Person
Priestley, Charles Henry Brian (Bill) (1915 - 1998)
FAA FRS
- Born
- 8 July 1915
Highgate, England - Died
- 18 May 1998
- Occupation
- Meteorologist
- Alternative Names
- Priestley, Bill (Also known as)
Summary
Bill Priestley was Chief of the Division of Meteorological Physics, CSIRO, 1946-1973. He played a central role in the development of atmospheric science in Australia. As Chief he established a research group in meteorological physics which earned international recognition for its work particularly in turbulent transfer in the lower atmosphere. Priestley's research focused on large-scale atmospheric systems, including significant work on global-scale transport and small-scale atmospheric convection and heat transfer. Between 1963 and 1977 Priestley played a key role in the World Meteorological Organisation and the Global Atmospheric Research Program.
The Priestley Medal, named in his honour, has been awarded biennially since 1983 by the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society for excellence in meteorological research.
His name is also given to two scientific constants or laws-the Priestley constant in free convection and the Priestley-Taylor ratio for evaporation in well-watered landscapes.
Details
Chronology
- 1937
- Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Cambridge
- 1939 - 1944
- Career position - Technical Officer (later Meteorologist), Meteorological Office, United Kingdom
- 1942 - 1978
- Award - Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
- 1944 - 1946
- Career position - Senior Meteorologist (later Head of Synoptics Section), Meteorological Office, United Kingdom
- 1946
- Life event - Migrated to Australia
- 1946 - 1973
- Career position - Chief, Division of Meteorological Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
- 1949
- Award - Buchan Prize, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
- 1949 - 1975
- Career position - Chairman, National Committee on Meteorology
- 1954 - 1970
- Career position - Member, Executive Committee, International Meteorological Association
- 1954 - 1988
- Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1956
- Award - David Syme Research Prize, University of Melbourne
- 1957 - 1958
- Career position - Vice-President, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
- 1964 - 1969
- Career position - Member, Advisory Committee, World Meteorological Organisation
- 1967
- Award - Symons Gold Medal, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
- 1967 - 1975
- Career position - Vice-President, International Meteorological Association
- 1967 - 1988
- Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
- 1968
- Career position - Chairman, World Meteorological Association
- 1973
- Award - IMO Prize, World Meteorological Organisation
- 1973 - 1977
- Career event - Part-time Professor, Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Australia
- 1973 - 1977
- Career Position - Chairman, Environmental Physics Laboratories, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
- 1974
- Award - Rossby Medal, American Meteorological Society, United States of America
- 1976
- Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science
- 1976
- Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
- 1982 - 1985
- Career position - Chairman (part-time), Latrobe Valley Airshed Study
- 1987 - 1998
- Award - Life Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
- 1988 - 1998
- Award - Honorary Member, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Garratt, John; Angus, David; and Holper, Paul, Winds of Change: Fifty Years of Achievements in the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research 1946-1996 (Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 1998), 136 (148) pp. Details
Journal Articles
- Garratt, J. R., 'Obituary: C. H. B. (Bill) Priestley', Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, 11 (4) (1998), 95-6. Details
- Garratt, J. R., 'Charles H. B. Priestley', Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 80 (2) (1999), 314, 316. Details
- Garratt, J. R.; Manins, P. C.; and Webb, E. K., 'C. H. B. (Bill) Priestley', Clean air, 32 (3) (1998), 9-10. Details
- Garratt, J. R.; Webb, E. K.; and Mccarthy, S., 'Charles Henry Brian Priestley. 8 July 1915 - 18 May 1998', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 57 (2011), 349-78, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2011.0015. Details
- Garratt, J. R.; Webb, E. K.; and Mccarthy, S., 'Charles Henry Brian Priestley 1915-1998', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (1) (2011), 126-51, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR11001. Details
- Gibbs, W. J., 'Obituary: C. H. B (Bill) Priestley', Australian meteorological magazine, 47 (1998), 179-81. Details
- Morton, B, 'Interview with Bill Priestley', Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, II (1998), 83-94. Details
- Priestley, C. H. B., 'The Global Atmosphere: a memorial to H. C. Russell', Search, 2 (8) (1971). Details
- Priestley, C. H. B., 'William Christopher Swinbank', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 3 (1) (1975), 76-92. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9750310076.htm. Details
- Priestley, C. H. B., 'Reminiscences of 30 years of meteorological research in Australia', Australian Meteorological Magazine, 30 (1982), 19-30. Details
- Webb, E. K.; and Garratt, J. R., 'Obituary: Charles Henry Brian Priestley', Quarterly journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 125 (559A) (1999), 2791-2. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21165531. Details
- 'Priestley, Charles Henry Brian (1915-1998)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1056187. Details
See also
- Federation and Meteorology, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/index_p.html. Details
Gavan McCarthy; Ken McInnes
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 10 April 2024
- Foundation Supporter - National Council for the Centenary of Federation