Martyn, David Forbes (1906 - 1970)

Summary

David Martyn was Officer-in-Charge, CSIRO Upper Atmosphere section 1958-1970, David Forbes Martyn was earlier CSIR/O Chief Scientific Officer, Radio Research Board 1944-1958 and Chief of Radio Physics 1940-1941. He was President of the Australian Academy of Science 1969-1970. . Martyn's research was focused on the investigation of waves reflected from the ionosphere and a study of the properties of the ionosphere, including how it was linked to changes in the Earth's magnetic field. He was also involved in early research on radar. Martyn played a key role in the foundation of the Australian Academy of Science and the assumption of the responsibility for maintaining Australia's international scientific connections that was previously exercised by the Australian National Research Council. In later years he became heavily involved in the International Radio Science Union and other international organisations.

Details

Chronology

1928

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of London

1929 - ?

Career position - Research Officer, Australian Radio Research Board, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1936

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of London

1939 - 1940

Career position - Head, CSIRO Radiophysics Laboratory

1940 - 1941

Career position - Chief, Division of Radiophysics, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1944 - 1949

Career position - Chief Scientific Officer, Radio Research Board, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

1947

Award - Sidey Medal, Royal Society of New Zealand

1947

Award - Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, Australian National Research Council

1949 - 1958

Career position - Chief Scientific Officer, Radio Research Board, CSIRO

1950

Award - Walter Burfitt Prize, Royal Society of New South Wales

1950 - 1954

Career position - Vice-President, International Radio Science Union

1950 - 1970

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

1953 - 1970

Award - Petitioner for the Academy, Founding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1955

Award - Charles Chree Medal, Physical Society, London

1962 - 1970

Career position - Chair, United Nations Scientific and Technical Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

1969 - 1970

Career position - President, Australian Academy of Science

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Australian Academy of Science - Records, 1935 - 2007, MS 039; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
• David Forbes Martyn - Records, 1950 - 1954, MS 033; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

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

• David Forbes Martyn - Records, 1940 - 1970, Series 3 and others; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies. 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

Book Sections

• Home, R. W., 'Martyn, David Forbes (1906-1970), Physicist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 15: 1940 - 1980 Kem-Pie, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2000), pp. 320-322. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150379b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Martyn, D. F., 'The Australian Academy of Science', Australian Journal of Science, 16 (4) (1954), 121-122. Details
• Martyn, D. F., 'Personal Notes on the Early Days of Our Academy', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 1 (2) (1967), 53-72. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9670120053.htm. Details
• Massey, H. S. W., 'David Forbes Martyn 1906 - 1970', Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 17 (1971), 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1971.0019. Details
• Piddington, J. H.; and Oliphant, M. L., 'David Forbes Martyn', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 2 (2) (1972), 47-60. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9720220047.htm. Details

Resources

• Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society [Online resource], Royal Society of London, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.1971.0019. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5233729. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94494592. Details
• 'Martyn, D F (1906-1970)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-619728. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Martyn, David Forbes - Ms 33', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms033.html. Details
• 'Martyn, David Forbes', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P000623p.htm. Details
• Piddington, J. H.; and Oliphant, M. L., 'David Forbes Martyn 1906-1970', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/biographical-memoirs/david-forbes-martyn-1906-1970. Details
• Ward, C., 'David Forbes Martyn', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Martyn-David-Forbes'. 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
• 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_m.html. Details
• Science and the making of Victoria, with Royal Society of Victoria, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/smv/index_m.html. Details
• Binnie, Anna, 'A Short History of the Australian Institute of Physics, Part 2: from the Formation of the Australian Branch of the Institute of Physics to the Establishment of the Australian Institute of Physics', Australian Physics, 44 (4) (2007), 128-137, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IN7sV_RIRljwstfZLa7pjQyvisDmp_m0/view?ts=65d6c651. Details
• Crompton, R. W., 'Leonard George Holden Huxley 1902-1988', Historical Records of Australian Science, 8 (4) (1991), 249-264. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9910840249.htm. Details
• Davies, Susan, 'R. v.d. R. Wooley in Australia', Historical Records of Australian Science, 6 (1) (1984), 59-69. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9840610059. Details
• Evans, W. F., History of the Radiophysics Advisory Board 1939-1945 (Melbourne: CSIRO, 1973). Details
• Evans, W. F., History of the Radio Research Board 1926-1945 (Melbourne: CSIRO, 1973). Details
• Paterson, M. S., 'John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (3) (1982), 64-88. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9820530064. Details
• Wisdom, John, A History of Defence Science in Australia (Melbourne: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995), 267 pp. Details