Person

Woolley, Richard van der Riet (1906 - 1986)

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    Richard van der Riet Woolley
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Born
24 April 1906
Weymouth, Dorset, England
Died
24 December 1986
Occupation
Astronomer

Summary

Richard Woolley was Director of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory (and its successor) at Mount Stromlo 1939-1955, Astronomer Royal, United Kingdom 1956-1971 and Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory 1972-1976. He was an early and consistent advocate for the Anglo-Australian telescope.

Details

Chronology

1928
Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Cambridge
c. 1929
Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Cape Town
1929 - 1931
Career position - Commonwealth Fund Fellowship, Mt Wilson Observatory, California
1931
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Cambridge
1931 - 1933
Career position - Isaac Newton Student, University of Cambridge
1933 - 1937
Career position - Chief Assistant, Royal Observatory, Greenwich
1937 - 1939
Career position - John Couch Adams Astronomer, University of Cambridge
1939 - c. 1950
Career position - Director, Commonwealth Solar Observatory
1950 - 1955
Career position - Professor of Astronomy, Australian National University
c. 1950 - 1955
Career position - Director, Commonwealth Observatory
1951
Education - Doctor of Science (ScD), University of Cambridge
1953
Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
1953
Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Commonwealth Astronomer
1953 - 1986
Award - Petitioner for the Academy, Founding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
1955
Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne
1955
Career position - President, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
1956
Award - Scott Lectureship in Physics, University of Cambridge
1956 - 1971
Career position - Astronomer Royal, United Kingdom
1963
Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt)
1963 - 1965
Career position - President, Royal Astronomical Society
1971
Award - Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society
1972 - 1976
Career position - Inaugural Director, South African Astronomical Observatory

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Richard van der Riet Woolley - Records, July 1927, MS 194; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Books

  • Ophel, Trevor and Jenkin, John, Fire in the Belly: the First Fifty Years of the Pioneer School at the ANU (Canberra: Research School of Physical Science and Engineering, Institute of Advanced Studies, ANU, 1996), 157 pp. Details
  • Woolley, Richard van der Riet, The Longest Tyranny: an Inaugural Lecture Delivered at Canberra on 28 July 1955 (Canberra: Australian National University, 1955), 27 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • 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
  • Gascoigne, S. C. B., 'Bok, Woolley and Australian Astronomy', Historical Records of Australian Science, 9 (2) (1992), 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9920920119. Details
  • Gasgoigne, S. C. B., 'Astrophysics at Mount Stromlo: the Woolley era', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 5 (1984), 597-605. Details
  • Hyland, A. R.; and Faulkner, D. J., 'From the Sun to Universe - the Woolley and Bok Directorships at Mount Stromlo', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 8 (2) (1989), 216-228. Details
  • McCrea, S. W., 'Richard van der Reit Woolley 1906-86', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (3) (1988), 315-345. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9880730315. Details
  • Woolley, Richard van der Riet, 'Mount Stromlo Observatory', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 1 (3) (1968), 53-57. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9680130053.htm. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

Digital resources

Title
Richard van der Riet Woolley
Type
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Details

Rosanne Walker

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