Person

Dadswell, Herbert Eric (1903 - 1964)

FRACI FRSA

Born
5 March 1903
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died
19 December 1964
East Ringwood, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Wood scientist

Summary

Herbert Dadswell was Chief of the Division of Forest Products at CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; formerly CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)) from 1960, having been employed there since 1929. He was a pioneer in the field of wood anatomy and Australia's foremost expert in eucalypt anatomy.

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Details

Throughout his career, Dadswell collected an impressive array of specimens. Today this collection is part of the H E Dadswell Memorial Wood Collection which is maintained by the CSIRO. It is the second largest collection of its type in the world, comprising of samples from 13 000 tree species which encompasses around 270 botanical families - from Acanthaceae to Zygophyllaceae. About 70% of the species represented are from Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific, making the collection probably the world's most comprehensive for our region.

Herbert Dadswell lectured widely in the United States of America, was associated with many international organizations, was a foundation member of the Australian (and New Zealand) Pulp and Paper Industry Technical Association and a long-term Fellow and office-bearer of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

The University of Melbourne holds some of his records. A sub-set of approximately 230 wood samples from the Dadswell Memorial Wood Collection was donated to the University of Melbourne Creswick Campus Library in 2012.

Chronology

1925
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney
1926
Award - Training in forest products research at the Forest Products Laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Madison,Wisconsin, USA., Science and Industry Endowment Fund
1926 - 1929
Career position - Research student at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, USA
1927
Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney
1929 - 1930
Career position - Researcher at the CSIR Division of Forest Products, Australian Forestry School in Canberra
1930 - 1960
Career position - Researcher then Office- in-Charge of wood structure research at the CSIR Division of Forest Products in Melbourne
1931 - 1944
Career position - Associate of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
1941
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Melbourne
1943 - 1945
Career position - Honorary General Secretary, Australian Chemical Institute
1944 - 1953
Award - Fellow, Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI)
1947 - 1956
Career position - Secretary and Treasurer, International Association of Wood Anatomists
1949
Career position - President, Australian Pulp and Paper Industry Technology Association (APPITA)
1953
Award - Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
1954 - 1960
Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Forest Products
1955
Career position - Walker-Ames Professor of Forestry, University of Washington, USA
1960 - 1964
Career position - Chief of the CSIRO Division of Forest Products
1961 - 1962
Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
1961 - 1964?
Career position - RACI representative on the council of the National Association of Testing Authorities

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • 'Obituary: Herbert Eric Dadswell', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, 32 (7) (1965), 159. Details
  • 'Obituary: Herbert Eric Dadswell', Australian Forestry, 29 (1) (1965), 3. Details
  • Day, M.F.C. et al., 'The Biological Collections in CSIRO: a National Heritage', Historical Records of Australian Science, 15 (1) (2004), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR04002. Details

Resources

Teaching resources

See also

  • Smith, Susan and Spurling, Thomas H., 'The Science and Industry Endowment Fund: supporting the development of Australian science', Historical Records of Australian Science, 26 (1) (2015), 58-83, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR14027. Details

Annette Alafaci

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 15 June 2022

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