Person
Aston, Ronald Leslie (1901 - 1969)
- Born
- 23 July 1901
Burwood, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- 7 September 1969
Denistone, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Physicist and Civil engineer
Summary
Ronald Aston was an engineer who had a varied career tutoring in mathematics and physics and as physicist with the Imperial Geophysical Experimental Survey before joining the University of Sydney in 1930. He retired as Associate Professor of Geodesy and Surveying in 1966, much respected by his students. In 1958 he advised on the establishment at the University of New South Wales of the degree-course in surveying. Aston was active in professional organisations, being a founder and state branch president of the Association of Professional Engineers and an honorary member of the Institution of Surveyors. He was President of the Royal Society of New South Wales from 1948 to 1949. For eight years he was Editor of the Australian journal of science. The R.I. Aston prize is presented to the most successful student in fourth-year surveying at the University of Sydney.
Details
Chronology
- 1921
- Education - BSc, University of Sydney
- 1923
- Education - BE, University of Sydney
- 1925
- Education - MSc, University of Cambridge
- 1926 - 1929
- Career position - Tutor in mathematics and physics, Trinity College, University of Melbourne
- 1929 - 1930
- Career position - Physicist, Imperial Geophysical Experimental Survey
- 1930 - 1955
- Career position - Lecturer in surveying and civil engineering, University of Sydney
- 1932
- Education - PhD (admitted 1955), University of Cambridge
- 1946
- Career position - Founder, Association of Professional Engineers, Australia
- 1948
- Career position - Member, National Committee on Geodesy and Geophysics, Australian National Research Council
- 1948 - 1949
- Career position - President, Royal Society of New South Wales
- 1948 - 1955
- Career position - Editor, Australian journal of science
- 1954 - 1962
- Career position - Vice-President, New South Wales Branch, Association of Professional Engineers
- 1955 - 1956
- Career position - Associate Professor of Geodesy and Surveying, University of Sydney
Related entries
Published resources
Book Sections
- Curdie, John, 'Aston, Ronald Leslie (1901-1969), engineer and academic' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1993), pp. 81-82. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/aston-ronald-leslie-9395. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7364651. Details
- 'Aston, Ronald Leslie (1901-1969)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1470886. Details
Resource Sections
- 'Aston, Ronald Leslie', 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/P001588p.htm. Details
Gavan McCarthy; Ken McInnes
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 9 December 2025
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education