Person

Marston, Hedley Ralph (1900 - 1965)

FAA FRS

Born
26 August 1900
Bordertown, South Australia, Australia
Died
25 August 1965
Toorak Gardens, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
Biochemist and Science administrator

Summary

Hedley Marston was a biochemist who, despite the lack of university qualifications, had a distinguished career at CSIR (later CSIRO) for 38 years. He joined the Division of Animal Nutrition in 1928 and was serving his second term as Acting Chief when in 1936 his laboratory was made subsidiary to the new Division of Animal Health and Nutrition. Marston's reaction was to work against the new Division's Chief, Lionel Bull, and to agitate for his own Division. This he achieved in 1944 with the creation of the Division of Biochemistry and General Nutrition. Much of the research conducted by Marston's staff concerned the nutrition of sheep and cattle, in particular trace element deficiencies because of the soil on which they were grazing, and the successful development of programs to overcome the problem. By publishing this research only after it had come to a conclusion, and generally under his own name, he deprived his staff of due recognition. This was notable in the discovery by Ted Lines and Dick Thomas that coast disease in sheep was caused by cobalt deficiency. Marston was invited to participate in research to assess to biological effects of British nuclear testing in Australia. This brought him into conflict with the Atomic Weapons Safety Committee, when he reported contamination to be higher than the Committee stated. He was ultimately vindicated. Marston was a foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1949.

Details

Chronology

1922 - 1928
Career position - Demonstrator, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Adelaide
1928 - 1930
Career position - Biochemist, CSIR Division of Animal Nutrition
1930 - 1931
Career position - Acting Chief, CSIR Division of Animal Nutrition
1933 - 1935
Career position - Acting Chief, CSIR Division of Animal Nutrition
1936 - 1944
Career position - Officer-in-Charge Animal Nutrition Laboratory, CSIR Division of Animal Health and Nutrition
1937 - 1938
Career position - Visiting Fellow, University of Cambridge
1938 - 1953
Award - Fellow, Australian Chemical Institute
1944 - 1949
Career position - Chief, CSIR Division of Biochemistry and General Nutrition
1949 - 1965
Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Biochemistry and General Nutrition
1949 - 1965
Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
1950
Award - Archibald Liversidge Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales
1953 - 1965
Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
1954 - 1965
Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
1957
Award - DSc, honoris causa, Australian National University
1958
Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
1959
Award - DSc, ad eundem gradum, University of Adelaide
1962 - 1965
Award - Fellow, Australian Society of Animal Production

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Albert Cherbury David Rivett - Records, 1887 - 1961, MS 083; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
  • Hedley Ralph Marston - Records, 1846 - 1968, MS 048; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

  • Hedley Ralph Marston - Records, 1879 - 1963, MS 1682; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details
  • Hedley Ralph Marston - Records, 1915 - 1969, MS 8203; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Books

  • Cross, Roger T., Fallout: Hedley Marston and the British bomb tests in Australia (Kent Town, South Australia: Wakefield Press, 2001), 238 pp. Details
  • Marston, Hedley R., The Cobalt Story (Sydney: Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 1959), 26 pp. Details
  • Walker, Frank, Maralinga: The chilling expose of our secret nuclear shame and betrayal of our troops and country (Sydney (Gadigal Country): Hachette Australia, 2016). Details

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • 'Obituary: Hedley Ralph Marston', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, 32 (9) (1965), 216. Details
  • Marston, H. R., 'Albert Cherbury David Rivett 1885 - 1961', Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of The Royal Society, 12 (1966), 437-55. Details
  • Marston, Hedley, R., 'Thorburn Brailsford Robertson', Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science, 9 (1) (1932), 1-5. Details
  • Schedvin, C. B., 'Environment, Economy and Australian Biology 1890-1939', Historical Studies, 21 (1984), 11-28. Details
  • Synge, R. L. M., 'Hedley Ralph Marston 1900 - 1965', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 13 (1967), 267-93. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1967.0014. Details
  • Underwood, E. J., 'Hedley Ralph Marston', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 1 (2) (1967), 73-86. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9670120073.htm. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

Digital resources

Title
Hedley Ralph Marston
Type
Image

Details

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

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