Fink, Peter Thomas (Tom) (1922 - 1994)

Summary

Tom Fink was Chief Defence Scientist, Department of Defence, Canberra and Head of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. He was formerly P N Russell Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sydney 1960-1967, and Dean of Engineering, University of New South Wales 1969-1977.

The DSTO's Materials Research Laboratory in Melbourne was named in his honour in 1990.

As a young aeronautical engineer, he carried out research on vortex generation by swept-back wings, work which proved to be important in the development of the Concorde supersonic airliner. His involvement with Donald Campbell's successful attempts on the world water speed record in the 1950s resulted in a significant contribution to the theory of oscillation in hydroplanes. He later assisted Ken Warby to break this record again in Australia, in 1977 and 1978.

Details

Chronology

1940

Life event - Arrived in Australia

1944

Life event - Naturalised as a British subject

1944

Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE) Aeronautics, University of Sydney

1949 - 1955

Career position - Lecturer, Aeronautics, Imperial College London

1953 - 1957

Career position - Consultant, Ministry of Supply, UK

1954 - 1957

Career position - Science Advisor, Campbell "Bluebird" team [World water speed record]

1956

Career position - Reader, Aeronautics, University of London

1957

Career position - Leonardo da Vinci Lecturer, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London

1958 - 1959

Career position - Lecturer, Aeronautical Engineering, University of Sydney

1959 - 1960

Career position - Acting Professor, Aeronautical Engineering, University of Sydney

1960 - 1967

Career position - P N Russell Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Sydney

1960 - 1969

Career position - Member, Australian Aeronautical Research Council

1961

Career position - Chairman, Sydney Branch, Royal Aeronautical Society

1963

Career event - Member (MIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London

1964 - 1967

Career position - Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney

1964 - 1969

Career position - Chairman, Australian Aeronautical Research Committee

1964 - 1981

Career position - Member, Australian Shipbuilding Board

1967 - 1981

Career position - Deputy Chairman, Australian Shipbuilding Board

1968 - 1969

Career position - Head, School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of New South Wales

1969 - 1978

Career position - Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of New South Wales

1975 - 1987

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

1976 - 1977

Career position - Member, New South Wales Science and Technology Council

1976 - 1980

Career position - Trustee, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, New South Wales

1977

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Professor, Mechanical Engineering at University of New South Wales

c. 1977

Career event - Fellow (FIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London

1977 - 1978

Career position - Technical Advisor, Ken Warby "Spirit of Australia" hydroplane [World water speed record]

1977 - 1980

Career position - Vice President, Australian Division, Royal Institution of Naval Architects

1978 - 1986

Career position - Chief Defence Scientist, Defence Science and Technology Organisation

1979 -

Career position - Member, CSIRO Advisory Council

1982

Award - Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) - In recognition of service to the public

1982

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

1982

Award - Kingsford-Smith Memorial Medallist, Royal Aeronautical Society

1985

Award - A G M Michell Medal, Mechanical Engineering College, Institution of Engineers Australia

1987

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

1987

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

1987 - 1988

Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales

1988

Life event - Retired

1988

Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia

1990

Life event - Tom Fink Laboratory, at DSTO Materials Research Laboratory, Melbourne - named in his honour.

1992

Career event - Helped establish the Australian Maritime Engineering Co-operative Research Centre

1998

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - In recognition of service to science and engineering

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Fink, P. T., An Australian defence science perspective on mechanical engineering (1985), 14 pp. 1985 AGM Michell Medal Address. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Knight, Fink honoured [Sir Alan Knight, Prof Tom Fink elected Honorary Fellows]', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 55 (6) (1983), 25. Details
• 'Obituary: A distinguished engineer', Engineers Australia, 66 (3) (1994), 9. Details
• Doctors, Lawrence Julian, 'Obituary: Emeritus Professor Tom Fink', Uniken - The University of New South Wales, 363 (3 of 1994) (1994), 4, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-253883079/. Details

Newspaper Articles

• 'Obituary: Professor Tom Fink - Defence scientist', Canberra Times (1994), 18, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118156716. Details

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 1982 [Sixty-third Annual Report] (1983), 16 pp. 'Institution Honours - Honorary Fellow - Professor P T Fink, CB CBE HonFIEAust, elected Honorary Fellow', p.11. Details
• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 1988 (1989), 32 pp. 'Awards and Honours - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal for 1988 was awarded to Emeritus Professor Peter Thomas Fink,AO', p.26. Details

Resources

• 'Fink, P T (1922-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-822282. 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_f.html. Details
• Roderick, J. W., 'William Henry Wittrick, 1922-1986', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (1) (1987), 123-132. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9870710123. Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details