Person

Schaefer, Gustav Griffin (1913 - 2004)

Born
12 December 1913
Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Died
15 September 2004
Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Physicist

Summary

Gus Schaefer founded the first Operational Research Group in Defence, at the Department of Supply and Development in Melbourne in 1951. The office environment was not conducive to research, so the group moved to the Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL), at Fishermans Bend in 1953. Gus Schaefer remained with ARL until 1977 making many major contributions to the aeronautical industry. His research included studying the aerodynamics of aircraft wings for Boeing 747 and other models.

During World War II Schaefer had worked for the Optical Munitions Panel. His area of interest at that time was optical design, using ray tracing analysis.

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Details

Chronology

1934
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), Queensland University
c. 1934 - c. 1940
Career position - Secondary Science Teacher, at various Queensland schools including Mt Isa High School
1940
Life event - Moved to Melbourne
1941 - 1951
Career position - Design and analysis at the Munitions Supply Laboratories (MSL) in Melbourne [working on optical design and ray tracing analysis]
1951 - 1953
Career position - Defence Operational Research Group, Department of Supply in Melbourne
1953 - 1977
Career position - Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL), Department of Supply
1977
Life event - Retired
1989
Life event - Moved to Port Macquarie

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Newspaper Articles

  • Schaefer, Annie, 'Scientist who revelled in challenges but laughed, too [Obituary: Gustav Griffin Schaefer, Physicist, (1913 - 2004)]', The Age (2004). Details

Resources

Resource Sections

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_s.html. Details
  • Long, Gordon, The leading edge: sixty years of aeronautical research and development for Australia's defence 1939 - 1999 (Melbourne: Aeronautical & Maritime Research Laboratory, 1999), 132 pp. [See Chapter 14, p.71]. Details

Rosanne Walker

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 4 July 2023

EOAS ID: biogs/P002684b.htm

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