Avery, David (1871 - 1956)

Summary

David Avery studied under D.O. Masson at the University of Melbourne 1889-1894 and was head of the chemistry department of the Melbourne Working Men's College 1899-1911. As a consultant he worked for Amalgamated Zinc (de Bavay's) Ltd and other companies until 1933. He was prominent in the development of pulp and paper from Australian hardwoods. Avery helped to establish the firm Tasmanian Paper & Pulp Ltd.

Details

Chronology

1892

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne

1894

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Melbourne

1895 - 1896

Education - Studied medicine, University of Melbourne (completed degree?)

1897 - 1899

Career position - Manager of cyanide extractions, Black Horse Mine, Mount Egerton

1899 - 1911

Career position - Head, Department of Chemistry, Working Men's College, Melbourne

1901 -

Career position - Foundation member and Office-Bearer, Society of Chemical Industry of Victoria

1904 -

Career position - Member and Office-Bearer, Melbourne University Chemical Society

1911 - 1933

Career position - Private Consultant to various companies including, Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, Amalgamated Zinc (de Bavay's Ltd.) and the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia Ltd.

1914

Career position - Local Secretary for Melbourne, Section B (Chemistry), British Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting

1915

Career position - Founded Avery & Anderson

1916 - 1919

Career position - Member of the Executive and Special Chemicals Committees, Commonwealth Advisory Council of Science and Industry

1918 -

Career position - Member and Office-Bearer, Australian Chemical Institute

1919 - 1921

Career position - Member of the Executive and Special Chemicals Committees of the Commonwealth Advisory Council of Science and Industry

1922

Career event - Elected Member (Mining and Metallurgy), Australian National Research Council

1924

Career position - President, Rotary Club of Melbourne

Related entries

Archival resources

The University of Melbourne Archives

• David Avery - Records, 1924 - 1936; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Collins, David, Chemistry in 19th Australia - Select Bibliography, An exhibition of the Encyclopedia circa 2005 with assistance from Ailie Smith and Gavan McCarthy., eScholarship Research Centre (original publisher), Melbourne, 2009, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/ciab/ciab_ALL.html. Details

Books

• Brady, Peter H., Avery's Legacy: a History of the Department of Applied Chemistry, RMIT (Melbourne: MBE Business Service Centre, 2004), 297 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Radford, Joan T., 'Avery, David (1871-1956), chemical consultant' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 125-126. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070130b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Avery, D., 'The Preparation of Hyponitrites from Ethyl Nitrite in Alcoholic Solutions', Report of the fifth meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 5 (1894), 320-322, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15362516. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21536682. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/95132354. Details
• 'Avery, David (1871-1956)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1459268. Details
• 'Avery, David (1871 - 1956), Industrial Chemist', RMIT University History, RMIT University Archives, 2022, https://www.lib.rmit.edu.au/university-archives/finding-aids/ohrm/web/biogs/E000002b.htm. Details

Reviews

• Brady, Peter H., Avery's Legacy: a History of the Department of Applied Chemistry, RMIT (2004)
  Rae, Ian, Chemistry in Australia, 72 (9), (2005), 39-40. Details