Person
Davies, Louis Walter (Lou) (1923 - 2001)
AO FAA FTSE FAIP FIEEE FIEAust
- Born
- 27 August 1923
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Died
- 28 September 2001
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Radiophysicist
- Alternative Names
- Davies, Bill (Also known as)
Summary
Louis Walter (Lou) Davies was a renowned radiophysicist who began his career as a Research Officer at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). After nine years there (1951-1960), Davies made the courageous move from the secure environment of CSIRO to the commercial world of AWA Ltd. (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia). He remained at AWA Ltd. Until 1995 and held numerous top positions including Director. From 1965 to 1984 Davies moved to part-time employment so he could spend two days per week working as Visiting Professor (later Emeritus Professor) at the University of New South Wales. He founded the Department of Solid State Electronics and remained at the university until 1984. After retiring from AWA, Davies continued his links with industry, becoming a board member of Ludowici & Son Ltd (also a one-time chairman), Radio 2CH Pty Ltd, Alsafe Safety Industries Pty Ltd and the Australian Caption Centre. Lou Davies was Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA), (Foundation Fellow) Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), Australian Institute of Physics (FAIP), Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, USA (FIEEE) and of the Institute of Engineers, Australia (FIEAust). He was appointed a Commander Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 1981 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to radiophysics and telecommunications in Australia.
Details
Chronology
- 1941 - 1948
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney
- 1942 - c. 1945
- Career position - Navigator with the 1 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force in Darwin
- 1948 - 1951
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Oxford, UK (New South Wales Rhodes Scholarship)
- 1951 - 1954
- Career position - Research Officer at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Radiophysics
- 1954 - 1960
- Career position - Co-founder of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics semi-conductor laboratory
- 1958
- Career position - Visiting Fellow at the Bell Telephone Laboratories, USA
- 1960 - 1965
- Career position - Chief Physicist at AWA Ltd. (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia)
- 1965 - 1972
- Career position - Chief Physicist (part-time) at AWA Ltd. (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia)
- 1965 - 1984
- Career position - Visiting Professor (part-time), later Emeritus Professor,, University of New South Wales
- c. 1970 - 1982
- Career position - Founder and Head of the Department of Solid State Electronics, University of New South Wales
- 1972 - 1986
- Career position - Chief Scientist at AWA Ltd.
- 1975 - 1987
- Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)
- 1976
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1977 - 1983
- Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Science and Technology Council (ASTEC)
- 1978
- Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
- 1981 -
- Career position - Fellow, Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, USA (FIEEE)
- 1982 - 1984
- Career position - Vice-President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
- 1983 - 1986
- Career position - Council member of the Australian Academy of Science
- 1984 - 1986
- Career position - Manager of the Microelectronics Section at AWA Ltd.
- 1986 -
- Career position - Established and ran a grazing property in New South Wales
- 1987
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975]
- 1987 - c. 1995
- Career position - Board member of AWA Ltd.
- 1987 - 1995
- Career position - Director of AWA Ltd.
- 1990 - 1994
- Career position - Director of Radio 2CH Pty. Ltd.
Related entries
Published resources
Book Sections
- Davies, L. W., 'Hooke, Sir Lionel George Alfred (1895-1974), broadcasting pioneer, radio engineer and businessman' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 14: 1940 - 1980 Di-Kel, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1996), pp. 485-486. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140552b.htm. Details
Journal Articles
- Rigby, Graham A., 'Louis Walter Davies 1923-2001', Historical Records of Australian Science, 14 (4) (2003), 529-539. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR03011. Details
Resources
- 'Davies, Louis Walter (Lou) (1923 - 2001)', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Science, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/louis-davies. Details
- 'Davies, L W (1923-2001)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-465681. Details
Resource Sections
- Craig, David, 'Interview with Professor Louis Davies (1923-2001)', in Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 15 December 1999, https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-louis-davies-1923-2001. Details
- Ward, C., 'Louis Walter Davies', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Davies-Louis-Walter. Details
Annette Alafaci
Created: 14 February 2006, Last modified: 15 June 2022