Menzies, Robert Gordon - Bright Sparcs Biographical entry

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Menzies, Robert Gordon (1894 - 1978)

FAA, FRS

Online Sources

Published Sources

Barrister and Prime Minister of Australia

Born: 20 December 1894 Jeparit, Victoria, Australia. Died: 15 May 1978 Malvern, Victoria, Australia.

(Sir) Robert Gordon Menzies was Prime Minister of Australia from 1939 to 1941 and from 1949 to 1966. During his time in office he contributed greatly to the expansion of Australia’s scientific community and scientific research. One of his main achievements was the massive expansion of the CSIRO. Menzies was appointed Prime Minister for the second time just after the legislation was passed to change the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) into the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). He and his government oversaw the CSIRO budget rise from $4.0 million in 1948/49 to nearly $41.0 million in 1965/66. His other contributions include being instrumental in the development and funding of the Australian Academy of Science; the amalgamation of the Canberra University College with the Australian National University; and the partial funding of the Anglo-Australian Telescope in Parkes, New South Wales.

Career Highlights

Chronology
1916 Bachelor of Law (LLB) completed at the University of Melbourne
1918 Master of Laws(LLM) completed at the University of Melbourne
1918 Admitted to the Bar
1928 - 1929 Member of the Legislative Council for East Yarra, Victoria
1929 King's Councill (KC)
1929 - 1934 Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nunawading, Victoria
1934 - 1946 Member of the House of Representatives for Kooyong, Victoria
1937 Privy Councillor
1939 - 1941 Prime Minister of Australia
1941 - 1944 Member of the Advisory War Council
1943 - 1949 Leader of the Federal Opposition
1949 - 1966 Prime Minister of Australia
1950 Chief Commander, Legion of Merit (US)
1951 Companion of Honour (CH)
1958 - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
1960 - 1962 Minister for External Affairs
1963 Knight Bachelor (Kt cr)
1965 - Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)

Online Sources

Published Sources

See Also

Bolton, H. C., 'Optical Instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 War: successes and lost opportunities', Australian Physicist, 1990, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/bolton2.htm. [ Details ]
Mellor, D.P., 'Optical Munitions', Chapter 12 in Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 4: Civil, volume 5 'The Role of Science and Industry', Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1958, 1958, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/mellor.htm. [ Details ]

Sherratt, Tim; Condé, Anne-Marie, A Wartime Observatory Observed - the Mount Stromlo Community, 1940-1945, Australian Science Archives Project, Canberra, 1994, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/tps_stromlo_draft.htm. [ Details ]

Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.

Prepared by: McCarthy, G.J & Annette Alafaci
Created: 20 October 1993
Modified: 4 September 2006

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001273b.htm

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