Mellor, David Paver (1903 - 1980)

Summary

David Mellor was Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of New South Wales from 1955 to 1969. He is commemorated there by the Mellor Lecture and Medal (for Chemical Education) and the Mellor Lecture Theatre in the School of Chemistry. His research was concerned with the properties and structures of metal complex compounds. He was the author of several books, including The Role of Science and Industry in the Second World War (Civil Series Commonwealth Official War History). Mellor also lectured at the University of Sydney and was Chief Examiner of the New South Wales Leaving Certificate; Chairman of the Syllabus Committee for Leaving Certificate Chemistry; Chairman of the Science Syllabus Committee for the Wyndham Scheme; and Chief Examiner for Science (Higher School Certificate).

Details

Chronology

1926

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

1927

Career position - Electrolytic Zinc Research Scholar

1928

Career position - Research Fellow, Commonwealth Solar Observatory

1928

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

1929 - 1948

Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Sydney

1938

Career position - Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA

1941

Career position - President, Royal Society of New South Wales

1945

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

1948 - 1955

Career position - Reader in Chemistry, University of Sydney

1949

Career position - H.G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1951

Award - Archibald Liversidge Medal and Lecture, Royal Society of New South Wales

1954

Award - Royal Society of New South Wales Medal

1955 - 1968

Career position - Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, New South Wales University of Technology / University of New South Wales

1956 - 1968

Career position - Head of the School of Chemistry

1968 - 1969

Career position - Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales

1969

Award - Dwyer Memorial Medal

1975

Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1977

Career position - 1st Kurth Memorial Lecturer, University of Tasmania

Related entries

Archival resources

University of New South Wales Archives

• David Paver Mellor - Records, 1917 - 1980, CN 778 and others; University of New South Wales Archives. 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

• 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

Books

• Mellor, D. P., The Role of Science and Industry, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Vol. 5 of Series 4 (Civil) (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1958). Details

Book Sections

• Livingstone, Stanley E., 'Mellor, David Paver (1903-1980), Professor of Chemistry' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 15: 1940 - 1980 Kem-Pie, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2000), pp. 347-348. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150409b.htm. Details
• Mellor, D. P., 'Liversidge, Archibald (1846-1927), scientist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 5: 1851 - 1890 K-Q, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1974), pp. 93-94. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050110b.htm. Details
• Mellor, D. P., 'Challinor, Richard Westman (1874-1951), chemist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 601-602. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070610b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Baker, Anthony T., 'David Mellor at the California Institute of Technology, 1937-8: the beginnings of Australian magnetochemistry', Historical Records of Australian Science, 32 (1) (2021), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR20010. Details
• Livingstone, S. E., 'David Paver Mellor 1903-1980', Chemistry in Australia, 8 (1980), 115. Details
• Mellor, D. P., 'The Development of Coordination Chemistry in Australia', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 3 (2) (1976), 29-40. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9760320029.htm. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Obituary: Richard Thomas Baker', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 76 (1942), 6. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Founders of Australian Chemistry. Archibald Liversidge', The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Proceedings, 24 (August) (1957), 415-421. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'H. G. Smith. A Pioneer in Australian Phytochemistry', The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Proceedings, 27 (1960), 309-216. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Ronald Sidney Nyholm (1917-1971): Obituary', Search, 3 (11/12) (1972), 399. Details

Resources

• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/6133340. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16009338. Details
• 'Mellor, D P (1903-1980)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-634078. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Mellor, David Paver', 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/P000633p.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_m.html. Details
• Aroney, M. J.; Buckingham, A. D., 'Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (3) (1988), 273-297. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9880730273. Details
• Caro, D. E.; Martin, R. L., 'Leslie Harold Martin 1900-1983', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (1) (1987), 97-107. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9870710097. Details
• Hyde, B. G.; and Day, P, 'John Stuart Anderson', Historical Records of Australian Science, 9 (2) (1992), 127-49. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9920920127. Details