Possingham, John Victor (1929 - 2023)

Summary

John Possingham revolutionised the Australian wine industry in the 1970s by introducing mechanical grape picking and pruning. The amount of money and labour this technology saved grape growers essentially led to a restructuring of the entire wine industry. Other research included the development of nematode-resistant root stock, and the introduction for research of vine stocks from Europe and California. Possingham was Chief of the CSIRO's Divisions of Horticultural Research and Horticulture from 1967 to 1991. He published over 250 papers. In retirement he produced wine at his Possums Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia.

Details

Possignham received the following CSIRO awards:

1991 - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for developing (with the Viticulture Group) for the mechanisation of Australian viticulture;

1994 - Sir Ian McLennan Impact from Science and Engineering Award for his work, as Chief of CSIRO's Division of Horticulture from 1967 to 1971, on a package of technical advances for growing wine grapes that have contributed significantly to the recent economic success of the industry. These include: grape mechanical harvesting and mechanical methods of pruning grapevines.

Chronology

1952

Education - Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgSc),University of Adelaide

1952 - 1962

Career position - Research Scientist, CSORI Division of Plant Industry

1955

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Adelaide

1957

Education - DPhil, University of Axford

1962

Career position - Officer-in-Charge, Commonwealth Research Station, Merbein, CSIR/O

1962 - 1967

Career position - Officer-in-Charge, CSIRO Horticultural Research Section

1967 - 1988

Career position - Chief of CSIRO Division of Horticultural Research

1979

Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Oxford

1979 - 1987

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences

1980 - 1996

Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

1987 - 2023

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

1988 - 1991

Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Horticulture

1990

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to science particularly in the foeld of horticultural research

1991

Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (with the Viticulture Group)

1991 - 1994

Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Horticulture

1992 - ?

Award - Fellow, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences

1994

Life event - Retired

1994

Award - Sir Ian McLennan Impact from Science and Engineering Award, CSIRO

1997 - 2023

Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Technology

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in viticulture

2002 - 2023

Award - Life Member, International Society for Horticultural Science

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Dr John Possingham AM FTSE', Impact: magazine of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 215 (2023), 65, https://www.atse.org.au/what-we-do/strategic-advice/impact-215/. Details

Resources

• 'Possingham, J V', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-460990. Details

Resource Sections

• Ward, C., 'John Victor Possingham', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Possingham-John-Victor. Details

See also

• Ward, Colin, 'CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2013, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/csiro-entrepreneurship-award/. Details
• Wolff, Helen, 'Sir Ian McLennan Award', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2013. https://csiropedia.csiro.au/sir-ian-mclennan-award/. Details