The Pitman Benjamin Prize for Engineering Sustainability is awarded to the Civil Engineering student whose thesis best promotes sustainable engineering. It is awarded in memory of a Heather Pitman, the first woman to graduate in Engineering at Ballarat. The Pitman Benjamin Prize for Engineering Sustainability is sponsored by Benjamin Real Estate, and was first awarded in 2006. Heather was the first female graduate from Ballarat College of Advanced Education and obtained outstanding results. Throughout her career she worked predominantly in local government and for much of that time with the Shire of Ballarat, then the City of Ballarat. During that time she worked as a civil engineer and in planning. Heather was a trail blazer in many respects and was one of the first women to be employed into an engineering position at that time. It was not easy, and she applied for about 200 jobs before being employed by the Shire of Greensborough, north of Melbourne. In 2002 Heather Pitman was Land Development Engineer with the City of Ballarat. The following year she was the City of Ballarat's Manager, Building & Assets. Award sponsor Terry Benjamin was a great mentor of Heather’s sponsoring the award in her memory when she died suddenly at the age of 48. Honour Board, gold lettering University of Ballarat. Black lettering The Pitman Benjamin Prize for Engineering Sustainability. The Pitman Benjamin Prize for Engineering Sustainability has been awarded to: * 2006 - Nathan Whittle; * 2007 - Christopher Quinn; * 2008 - Vinoch Ravi; * 2009 - Troy Vanberkel; * 2010 - Nil; * 2011 - Craig Furniss; * 2012 - Joshua Handreck; * 2013 - Matthew Willis (not on board 10/6/2014); * 2013 - Daniel Camilleri (not on board 10/6/2014);pitman benjamin, nathan whittle, christopher quinn, vinodh ravi, troy vanberkel, craig furniss, joshua handreck, prize, engineering, sustainability, heather pitman, stuart benjamin, benjamin real estate

Heather Pitman studied at the School of Mines and Ballarat College of Advanced Education and was awarded the Civil Engineering Scholarship in 1977. Heather broke down barriers in engineering with an integrity that earned her tremendous respect in the sector and led to her becoming the first female Head of Engineering for the City of Ballarat. She was the first of a new breed of engineers to consider the urban water cycle in its entirety and not in isolated parts, a radical approach at the time. In her honour, the Pitman Benjamin Engineering Prize was founded, to recognise students like Heather, who have chosen not to accept the status quo, but instead to change the world to make it better for all. Heather died in 2005.heather pitman, engineer, alumni, ballarat school of mines, ballarat college of advanced education, civil engineering scholarship, first female head of engineering, city of ballarat, urban water cycle, pitman benjamin engineering scholarship

Heather studied at the School of Mines and Ballarat College of Advanced Education and was awarded the Civil Engineering Scholarship in 1977. She graduated in 1978. Heather broke down barriers in engineering with an integrity that earned her tremendous respect and led to her becoming the first female Head of Engineering for the City of Ballarat. Heather pioneered sustainable design and was the first of a new breed of engineers to consider the urban water cycle in its entirety and not in isolated parts, a radical approach at the time. In her honour, the Pitman Benjamin Engineering Prize was founded, to recognise students like Heather, who have chosen not to accept the status quo, but instead to change the world to make it better for all.women of note, ballarat school of mines, ballarat college of advanced education, first female, head of engineering, city of ballarat, civil engineering scholarship, pioneered sustainable design, urban water cycle, pitman benjamin engineering scholarship