Wild, John Paul (Paul) (1923 - 2008)

Summary

Paul Wild was a radiophysicist who during 30 years with the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics made significant contributions to radio astronomy and solar physics, helping to establish Australia's reputation as the leader in the field. His early work on solar radio bursts became the basis for all future work in the area. With his team he invented Interscan, a standard microwave aircraft landing system. As Chairman and Chief Executive of CSIRO he led a major restructure of the Organisation, increasing collaboration with industry. On retiring from CSIRO Wild chaired the Very Fast Train Joint Venture, which proposed a high-speed train link between Sydney and Melbourne. The Paul Wild Observatory at Culgoora, New South Wales, is named in his honour.

Details

Chronology

1943

Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Cambridge

1943 - 1947

Career position - Radar Officer, Royal Navy

1947 - 1953

Career position - Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1950

Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Cambridge

1953 - 1956

Career position - Senior Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1956 - 1958

Career position - Principal Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1957

Award - Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wale

1958 - 1961

Career position - Senior Principal Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1961

Award - Elected Honorary Foreign Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

1961 - 1966

Career position - Chief Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1962

Award - Elected Foreign Member, American Philosophical Society

1962

Award - ScD, University of Cambridge

1964

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1966 - 1971

Career position - Director, CSIRO Solar Observatory, Culgoora, New South Wales

1967 - 1970

Career position - President, Radio Astronomy Commission, International Astronomical Union

1969

Award - Balthasar van der Pol Gold Medal, International Union of Radio Science

1969

Award - Hendryk Arctowski Gold Medal, US National Academy of Sciences

1969

Award - Elected Corresponding Member, Royal Society of Liège

1970 - 2008

Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)

1971 - 1978

Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

1973 - 1977

Career position - Foreign Secretary, Australian Academy of Science

1974

Award - Awarded first Herschel Medal, Royal Astronomical Society

1974

Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecturer, Australian Academy of Science

1975

Award - Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, Australian Academy of Science

1977 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)

1978

Award - Companion of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1978

Career position - Member, CSIRO Executive

1978

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1978 - 1985

Career position - Chairman, CSIRO

1979

Award - DSc (honoris causa), Australian National University

1980

Award - George Ellery Hale Prize for Solar Astronomy, American Astronomical Society

1984

Award - ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

1986

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - for service to science and to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

1986 - 1991

Career position - Chairman, Very Fast Train Joint Venture

1987

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Awarded by AATS 1977]

1987 - 2008

Award - Fellow, Astronomical Society of Australia

1988

Award - Hartnet Medal, Royal Society of Arts London

1991

Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and to science and to the CSIRO

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• John Paul Wild - Records, 1975 - 1980, MS 136; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Bhathal, Ragbir, Australian Astronomers: Achievements at the Frontiers of Astronomy (Canberra: National Library of Australia, 1996), 243 pp. Details
• Frater, Robert H.; Goss, Miller; and Wendt, Harry, Four pillars of radio astronomy: Mills, Christiansen, Wild and Bracewell (Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2017), 199 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Stewart, Ronald, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'The Sun Has Set on a Brilliant Mind: John Paul Wild (1923-2008), Solar Radio Astronomer Extraordinaire' in Highlighting the History of Astronomy in the Asia-Pacific Region: Proceedings of the ICOA-6, Orchiston, Wayne, Nakamura, Tsuko and Strom, Richard G., eds (New York: Springer, 2011), pp. 527-42. Details
• Wendt, Harry, 'Paul Wild and His Investigation of the H-Line' in Highlighting the History of Astronomy in the Asia-Pacific Region: Proceedings of the ICOA-6, Orchiston, Wayne, Nakamuro, Tsuko and Strom, Richard G., eds (New York: Springer, 2011), pp. 543-6. Details

Journal Articles

• Frater, R. H.; and Ekers, R. D., 'John Paul Wild 1923-2008', Historical Records of Australian Science, 23 (2) (2012), 212-27, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR12011. Details
• Frater, R. H.; and Ekers, R. D., 'John Paul Wild AC CBE FAA FTSE. 17 May 1923 - 10 May 2008', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 58 (2012), 327-46, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2012.0034. Details
• Wild, J. P., 'The Beginnings of Radio Astronomy in Australia', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 2 (3) (1972), 52-61. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9720230052.htm. Details
• Wild, J. P., 'The Beginnings of Radio Astronomy in Australia', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 7 (1) (1987), 95-102. Details
• Wild, J. P.; and Radhakrishnan, V. R., 'John Gatenby Bolton 1922-1993', Historical Records of Australian Science, 10 (4) (1995), 381-391. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9951040381. Details

Resources

• Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society [Online resource], Royal Society of London, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2012.0034. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94737451. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q742571. Details
• 'Wild, J P (1923-2008)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-629848. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Wild, John Paul - Ms 136', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms136.html. Details
• Ward, C., 'John Paul Wild', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Wild-John-Paul. Details

Theses

• Stewart, Ronald Thomas, 'The contribution of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics Penrith and Dapto Field Stations to international radio astronomy', PhD thesis, James Cook University, 2009, 300 pp. http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/10660. Details

See also

• Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 2023. https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/awards-and-opportunities/thomas-ranken-lyle-medal. Details
• Bhathal, Ragbir, 'Australian Astronomers: What Made Them Great?', News and Reviews in Astronomy and Geophysics, 48 (2007), 533-6. Details
• Brown, R. Hanbury; Minnett, Harry C; White, Fredrick W. G., 'Edward George Bowen 1911-1991', Historical Records of Australian Science, 9 (2) (1992), 151-166. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9920920151. Details
• Piddington, John Hobart, 'Ronald Gordon Giovanelli 1915-84', Historical Records of Australian Science, 6 (2) (1985), 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9850620223. Details