CSIR/O Division of Radiophysics (1940 - 1996)

Summary

The CSIR/O Division of Radiophysics was first established in 1940, replacing the Radiophysics Laboratory. The Division continued to operate up until 1996, when it was merged with the Division of Applied Physics to become the Division of Telecommunications and Industrial Physics.

Related entries

Timeline

 1939 - 1940 Radiophysics Laboratory - CSIR
       1940 - 1996 CSIR/O Division of Radiophysics
             1972 - 1983 CSIRO Division of Cloud Physics
             1996 - CSIRO Division of Telecommunications and Industrial Physics

Published resources

Books

• Deane, John, 1939-1984: a Picture History of CSIRO Radiophysics (Melbourne: CSIRO, 1985), 69 pp. Details
• Schedvin, C.B; Trace, K., Historical Directory of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, 1926-1976 (Canberra: CSIRO, 1978), 101 pp. https://csiropedia.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/csiro_historical_directory_1926_1976.pdf. Details

Book Sections

• Orchiston, W.; and Slee, B., 'The early development of Australian radio astronomy: the role of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics field stations' in The emergence of astrophysics in Asia: opening a new window on the Universe, Nakamura, T.; and Orchiston, W., eds (Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2017), pp. 497-578. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62082-4_19. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'The Radiophysics Field Stations and the Early Development of Radio Astronomy' in The New Astronomy: Opening the Electromagnetic Window and Expanding our View of Planet Earth, Wayne Orchiston, ed., ed. (Dordrecht: Springer, 2005), pp. 119-168. Details
• Ryan, Brian, 'Cloud physics research 1949-1984 and beyond' in Windows on Meteorology: Australian Perspective, Webb, Eric K., ed. (Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 1997), pp. 142-161. Details
• Wendt, H.; Orchiston, W.; and Slee, B., 'The contribution of the Division of Radiophysics Potts Hill field station to international solar radio astronomy' in Highlighting the history of astronomy in the Asia-Pacific Region: proceedings of the ICOA-6 conference. Astrophysics and space science proceedings, Orchiston, W., ed. (New York: Springer, 2011), pp. 379-431. Details
• Wendt, H.; Orchiston, W.; and Slee, B., 'The contribution of the Division of Radiophysics Potts Hill field station to international radio astronomy' in Highlighting the history of astronomy in the Asia-Pacific Region: proceedings of the ICOA-6 conference. Astrophysics and space science proceedings, Orchiston, W., Nakamura, Tsuko and Strom, Richard G., eds (New York: Springer, 2011), pp. 379-431. Details
• Wendt, Harry, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'The Contribution of the Division of Radiophysics Murraybank Field Station to international radio astronomy' in Highlighting the history of astronomy in the Asia-Pacific Region: proceedings of the ICOA-6 conference. Astrophysics and space science proceedings, Orchiston, Wayne, Nakamura, Tsuko and Strom, Richard G, eds (New York: Springer, 2011), pp. 433-79. Details

Journal Articles

• Davies, R.D., 'A History of the Potts Hill Radio Astronomy Field Station', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 8 (2) (2005), 87-96. Details
• 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
• George, Martin, Orchiston, Wayne, Slee, Bruce and Wielebinski, Richard, 'The history of early low frequency radio astronomy in Australia, 2: Tasmania', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 18 (1) (2015), 14-22. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne and Matthewson, Don, 'Chris Christiansen and the Criss Cross', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 12 (1) (2009), 11-32. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne, George, Martin, Slee, Bruce and Wielebinski, Richard, 'The history of early low frequency radio astronomy in Australia, 1: the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 18 (1) (2015), 3-13. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne, Slee, Bruce and Burman, Ron, 'The Genesis of Solar Radio Astronomy in Australia', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 9 (1) (2006), 35-56. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne; and Robertson, Peter, 'The origins and development of extragalactic radio astronomy: the role of the CSIRO's Division of Radiophysics Dover Heights Field Station in Sydney', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 20 (3) (2017), 289-312. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne; and Wendt, Harry, 'The contribution of the Georges Heights experimental radar antenna to Australian radio astronomy', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 20 (3) (2017), 313-40. Details
• Stewart, Ronald, Wendt, Harry, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'The Radiophysics Field Station at Penrith, New South Wales, and the World's first Solar Radiospectrograph', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 13 (1) (2010), 2-15. Details
• Sullivan, Woodruff T., 'The Beginnings of Australian Radio Astronomy', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 8 (1) (2005), 11-32. Details
• Wendt, Harry and Orchiston, Wayne, 'The short-lived CSIRO Division of Radiophysics field station at Bankstown Aerodrome in Sydney', Journal of astronomical history and heritage, 22 (2) (2019), 366-72. http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2019JAHHvol22/2019JAHH...22..266W.pdf. Details
• Wendt, Harry, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'The Australian Solar Eclipse Expeditions of 1947 and 1949', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 11 (1) (2008), 71-8. Details
• Wendt, Harry, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'W. N. Christiansen and the Initial Australian Investigation of the 21cm Hydrogen Line', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 11 (3) (2008), 185-93. Details
• Wendt, Harry, Orchiston, Wayne and Slee, Bruce, 'W. N. Christiansen and the Development of the Solar Grating Array', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 11 (3) (2008), 173-84. Details
• Wendt, Harry; and Orchiston, Wayne, 'The contribution of the AN/TPS-3 radar antenna to Australian radio astronomy', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21 (1) (2018), 65-80. Details
• Whiteoak, J. B.; and Sim, H. L., 'Brian John Robinson, 1930-2004', Historical Records of Australian Science, 17 (2) (2006), 263-281, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR06006. Details
• Willis, J. B.; and Deane, J. F., 'Trevor Pearcey and the First Australian Computer: a Lost Opportunity?', Historical Records of Australian Science, 17 (2) (2006), 209-225, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR06011. Details

Resources

• Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-463134. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Primary description of agency CA 4374; CSIR/ (from 1949) CSIRO, Division of Radiophysics. Registration of entity: 23 September 1987', in RecordSearch, National Archives of Australia, 2000, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?Number=CA%204374. Details

Theses

• Wendt, Harry, 'The contribution of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics Potts Hill and Murraybank Field Stations to international radio astronomy', PhD thesis, Centre for Astronomy, James Cook University, 2008, 373 pp. Details

See also

• 'Astronomy, spcae science, information and communication technology divisions', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 2019, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/astronomy-and-space-science-2009/. Details
• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_c.html. Details
• Federation and Meteorology, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/index_c.html. Details
• Crawshaw, Tony, 'CSIRO ATNF says Farewell to Pat Sykes', ATNF News, 67 (2009), 22-24. Details
• Frater, R. H.; and Goss, W. M., 'Wilbur Norman Christiansen 1913-2007', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (2) (2011), 215-28, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR11012. Details
• Frater, R. H.; Goss, W. M.; and Wendt, H. W., 'Bernard Yarnton Mills AC FAA. 8 August 1920 - 25 April 2011', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 59 (2013), 215-39, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2013.0015. Details
• Frater, R. H.; Goss, W. M.; and Wendt, H. W., 'Bernard Yarnton Mills 1920-2011', Historical Records of Australian Science, 24 (2) (2013), 294-315, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR13002. Details
• Hooker, Claire and Goss, W. M., 'Payne-Scott, Ruby Violet (1912-1981), Physicist, Radio Astronomer and School Teacher' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z, Melanie Nolan, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2012), p. 268. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/payne-scott-ruby-violet-15036. Details
• Sim, Helen, 'Obituary - John Masterson', ATNF News (2009), 8-11 . Details
• 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