ForeverMissed
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Bruce died as he live with dignity, "no fuss" and surrounded by family

There will be a private funeral for family followed by a memorial service

You are warmly invited to attend the memorial service in-person or online

Memorial Service
Friday 8 April 2 pm
National Gallery of Australia
Parkes Place, Parkes
Canberra
Followed by light freshments

TO JOIN THE MEMORIAL ON ZOOM CLICK HERE

The zoom link will open from 1.45pm

Bruce has requested no flowers but would welcome donations to the Salvation Army 
CLICK HERE

For more information please contact Carol Sinclair at carolmsinclair@gmail.com
December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022
Remembered with great affection. Friend and inspiration. Sympathies to Heather.
April 11, 2022
April 11, 2022
I was saddened to learn of Bruce’s recent passing and subsequently only know about the memorial or zoom possibility in Canberra after the event. I was in Sydney at the time and Christine Vincent was able to send me this link. Thank you Christine.

I knew Bruce in the context of RedR Australia’s very early establishment and development when we got the first office going in Sydney, located in the southern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the Earth Science Museum where Jeff Dobell was the CEO. In the early days we were able to send well qualified engineers to mostly refugee situations due to conflict in many parts of the world, mostly in the important to life, water and sanitation sectors. As the office and reputation of RedR Australia grew, a decision was taken to move the office to Canberra to be accommodated in Engineers Australia. I was not keen to relocate to Canberra so re-joined UNHCR for many countries where conflict displaced civilians both internally and across international borders. We counted every dollar raised from the public and government purse for RedRs various operations. I know Bruce was impressed when I borrowed my family farm ute to transfer all the files and basic furniture from the Sydney to Canberra office before I passed my position to the next Manager.

Bruce was always calm, wise and practical. He was easy to work with and a problem solver. His vision for RedR Australia was sound and doable.

I ended working and retiring in Canberra and enjoyed not enough lunches with Bruce, Marjorie and Christine. My last encounter with Bruce was in Ainslie IGA and we agreed that I would visit him in Goodwin……..which never eventuated..

RIP Bruce……it was a privilege to know and work with you in the humanitarian world where engineering expertise is so highly needed, especially in the emergency set up of new refugee situations.
April 9, 2022
April 9, 2022
It was a privilege to work with Bruce on a number of Rotary matters, and have the opportunity to appreciate his powerful intellect and natural courtesy.

Remembered with affection and respect
April 8, 2022
April 8, 2022
I am saddened to hear the passing of Bruce, but grateful that I had the opportunity to call him a colleague at SKM over a 25 year period. Bruce was one of a handful of people that impressed me to join SKP, as it was back in 1989. His hand in guiding the Company was highly respected both within the group and externally, setting the highest of standards of conduct and decency.
April 7, 2022
April 7, 2022
I met Bruce in September 1998 when, as Chair of RedR Australia, he interviewed and recommended me as CEO and so began a working relationship that lasted for almost a decade and a personal friendship with both Bruce and Marjorie that continued long since. I came from the NGO community with no knowledge of the multifaceted world of engineering but with Bruce as my guide I soon learnt the power of engineering when delivering humanitarian relief. 

We were a fledgling organisation which, with the influence of Bruce and by the grace of the (then) Institution of Engineers Australia, took over the small Members’ Lounge as our office. Bruce later interceded and our Canberra office expanded then additional space was found in Engineers Australia Victorian Division for the Melbourne Training Office. We were on our way and Bruce was quietly delighted. He was closely involved in the running of the organisation. He visited weekly to sign cheques often followed by a coffee at the nearby café, or afterhours a glass of wine at the Brassey Hotel where I briefed him and he advised me. It amused me when he had heard enough, the hand went up with a command “Stop” and we would move to the next subject. But he always had time to listen and provide wise counsel and debate the issues in a thoughtful constructive way. 

Bruce is a perfect example of someone who had great influence, strong ideas and knowledge, achieved much without talking about it and was never self important. He just did good things in his life and he will be remembered for them. My deepest condolences to the Sinclair family.

Vale dear Bruce
Christine Vincent


April 7, 2022
April 7, 2022
I first met Bruce in 1995 when I was appointed to the position of Manager of the Canberra Division of The Institution of Engineers, Australia (now known as Engineers Australia). Over a 20-year period I got to know Bruce and Marjorie and valued their support and commitment to the Division.

I had the privilege of working with Bruce on a wide range of projects, some of the more memorable included: the relaunch of the Butter’s Oration; the unveiling of the Sir John Butters plaque on Mt Ainslie Lookout, which commemorates the work of Sir John Butters, the first full-time chairman of the Federal Capital Commission (Bruce personally knew Sir John and his family); and, the early years of RedR Australia - Bruce was instrumental in securing a high-profile individual, for a formal launch of RedR Australia in the mid 1990’s at an event in Sydney. That person was RedR UK Patron - the Princess Royal HRH Princess Anne. Also, in attendance, as a special guest that night, was Jose Ramos Horta {at the time a key East Timor (Timor-Leste) activist}, who in later years served as Prime Minister and President of the independent country of Timor-Leste.

Bruce’s involvement with Engineers Australia was predicated by the concept of life-long contribution - as a member; as an office bearer; and as a past National President. He was the type of office bearer that unselfishly gave of his time and expertise, always attending technical events, conferences, awards and social events.

Bruce has left a lasting legacy of his involvement with Engineers Australia. He had his fingers in many pies, nationally, at the local Canberra Division level, and, internationally. He wasn’t averse to twisting a few arms to get support for his new ideas. Many times, as he walked up the stairs into Engineering House, we wondered what we were in for this time - what new idea would he convince us to embrace and work on.

Bruce was a larger-than-life figure. In today’s terminology, he was an engineering “celebrity” with a reach throughout the Australian engineering community, Engineers Australia, the broader Australian community and the international engineering community. He had an unrelenting passion for engineering – he lived and breathed Australian engineering.

My deepest condolences to Janet and the rest of the family. As time goes by, may the memories of the good times you shared never fade.

Vesna Strika, former Manager/Director/General Manager of Engineers Australia Canberra Division
April 5, 2022
April 5, 2022
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Bruce. Sally and I first met Bruce when I joined Sinclair Knight Partners (SKP) in 1972 when it was quite small firm but Bruce never lost the ability to communicate with everyone in the firm including their spouses, even as it grew much larger. He had a strong influence on the lives of many people over his long and productive life. I think it was Bruce’s vision together with the skill and hard work of the other two founding directors, Jack Knight and John Winton that steered SKP to grow to be a major consultant in Australia and overseas. 
Early in my career with SKP in 1977, I and four other SKP engineers were posted with our families to a project in central Java, Indonesia where Bruce was our Project Director. He visited the project with Majorie several times over the three year period each time staying several weeks. During that time he and Majorie provided valuable help and advice about how to overcome the many technical and social difficulties of working in such a different culture. From this experience we formed a long term bond with Bruce and Majorie. Even after Bruce stepped down from an executive position in the firm he continued to contribute with a variety of initiatives including a project manager’s role in India and setting up RedR to provide technical overseas disaster assistance.
April 5, 2022
April 5, 2022
I first met Bruce through Engineers Australia in the 1980s and particularly got to know him when I was Canberra Division President of EA in 1988.

In 1989 Bruce offered me a position with SKM. I instead took a position with Maunsell. I often wonder how my life might have changed had I accepted Bruce's offer.  Maybe we would not have wound up doing the projects that we did later collaborate on in SE Asia.

I had the great pleasure of working with Bruce on the Indonesian Engineer Enhancement Program (EEP) during the mid to late1990s. The EEP was funded through Engineers Australia by the Federal Government to assist Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia (PII) to develop competency standards for professional engineering practice, a Code of Ethics, an Undergraduate engineering course accreditation system aimed at eventually achieving Washington Accord equivalence, and a system of engineer certification for three levels of professional engineering practice aimed at international mutual recognition through the then Engineer Mobility Forum.  An outcome of the program was acceptance by the Indonesian Government of the three levels of practice for salary pegging of public service professional engineers working throughout Indonesia.

Bruce accompanied me on many visits to Indonesia and elsewhere in SE Asia, assisting enormously through his vast experience, his in-depth knowledge of the practice of engineering, his integrity and his wit.  Working with Bruce was incredibly rewarding, and enjoyable for me.  I deeply value having known and worked with Bruce - his mentoring and guidance was invaluable to me.
April 4, 2022
April 4, 2022
RedR Australia was saddened to learn of the passing of Andrew Bruce Sinclair AM.
As a founding member of the international humanitarian response agency RedR Australia in 1992, Bruce cared deeply about vulnerable communities and the duty of engineers to those affected by conflict and crises.
As Lifetime Patron of RedR Australia and Founding Chair until 1996, Bruce was a forthright advocate for robust and safe infrastructure and settlements that allow communities to thrive.
A former Board Member of RedR International, Bruce believed engineers to be key to solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, and that an inclusive and sustainable future was deserved by all.
Bruce’s legacy will live on in RedR Australia’s continued work building resilience and capacity in partners and communities globally.
April 3, 2022
April 3, 2022
Dear Carol and Family,
Deepest sympathy to you all.  Bruce was an outstanding Australian as well as an extraordinarily talented engineer. Rosemary and I know how much each of you, his family will miss him. We grew up with much in common - our surnames are the same, our fathers were chartered accountants, each lived at number 3 in different Lindfield streets and our families met socially from time to time as have Bruce and me.  I greatly admired the diversity and extent of his professional career and wider public commitment. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. 
April 1, 2022
April 1, 2022
I am very saddened to learn of Bruce's passing. He was literally a father to me in my late teens when I joined the RAN in 1969 at HMAS Nirimba in Quakers Hill NSW. My Dad worked with Bruce at David Shearers in Mannum in the mid 1960's, where Marjorie and Bruce lived for a couple of years while Bruce was consulting.
When I got to Sydney, I was 16 1/2 and needed an approved address to leave the base on weekends and thus began a wonderful relationship with the Sinclair family whom I dearly love and miss. I would spend one or two weekends a month staying with the family in Mosman for the next 3 years and literally grew up with Heather, Philip, Janet and Carol.
We got up to all sorts of mischief as teenagers and had a wonderful family head in Bruce to keep us on the right path.
Bruce and Marjorie kindly hosted my wedding reception when I married Vicki in about 1972. The family minus Philip attended my second wedding to Robin at Banjo Patersons in Sydney in about in 1992. It was the best party ever and Tom Baker and his hot jazz band played and we danced away the hours.
I last saw Bruce in Canberra about 15 years ago and spoke after Marjorie passed.
My mother Joan and wife Robin will be sad to learn the news of Bruce's passing.
A GREAT Australian, father, and samaritan, and a friend to thousands.
We will miss you Bruce
Mark Gibson, London 1/4/22
rmarkgibson@gmail.com
April 1, 2022
April 1, 2022
I remember when i joined SKM in 1998 Bruce would give us his 'fire-side chats' in the meeting room. total class, and the way that a CEO should be approachable and walk amongst the workers and lean over to see what you are working on. he would tell a story about how one of the first jobs he did when he set up SK partners was for a tailor, and the guy paid him with a bespoke suit, and the suit 'still fits me today'. so privledged to have met Bruce.
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2022
My first interaction with Bruce was as a young engineer elected to the Council of, what was then, The Institution of Engineers, Australia. Bruce was the President and I was attending my first meeting in the company of around 60 leaders of the profession. Lunchtime arrived and Bruce casually walked over to where I was sitting. "Well, you have been here for half a day and haven't said anything yet!" Over the years, through both professional and personal interactions, I found he was always ready to challenge you to push your boundaries and test your assumptions. In his own forthright and compassionate way he always inspired others to lift their sights and give their best, not only by words but by personal example. I am saddened to hear of Bruce's passing. My heart goes out to his immediate and extended family for a loss much dearer and deeper than mine. Time will be kind to Bruce for his time among us has made the world we share a much better place.
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2022
Bruce was such an inspiration to so many. In particular all of those that worked at or with SKM knew of Bruce and his contribution to the industry and community. On behalf of myself and my late Uncle John Stapleton, our thoughts are with his family. His legacy lives on in many people that are now leading the engineering industry.
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2022
I was so sorry to hear about the passing of Bruce Sinclair - truly one of the greats of Australian engineering. Bruce was always one to provide an opinion, and when he spoke, you listened. He was a trail blazer in many regards and the foundations that he, Jack Knight and John Winton put in place when forming Sinclair Knight & Partners (later SKM) provided the template that other employee owned consulting firms could follow. His contribution to the profession, not just in Australia, was significant and he will be greatly missed.
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2022
It was my privilege to know and work with Bruce.
He was an icon in Engineering and deserved to be.
My wife Lea and I were also enriched to have known Bruce and Marjorie socially through SKM.
Our sincere condolences and gratitude to Bruce's family at this sad time.
Bill Lawson.
March 30, 2022
March 30, 2022
Dear Carol,
It is with great sadness to hear Bruce's passing on 25 March 2022. I met Bruce in 2001 in Canberra at the beginning of the establishment of
Canberra Friends of Dili. At that time I was doing an intern at the Portuguese Embassy in Canberra learning the ropes of diplomatic practices. Bruce struck me as someone with warm caring personality, who always go out of his way to give someone a helping hand. He offered to help Timor-Leste in any way he could with his expertise in civil engineering given the physical destruction of infrastructure that had occurred in Timor-Leste. We had long conversations on how to rebuild the country from the ashes and address the immediate needs with humanitarian aid. Through those conversations and many more over the years particularly during my posting in Canberra, I learnt a lot from his wisdom. We will miss him but we will cherish the great memories. From a far we express our sincere condolences to you and your whole family and friends. If any of you need to take a break, you are most welcome to visit us in Brunei Darussalam, we will host you with great pleasure with our warm hospitality, just like Bruce gave us his hand of friendship. May He Rests in Peace.
From all of us at the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Brunei Darussalam.
Abel Guterres
Ambassador
+6738849865

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Recent Tributes
December 13, 2022
December 13, 2022
Remembered with great affection. Friend and inspiration. Sympathies to Heather.
April 11, 2022
April 11, 2022
I was saddened to learn of Bruce’s recent passing and subsequently only know about the memorial or zoom possibility in Canberra after the event. I was in Sydney at the time and Christine Vincent was able to send me this link. Thank you Christine.

I knew Bruce in the context of RedR Australia’s very early establishment and development when we got the first office going in Sydney, located in the southern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the Earth Science Museum where Jeff Dobell was the CEO. In the early days we were able to send well qualified engineers to mostly refugee situations due to conflict in many parts of the world, mostly in the important to life, water and sanitation sectors. As the office and reputation of RedR Australia grew, a decision was taken to move the office to Canberra to be accommodated in Engineers Australia. I was not keen to relocate to Canberra so re-joined UNHCR for many countries where conflict displaced civilians both internally and across international borders. We counted every dollar raised from the public and government purse for RedRs various operations. I know Bruce was impressed when I borrowed my family farm ute to transfer all the files and basic furniture from the Sydney to Canberra office before I passed my position to the next Manager.

Bruce was always calm, wise and practical. He was easy to work with and a problem solver. His vision for RedR Australia was sound and doable.

I ended working and retiring in Canberra and enjoyed not enough lunches with Bruce, Marjorie and Christine. My last encounter with Bruce was in Ainslie IGA and we agreed that I would visit him in Goodwin……..which never eventuated..

RIP Bruce……it was a privilege to know and work with you in the humanitarian world where engineering expertise is so highly needed, especially in the emergency set up of new refugee situations.
April 9, 2022
April 9, 2022
It was a privilege to work with Bruce on a number of Rotary matters, and have the opportunity to appreciate his powerful intellect and natural courtesy.

Remembered with affection and respect
His Life

Memorial Service Part 1

April 30, 2022

Memorial Part 2

April 30, 2022

Memorial Service Part 3

April 30, 2022
Recent stories
April 8, 2022
Many happy memories of young children growing up together.  The gate between the two properties for quick access for the kids.   Days on Balmoral Beach,   Scouts and sailing.
Holiday at Forster with the two families....it rained for days and we were flood bound.  Sincere condolences to you all.   Marie Smith ( Monty died January, 2021)

From Deep Saini

April 3, 2022
Dear Carol,

I had the good fortune of getting to know your father when I was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra from 2016 to 2019, so I was saddened to learn from Sam Mackey that he had passed away. I will remember him fondly for his gentle demeanour, engaging personality and above all for his caring generosity toward students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Marjorie and Bruce Sinclair Scholarship Endowment that he and your mother set up to support students from indigenous, rural and refugee backgrounds impacted many lives in significant and positive ways.

 My wife, Rani, who also knew Bruce, joins me in sending our sincerest sympathies to you and your family over your loss. Bruce’s was a life lived very well and with purpose, so even as we mourn his passing, we must remember that there is so much to celebrate about his life.

Warmest regards.
Deep
–––––––––––
H. Deep Saini, PhD, FRSN | Professor
President & Vice-Chancellor
Dalhousie University

Tribute from Sheldon Krahe

March 31, 2022
I joined SKM in Canberra in 2004 and had the privilege of having a ‘yarn’ with Bruce on a regular basis. I was given Bruce’s old office in Canberra and he would regularly pop into the office, often to get his laptop fixed by our IT team , and sit down and have a chat. We would cover a whole range of different topics (sometimes the same ones ) and I thoroughly enjoyed the story telling that Bruce would provide. I made a special effort to introduce Bruce to any SKM visitors who may have been in the Canberra office that day and I always enjoyed watching the moment when they made the connection that Bruce was indeed the Sinclair in Sinclair Knight Merz and I think Bruce really enjoyed that moment too. Bruce had a presence and passion that was infectious and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity know him.

You will be missed Bruce but I think all of us who had the privilege of getting to know you will also celebrate the amazing legacy and impact you have had in everything you have set your mind to.

Sheldon Krahe
Former SKM employee

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