Coombes, Lawrence Percival (1899 - 1988)

Summary

Lawrence Coombes was the founding Chief of the Division of Aeronautics, appointed in August 1938, under the CSIR. When the laboratory at Fishermans Bend was completed in 1940, it formally became a Division of CSIR. In 1949, he became Chief Superintendent, Aeronautical Research Laboratories (ARL), when it was renamed and was transferred to the Department of Supply.

In 1960, under the auspices of the United Nations, he was instrumental in the establishment of India's aeronautical research laboratories.

During part of 1919, Coombes was a pilot with Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.

His distinguished achievements were recognised when he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1964; was awraded the Kernot Memorial Medal in 1968 and was elected as a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences.

He is commemorated by the L P Coombes Medal which is presented to the speaker who is invited to deliver the L P Coombes Lecture. The lecture and award are jointly sponsored by the Aviation and Space Branch of the Victoria Division, Institution of Engineers Australia and the Aeronautical Research Laboratories.

Details

Chronology

1917 - 1918

Military service - Captain, Royal Navy Air Services (No.10 Squandron) and Royal Air Force (210 Squadron) [Pilot of Sopwith Camels in France.]

1918

Award - Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

1920

Award - Freeman of the City of London - for war services

1920

Education - Bachelor of Science, Engineering (BScEng), City and Guilds Engineering College, London [Completion delayed by military service]

1920 - 1924

Career position - Research Department, C.A. Parsons & Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne

1924 - 1925

Career position - Scientific Officer, Aerodynamics Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment [Research in wind tunnels]

1925 - 1930

Career position - First Scientific Officer, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Felixstowe [Under Maurice Wright, and later H.M. Garner]

1926

Life event - Married Annie Marie (Nancy) Lee

1930 - 1938

Career position - Scientific Officer, in charge of Seaplane Tank, Royal Aircraft Establishment

1938 - 1939

Life event - Immigrated to Australia

1938 - 1948

Career position - Chief, Division of Aeronautics, CSIR

c. 1941 - 1947

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Council for Aeronautics

1945

Career event - Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS)

1949 - 1964

Career position - Chief Superintendent, Aeronautical Research Laboratory, Department of Supply, Melbourne

1957

Award - Lawrence Hargrave Memorial Medal

1962

Award - Kingsford-Smith Memorial Medal

1964

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - In recognition of service to aviation

1968

Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne

1975

Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), (honoris causa), Monash University

1975 - 1987

Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FRS)

1987 - 1988

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975]

1988

Life event - Cremated, Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Victoria

Related entries

Archival resources

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies

• Lawrence Percival Coombes - Records, 1938 - 1948; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies. Details

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

• Lawrence Percival Coombes - Records, 1900 - 1988; State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Exhibition Papers, A Bright Sparcs Exhibition, Australian Science Archives Project, 1997, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/exhib_papers.htm. Details

Articles

• 'Speech by Ditta Bartels at launch of the Guide to the Records of Laurence Percival Coombes', HASN, 32 (1994), http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/hasn/no32/feats32.htm#coombes. Details

Books

• Johnson, Mandy; Scillio, Mark; Taylor, Angela; Buchanan, Rod; O'Sullivan, Lisa; McCarthy, Gavan, A Guide to the Records of Lawrence Percival Coombes (Melbourne: Australian Science Archives Project, 1993), 86 pp. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6503943. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/91575919. Details
• Guide to the Records of Lawrence Percival Coombes, Australian Science Archives Project, 1993, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/guides/coombes/. Details
• Johnson, Mandy; Mark Scillio; Angela Taylor; and Rod Buchanan: with Lisa O'Sullivan and Gavan McCarthy, Lawrence Percival Coombes Guide to Records, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2004, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/guides/coom/coombes.htm. Details
• 'Coombes, L P (1899-1988)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-837572. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Aeronautics', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), https://csiropedia.csiro.au/aeronautics-1940-49/. Details
• McCarthy, Gavan, 'Career Outline', in Guide to the Records of Lawrence Percival Coombes, Australian Science Archives Project, Melbourne, 1993, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/guides/coom/COOMP01.htm. Details

See also

• 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
• Long, Gordon, The leading edge: sixty years of aeronautical research and development for Australia's defence 1939 - 1999 (Melbourne: Aeronautical & Maritime Research Laboratory, 1999), 132 pp. Details
• Mann, J. Y., Aeronautical Research Laboratory 1939-1989: 50 Years of Research and Development for Australia's Defence (Melbourne: Aeronautical Research Laboratory, 1989), 116 pp. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Optical Munitions', Chapter 12 in Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 4: Civil, volume 5 'The Role of Science and Industry', Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1958 (1958). http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/mellor.htm. Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details