest rated at 800 kW, and it has been used on projects including the Three Gorges Dam in China. The original Barmac crusher, machine number 1, is preserved at the Kiwi Point Quarry in Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington.

Bartley also developed and patented a new self-feathering yacht propeller with John Blundell.

In the 2000 New Year Honours, Bartley was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to engineering and the community.

References

Category:1928 births
Category:2015 deaths
Category:People from Auckland
Category:University of Auckland alumni
Category:New Zealand civil engineers
Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:New Zealand inventors