Dr Harold Clough AO OBE CitWA was a graduate of UWA who went on to become an engineering pioneer and leading businessman. He joined the Clough family company in 1954, serving as Managing Director until 1988, and Chairman of Clough Limited until late 2002.

In recognition of his leadership in industry and the community, he was the recipient of numerous awards including the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal awarded in 1977, Office of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, and Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990. He was WA Citizen of the Year in Industry and Commerce in 1983, and won the Australasian Institution of Electrical Engineers James N. Kirby Award and the Institution of Engineers Australia Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal in 1993, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (WA) inaugural gold medal for contributions to engineering, industry and commerce in 1994.

Dr Harold Clough AO OBE CitWA 

Harold received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering from UWA in 1990. Speaking at a UWA graduation ceremony, he was quoted as saying, “Be enterprising, work hard, take a risk. The disappointments and disasters are shattering, but the harder you work the luckier you get. So I think the two things are associated.”

Throughout his life, he continued to remain connected to engineering at UWA. From his early days on campus as a student where he was part of the UWA Engineering Club and was a keen rugby player through to the early 1970s when he initiated the Clough Scholars program which has seen close to 300 students over 40 years benefit from a scholarship and work opportunity at Clough Engineering. 

UWA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Amit Chakma described Dr Clough as one of the University’s most renowned and successful engineering graduates.

“He placed a high value on the education he received at our University and throughout his life contributed back to his alma mater”, Professor Chakma said.

Dr Clough’s interests in UWA extended beyond the School of Engineering and he served on UWA Senate for 12 years between 1991 and 2003. During his time on Senate, he helped the University navigate some critical business decisions that continue to benefit our wider community. Other volunteer roles at UWA included Former Patron of the Hackett Foundation; Former Governor, the UWA Engineering Foundation Council; Former Chair, Senate External Strategy Committee; Former Patron, Centre for Water Research Association; and Former Senate Development Committee Member.

For his commitment to Engineering leadership, the School of Engineering bestowed the inaugural Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award on Harold and in 2017 the University named the Engineering Lecture Theatre Building, The Harold and Margaret Clough Lecture Theatres in recognition of their long-term philanthropic support of the University.

The University’s condolences are extended to the Clough family.