Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Selfe, Norman

Engineer, designer and activist, whose visionary plans for Sydney's harbour crossing and education system were not realised until after his death.

Milestone
Born
09 Dec 1839
Died
Normanhurst
15 Oct 1911
Buried
17 Oct 1911
Position
1887 - 1889
Relationship
Sibling
Parent of
Parent of
Spouse
1872 - 1902
Spouse
1906 - 1911

Selfe, Norman

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2009

Engineer, naval architect, inventor, urban visionary and advocate of technical education, Norman Selfe was one of Sydney's most energetic and civic-minded citizens. His vision for Sydney included a harbour crossing decades before the Harbour Bridge was built, and an independent system of technical education long before the advent of TAFE. During his lifetime, his efforts were not successful, but many of his innovative ideas were later realised.