QUT’s Else Shepherd AM, has been honoured by Cross River Rail as one of two ground-breaking Queensland women. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the state, one of the twin Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) has been named after Else.
The TBMs have been tunnelling under the Brisbane River, QUT, Albert Street towards the new Roma Street station and later emerging at the project’s northern portal at Normanby. Each machine is 165 metres long and weighs 1,350 tonnes, working 58 metres below the surface and 42 metres below Brisbane River.
Starting from Woolloongabba, TBM Else has already emerged alongside the Inner City Bypass and surfaced at Roma Street station, where it met its namesake Else Shepherd on 16 August 2021.
Cross River Rail project will overhaul public transport in the city of Brisbane and revitalise precincts near the new stations at Boggo Road, Albert Street, Roma Street and Woolloongabba.
Else Shepherd, a South African-Australian engineer and a QUT academic, was one of the first women to graduate in electrical engineering in Queensland. She served as chair of Powerlink Queensland for 17 years and has founded her own companies. She was named the Queensland Professional Engineer of the Year in 2000 and in 2003 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. Else received an honorary doctorate from The University of Queensland in 2011 for her status as a role model for women in non-traditional fields.
For more information about this event, read the Here’s to the Groundbreakers and Trailblazing women honoured media releases or visit Cross River Rail website for the updates on this project.