Annual Report
1996

National Advisory Board

Professor Rod Home Chair; Head, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Melbourne

John Arnold National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash

Professor Bert Bolton Professor Emeritus, Theoretical Physics, Monash University

Wade Chambers Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, School of Social Inquiry, Deakin University

Richard Gillespie Freelance Historian of Science

Tom Griffiths Fellow, History Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University

Ruth Lane Curator, National Museum of Australia

Alison Leigh Special Projects (TV) Australian Broadcasting Corporation

George Nichols Director-General, Australian Archives

Graeme Powell National Library of Australia

Rodney Teakle CSIRO Archivist

John Zillman Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

Gavan J. McCarthy Director, ASAP

Tim Sherratt Deputy Director, ASAP

Joanne Evans Assistant Director, Projects and Archival Systems

Lisa O'Sullivan Assistant Director, Finance and Human Resources

This year saw the departure of Lloyd Evans, John Nixon, John Swan, Colin Smith and Frank Strahan from the National Advisory Board. We would like to thank them for the interest, advice and support provided over the years. ASAP would also like to make special mention of the efforts of the outgoing Chair, Professor Bert Bolton, and thank him for his continued support and prescence on the Board.

Council of Friends

Our Council of Friends consists of people respected in their professions who support ASAP's aims and objectives. Currently on the Council are:

Ditta Bartels BSc, DipEd, PhD; Director, European Affairs, University of New South Wales; President of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS), 1992-94; Counsellor for Industry, Science and Technology, Australian Embassy in Bonn, Germany, 1989-91.

David P. Craig AO 1985, DSc, PhD, Hon DSc (Sydney), Hon DrChem (Bologna), FRACI, FRIC, FRS, FAA; Emeritus Professor Australian National University; President, Australian Academy of Science, 1990-94.

David R. Curtis MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRS, FAA; Howard Florey Professor of Medical Research and Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, 1989-92; President of the Australian Academy of Science, 1986-90.

Michael C.M. Deeley MA, DPhil; Managing Director and Chief Executive of ICI Australia, 1987-.

Lloyd T. Evans AO, MAgrSc, DPhil, DSc, Hon LLD, FAA, FRS; Former Chief Research Scientist, Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO Canberra; President of the Australian Academy of Science, 1978-82.

Roy M. MacLeod AB, PhD, FRHistS; Professor of History, University of Sydney, 1982-.

Ann Moyal AM, Independent author of a number of authoritative books on the history of Australian science and technology.

George Nichols BA (Hons); Director-General of Australian Archives 1990-; career public servant within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 1975-1990.

Sir Gustav J.V. Nossal AC 1989, Kt 1977, CBE 1970, MBBS, BSc, PhD, Hon MD, Hon DSc, FRCP, FRACP, FRCPA, FRSE, FTSE, FAA, FRS; Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1965-1996; Professor of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne; President of the Australian Academy of Science, 1994-.

Tom H. Spurling BSc, PhD, FRACI; Chief of the Division of Chemicals and Polymers, CSIRO Melbourne; President of the RACI, 1986-87.

John Stocker MB, BS, BMedSc, PhD, FTSE; Chief Executive of CSIRO, 1990-95.

Robyn Williams AM 1988, BSc(Hons), Hon DSc (Deakin, Sydney, Macquarie), FANZAAS, FAA; Broadcaster ABC Science Unit (Radio) 1972-, Executive Producer, 1975-; Chairman of the Commission for the Future, 1990-.

ASAP sadly notes the passing of Professor Arthur Birch. He was a good friend of ASAP and an original member on ASAP's Council of Friends.

Obituary

Arthur Birch was born on 3 August 1915. He was one of the world's top chemists, devising the widely-used Birch Reduction method in organic chemistry and contributing to the development of oral contraceptives. He helped design the innovative Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University in the 1960s and became its Founding Dean. In 1995 the main building of the School was named the Birch Building. Later, he conducted several government inquiries, most notably the influential 1977-78 inquiry into CSIRO. He received many honours throughout a long working life; one of which he was particularly proud was the rarely awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, which he received in 1994. He died on 8 December 1995.

Published by the Australian Science Archives Project on ASAPWeb, 23 January 1998
Prepared by: Elissa Tenkate