Person
Mason, Peter (1922 - 1987)
- Born
- 25 February 1922
England - Died
- 20 March 1987
Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Activist, Educator, Physicist and Science broadcaster
Summary
Peter Mason was the foundation Professor of Physics, Macquarie University from 1966 to 1986. Between 1962 and 1966 he was a postdoctoral fellow and Principal Research Officer at the CSIRO Divisions of Textile Physics and Protein Chemistry. He broadcast frequently on the ABC "Science Show" and published a number of books for the lay-reader including a history of rubber, and Blood and iron which was awarded a United Nations media peace prize gold citation in 1985. His principal areas of research were polymer science and biophysics. Mason was an active campaigner for nuclear disarmament.
Details
Chronology
- 1943
- Education - BSc, University of London
- 1943 - 1946
- Career position - Worked for the Ministry of Supply, United Kingdom
- 1945
- Award - Associate Member, Institute of Physics, United Kingdom
- 1946
- Education - MSc, University of London
- 1946 - 1953
- Career position - Worked at Building Research Station, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, United Kingdom
- 1953 - 1961
- Career position - Worked with British Rubber Producers' Research Association
- 1960 -
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) The University of London, United Kingdom
- 1962
- Life event - Migrated to Australia
- 1962 - c. 1965
- Career position - Post-doctoral Fellowship, Division of Textile Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
- 1965 - 1966
- Career position - Principal Research Officer and leader of the leather research section, CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry
- 1966 - 1986
- Career position - Foundation Professor of Physics, Macquarie University, Australia
- 1966 - 1986
- Career position - Member of Council and Macquarie University Representative, Council of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering
- 1971 - 1975
- Career position - Councillor, Public Library of New South Wales, Australia
- 1971 - 1977
- Career position - Member of Council, Griffith University, Australia
- 1974 - 1977
- Career position - Member of Council, Macquarie University
- 1978 - 1985
- Career position - Science Communicator, Script writer, researcher and presenter, Science Show, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- 1979 -
- Education - Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), The University of London, England
- 1980 - 1986
- Career position - Member of Council, Macquarie University
- 1983 - 1985
- Career position - Vice-President, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering
- 1983 - 1986
- Career position - Convenor, National Advisory Council, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- 1984 - 1987
- Career position - Member, Minster for Science's Commission for the Future
- 1985
- Award - United Nations media peace prize gold citation (shared) for Blood and Iron
- 1986 - 1987
- Award - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS)
- 1986 - 1987
- Award - Emeritus Professor, Macquarie University
Related entries
Archival resources
Macquarie University Archives
- Peter Mason - Records, 1920 - 1989; Macquarie University Archives. Details
Published resources
Book Sections
- Binnie, Anna-Eugenia, 'Mason, Peter (1922-1987), Physicist, Educator and Science Communicator' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 18 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2012), pp. 137-8. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mason-peter-14943. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4775280. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/65391149. Details
- Guide to the Records of Peter Mason, Australian Science Archives Project, 1998, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/guides/mason/mason.htm. Details
- 'Mason, Peter (19220225-19870327)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-583995. Details
- Walker, Rosanne, Peter Mason Guide to Records, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2004, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/guides/maso/mason.htm. Details
Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 6 October 2023
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education