Insurance industry bids farewell to late forensic engineer Bob Lewis

“He was remarkable, and those who worked with him are privileged to have done so. He lived a long, good life and was respected and loved by many. He displayed courage, enthusiasm, and generosity and believed in love,” she said.

Bob Lewis’s career journey

An engineer with electrical and mechanical qualifications, Lewis started his career in 1950 as a design draftsman and assistant engineer in the Victorian oil industry. He worked in the oil industry in the UK, the Persian Gulf, the US, and Australia before establishing Oil, Building and Industrial Engineers (OBIE) to serve the oil and construction industries.

Lewis then entered the automotive industry, designing and building auto franchise facilities for Ford and General Motors from 1969 to 1980. He patented a design for quick service pit facilities, which OBIE installed in over 110 Australian automotive dealerships and the company designed and built or extended about 40 dealerships.

Lewis also designed industrial and commercial buildings, hotels and motels, shopping centres, high-rise developments, and a 2,200-seat gothic cathedral in Tonga. The company was successful but failed after experiencing defaults by major debtors. Undeterred, Lewis created Oil and Chemical Industries Pty Ltd, which built Australia’s first recycled lube oil re-refinery.