| 1941 - 1942 | Private in the Melbourne University Regiment of the Australian Army |
| 1942 | Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Melbourne |
| 1942 - 1948 | Commonwealth Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne |
| 1943 | Master of Science (MSc) completed at the University of Melbourne |
| 1945 - 1948 | Honorary Secretary of the Australian Institute of Metals, Victorian branch |
| 1947 | Grimwade Prize received from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute |
| 1948 | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Melbourne |
| 1948 - 1952 | Senior then Principal Research Officer at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Hartwell, UK |
| 1950 - 1952 | Deputy Chief of the Metallurgy Division of the Atomic Research Establishment |
| 1952 - 1964 | Head of the School of Metallurgy at the University of New South Wales |
| 1952 - 1965 | Councillor of the Australian Institute of Metals |
| 1952 - 1965 | Councillor of the Australian Institute of Metals, New South Wales branch |
| 1952 - 1981 | Foundation Professor of Metallurgy at the University of New South Wales |
| 1952 - 1981 | Professor of Metallurgy at the University of New South Wales |
| 1957 - 1961 | Dean and Chairman of the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of New South Wales |
| 1958 - 1961 | Vice-President then President of the Australian Institute of Metals, New South Wales branch |
| 1959 - 1970 | Chairman of the Overseas Membership Advisory Panel of the Institution of Metallurgists (London) |
| 1961 - 1963 | Vice-President the President of the Australian Institute of Metals |
| 1961 - 1969 | Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales |
| 1964 - 1969 | Chairman of the Institution of Metallurgists (London) - Australian Regions |
| 1965 | Florence Taylor Medal received from the Australian Institute of Metals |
| 1966 - 1983 | Director of the Prince Henry, Prince of Wales and Eastern Suburbs Hospitals, New South Wales |
| 1969 - 1981 | Director and Deputy Chairman of Unisearch Limited |
| 1969 - 1981 | Vice-Chancellor and Principal the University of New South Wales |
| 1971 - 1989 | Chairman of the New South Wales State Pollution Control Commission |
| 1973 | Doctor of Laws honoris causa (Hon LLD) received from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland |
| 1976 | Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) received from the University of Wollongong, New South Wales |
| 1976 | Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) |
| 1976 - 1979 | Vice-Chairman (1976-1977) then Chairman of the Australian Vice-chancellors' Committee |
| 1979 - | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) |
| 1981 - | Emeritus Professor of Metallurgy at the University of New South Wales |
| 1981 | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) |
| 1981 | Doctor of Letters honoris causa (Hon DLitt) received from the University of New South Wales |
| 1981 | Doctor of Engineering honoris causa (Hon Deng) received from the University of Newcastle, New South Wales |
| 1981 - 1993 | Director of CSR Limited |
| 1982 - | Director of Energy Resources of Australia Limited |
| 1982 - 1985 | Chairman of the New South Wales Coastal Council |
| 1982 - 1994 | Council member of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |
| 1983 | Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Metals and Materials Australia (FIMMA) |
| 1984 - 1992 | Director of Earthwatch Australia Limited |
| 1985 - 1988 | Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |
| 1987 - 1991 | Director of IBM Australia Limited |
| 1989 - 1993 | Chairman of Unisearch Limited |
| 1989 - 1994 | President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |
| 1991 | Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, Australia (FIEAust) |
| 1995 | Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) |
| 1997 - | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA) |
| 2003 | Centenary Medal received from the Australian Government |
