| 1951 | Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Sydney |
| 1951 - 1955 | Assistant Curator of Mineralogy and Petrology at the Australian Museum |
| 1953 | Master of Science (MSc) completed at the University of Sydney |
| 1953 - 1955 | Postgraduate student and Teaching Associate in the Division of Geological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, USA |
| 1956 | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the California Institute of Technology |
| 1956 - 1960 | Research Fellow in Geophysics and Geochemistry at the Australian National University in Canberra |
| 1960 - 1964 | Fellow in Geophysics and Geochemistry at the Australian National University |
| 1963 - 1964 | Visiting Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Rochester, USA |
| 1964 | Guest Investigator at the Geophysical Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute of Washington |
| 1964 - 1969 | Senior Fellow in Geophysics and Geochemistry at the Australian National University |
| 1969 - 1987 | Professor of Geology and Head of the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne |
| 1971 | Master of Science (MSc) completed at the University of Melbourne |
| 1972 | Visiting Professor at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik in Heidelberg, Germany |
| 1972 - 1973 | Senior Research Associate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland, USA |
| 1977 - 1978 | President of the Royal Society of Victoria |
| 1978 | Member of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) to Commonwealth Bay and Casey Base in Australian Antarctic Territory and Macquarie Island |
| 1978 - 1980 | President of the Geological Society of Australia |
| 1979 - 1985 | Member of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO |
| 1982 - | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA) |
| 1983 - 1985 | Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne |
| 1984 - 1985 | Member of the Australian Ionising Radiation Advisory Council |
| 1985 - 1986 | President of the Australian Geoscience Council |
| 1985 - 1986 | Member of the Marine Research Allocations Advisory Committee |
| 1985 - 1987 | President of the UNESCO International Geological Correlation Programme |
| 1985 - 1987 | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Melbourne |
| 1985 - 1989 | Chairman of the Antarctic Science Advisory Committee |
| 1987 | Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne |
| 1987 | ANARE expedition to Mawson and Davis Bases, Scullin Monolith, Heard Island |
| 1987 - 1995 | Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Geology at Flinders University of South Australia |
| 1990 - 1996 | Vice-President of the International Union of Geological Sciences |
| 1992 - 1994 | Presiding Officer of the Natural Resources Council of South Australia |
| 1993 - | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) |
| 1993 | Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) |
| 1994 - 1999 | President of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission |
| 1995 - | Emeritus Professor at Flinders University of South Australia |
| 1995 | Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) received from Flinders University of South Australia |
| 1998 - | Chairman of the Environment Conservation Council |
| 1998 - | Chairman of the Australian National Seismic Imaging Resource |
| 1998 - 1999 | Member of the Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committee |
| 1999 - | Professorial Fellow of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne |
| 1999 | Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) received from the University of Melbourne |
