Stocker, John Wilcox (1945 - )

Summary

John Stocker was Australia's Chief Scientist in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1996 to 1999. His early career as an immunologist was spent in Switzerland investigating opportunities for scientific and commercial development of biotechnology-based vaccines. He was involved in research on monoclonal antibodies, human interferon and the discovery of the antibiotic Rocephin. In 1987 Stocker returned to Melbourne as the first Managing Director of AMRAD (Australian Medical Research and Development Corporation), a Victorian Government initiative to promote the commercialisation and industrial application of Australian biomedical discoveries. As Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation his priorities included improving teamwork across CSIRO through the Institute structure, identifying opportunities for returns on research expenditure especially in the minerals, electronics and water technology fields, and the establishment of leadership development program. When Chief Scientist for Australia, a part-time position, Stocker led landmark reviews into science priorities for Australia and the Co-operative Research Centre program. In recent years he has been involved with various research and development enterprises including as a founder of Foursight Associates, a company advising on R&D and science to companies, investment institutions, academics and government.

Details

Chronology

1969

Education - BMedSc, University of Melbourne

1970

Education - MB BS, University of Melbourne

1970 - 1972

Career position - Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital

1974 - 1976

Career position - Research Scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

1976

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

1976 - 1979

Career position - Scientist at the Basel Institute of Immunology, Switzerland

1979 - 1984

Career position - Scientist at the Central Research Unit of Hoffman-La Roche & Co. in Basel

1986 - 1987

Career position - Director of Pharmaceutical Research at Hoffman-La Roche & Co.

1987 - 1990

Career position - Founding Managing Director of AMRAD (Australian Medical Research and Development Corporation)

1988 -

Career position - Director of the Victorian Government Strategic Research Foundation

1989 -

Career event - Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP)

1990

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)

March 1990 - March 1995

Career position - Chief Executive, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

1992 -

Career position - Director of Gene Shears Pty Ltd

1992

Award - Australian of the Year

1995 -

Career position - Director of Research and Innovation at Pratt Industries

1996

Career position - Foursight Associates established

1996 - 1997

Career position - Chairman, Australian Science and Technology Council

1996 - 1999

Career position - founding member, Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council

1996 - 1999

Career position - Chief Scientist, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

1996 - 2003

Career position - Chairman, Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation

1996 - 2006

Career position - Director, Cambridge Antibody Technology Plc

1997 - 1998

Career position - Chairman, Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council

1999

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - For service to the advancement of Australian scientific and technological research and its application for economic, social and environmental benefit

2000 - 2006

Career position - Board Member, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for outstanding service to science policy, serving as Chief Scientist and Chair of ASTEC

2005 - 2010

Career position - Chairman, Sigma Pharmaceuticals

June 2007 - June 2010

Career position - Chairman of the Board, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

2013 -

Career position - Chairman, Science and Engineering Advisory Committee, Environment Protection Authority of Victoria

2015 -

Career position - Director, Menzies Foundation

2015

Award - Doctor of Medical Science (DMedSc), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• Interview with Dr John Stocker, scientist [sound recording] / interviewer, Diana Giese, 1 June 2000, TRC 4585; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Conference Papers

• Stocker, John W., 'CSIRO on the move', in National Science and Technology Advisory Group Conference Proceedings, October 1990 (Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, 1990), p. 10.. https://eoas.info/bib-pdf/ASBS15630.pdf. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Grose, Simon, 'A scientist determined to have his voice heard', The Canberra Times (1996), 11. Details

Resources

• 'Stocker, John W (1945-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-535684. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DMedSc, 2015 [Citation provided]', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. Details

Resource Sections

• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Stocker, John, 'John Stocker, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 25 May 2018', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 25 May 2018, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-john-stocker/. Details

See also

• Beale, Bob, Engineering a Legacy: Memories of the journey of CSIRO Chemical Engineering (Clayton, Victoria: CSIRO Minerals, 2005), 124 pp. pages 96, 88 (photographs). Details
• CSIRO inter-institute taskforce on waste treatment management research, Report of CSIRO Waste Treatment Research Taskforce (Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, 1991), 34 pp. https://www.eoas.info/bib-pdf/ASBS15700.pdf. Details