Spurling, Thomas Harley (Tom) (1940 - )

Summary

Chemist Tom Spurling worked at an executive level within the CSIRO and its affiliated organisations. He began at the CSIRO in 1967. He was a research scientist within the Divisions of Applied Chemistry and Applied Organic Chemistry (1967-1985). He then served as Chief of the Divisions of Chemicals and Polymers (1989), and Molecular Science (1996). He represented the CSIRO in Indonesia as manager of the CSIRO-LIPI Management Systems Strengthening project from 1998 to 2001.

Details

After his retirement from CSIRO in 2003, Spurling was appointed first Director of the Institute of Industrial Technology, Swinburne (2002 to 2004) and then Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences (2004 to 2005). He then was appointed Chief Executive of the CRC for Wood Innovations (2005 to 2008)

Chronology

1962

Education - Bachelor of Science (Hons I) in Physical Chemistry, University of Western Australia

1963

Award - CSIRO Post-Graduate Studentship

1965

Award - CSIRO Overseas Studentship

1966

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physical Chemistry, University of Western Australia

1967 - 1969

Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Tasmania

1969 - 1974

Career position - Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Chemistry

1971

Award - Rennie Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1974

Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI)

1974 - 1981

Career position - Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Organic Chemistry

1976 - 1980

Career position - National Chairman, Physical Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1981 - 1984

Career position - Assistant Chief, CSIRO Division of Applied Organic Chemistry

1982

Career position - President, Victorian Branch, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1983

Career position - President, Medicinal and Agricultural Chemical Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1984 - 1985

Career position - Senior Private Secretary to Senator Gareth Evans (the Minister for Resources and Energy)

1986 - 1988

Career position - Employed at the Institute of Industrial Technology

1987

Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1988 - 1989

Career position - Manager of Policy and Planning, Institute of Industrial Technologies, CSIRO

1989 - 1991

Career position - President, Federation of Asian Chemical Societies

1989 - 1996

Career position - Chief of the CSIRO Division of Chemicals and Polymers

1992

Career position - Foundation Fellow, Federation of Asian Chemical Societies

1992

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

1994

Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, RACI

1996 - 1998

Career position - Chief of the CSIRO Division of Molecular Science

1998 - 2001

Career position - Manager of the CSIRO-LIPI Management Systems Strengthening project, Indonesia

2000

Award - CSIRO Award for Business Excellence in Technology Transfer

2001

Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in research and development

2001 - 2002

Career position - Principal Advisor, CSIRO Molecular Science

2001 - 2003

Career position - CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO Division of Molecular Science

2002 - 2004

Career position - Director of the Institute of Industrial Technology, Swinburne University

2003 -

Career position - Professor of Molecular Science, Swinburne University of Technology

2003

Award - Federation of Asian Chemical Societies, Award for Distinguished Contribution to Economic Advancement

2004 - 2005

Career position - Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University

2005 - 2008

Career position - Chief Executive of the CRC for Wood Innovations

2006 - 2007

Career position - Member, Prime Minister's Science Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC)

2006 - 2008

Career position - President, Federation of Australian Scientific and Technical Societies

2008

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - For service to chemical science through contributions to national innovation policies, strategies and research, and to the development of professional scientific relationships within the Asian region

2008 - 2015

Career event - Member of the Board, CSIRO

2009 -

Career position - Board Member, International Centre for Radioastronomy Research, Perth

2011

Award - RACI, International Year of Chemistry, Living Luminary of Australian Chemistry

2017

Award - ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

2022 -

Career position - Member, Management Committee, Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Solomon, David and Spurling, Tom, The plastic banknote: from concept to reality (Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, 2014), 240 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Spurling, T. H., 'Heymann, Erich (1901-1949), Chemist and Academic' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 14: 1940 - 1980 Di-Kel, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1996), pp. 447-448. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140514b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'ANZAAS Medal goes to Tom Spurling', ATSE focus, 204 (2017), 54, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-537141812. Details
• Avery, Neil R.; Jackson, W. Roy; and Spurling, Thomas H., 'John Robert Anderson 1928-2007', Historical Records of Australian Science, 25 (2) (2014), 253-63, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR14018. Details
• Bucat, R. B.; Chandler, G. S.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Vale Don Watts AM, a mover and shaker', Chemistry in Australia (2023), 27. Details
• Chandler, G. S.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Gerry Bottomley: a passion for high-precision measurements of liquids and gasses', Chemistry in Australia, 2018 (September/October) (2018), 31. Details
• Collins, David J.; Simpson, Gregory W.; Solomon, David H.; Spurling, Thomas H., 'James Robert Price, 1912-1999', Historical Records of Australian Science, 15 (1) (2004), 95-120. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR03012. Details
• Demediuk, Barbara and Spurling, Tom, 'From Matzejow to Highett: the Remarkable Career of Taisa Demediuk', Chemistry in Australia, June (2012), 30-1. Details
• Hodgkin, J. H.; Morton, T. C.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Geoff Hawthorne, CSIRO polymer chemist', Chemistry in Australia, 2017 (March) (2017), 32-3. Details
• Johnson, C. H. J.; Moad, G.; Solomon, D. H.; Spurling, T. H.; and Vearing, D. J., 'The application of supercomputers in modelling chemical-reaction kinetics - kinetic simulation of "quasi-living" radical polymerization', Australian journal of chemistry, 43 (7) (1990), 1215-30. https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9901215. Details
• Johnson, C. H. J.; Moad, G.; Solomon, D.H.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Kinetic simulation of polymerization involving termination by reversible chain transfer', Australian journal of chemistry, 39 (12) (1986), 1943-50. https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9861943. Details
• Johnson, C.H. J.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Pairwise additive third virial coefficients for multipolar molecules - application to water vapour', Australian journal of chemistry, 24 (8) (1971), 1567-80. https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9711567. Details
• McNamara, Nicole; Kopinathan, Anitha; Wolff, Helen; Spurling, Thomas H.; Simpson, Gregory; and Locock, Katherine E. S., 'Breaking down barriers: standing on the shoulders of Australia's early female chemists', Australian journal of chemistry, 76 (2) (2023), 63-73. https://www.publish.csiro.au/CH/pdf/CH22235. Details
• Quinn, Peter and Spurling, Tom, 'Bernard Bowen AM FTSE: how a bare-foot kid from Marradong came to have a minor planet named after him', Impact: magazine of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 209 (2019), 65, https://www.atse.org.au/what-we-do/strategic-advice/impact-209/. Details
• 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
• Solomon, D. H.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Australian manufacturing industry - third time lucky', Prometheus, 5 (1) (1987), 63-72. Details
• Spurling, T., 'Historical Origins of CSIRO Molecular Science', Chemistry in Australia, 64 (9) (1997), 12-15. Details
• Spurling, T. H., 'William Sutherland - Australia's First Physical Chemist', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, 41 (12) (1974), 313-314. Details
• Spurling, T. H., 'Sefton D. Hamann', Chemistry in Australia, 2009 (April) (2009), 24-5. Details
• Spurling, T. H.; and Webb, J. M., 'William Percy Wilkinson: analytical chemist, ampelographer and provocateur', Chemistry in Australia, 2017 (March) (2017), 33. Details
• Spurling, Thomas H., 'Donald Eric Weiss 1915-1998', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (1) (2011), 152-70, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR10014. Details
• Spurling, Thomas H.; and Noller, Barry N., 'Robert (Robin) Harold Stokes 1918 - 2016', Historical Records of Australian Science, 30 (1) (2019), 42-8. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR18018. Details
• Spurling, Thomas H.; and Solomon, David H., 'Sefton Davidson Hamann 1921-2009', Historical Records of Australian Science, 20 (2) (2009), 255-271 , https://doi.org/10.1071/HR09019. Details
• Spurling, Tom, 'Donald (Don) Willis: Distinguished CSIRO Scientist', Chemistry in Australia, 2013 (July) (2013), 28. Details
• Spurling, Tom, 'William Ivo (Bill) Whitton: advocate for scientific and industrial research', Chemistry in Australia, 2019 (November/December) (2019), 31. Details
• Spurling, Tom [et al.], 'Obituary: Jack Cannon AM, organic chemist and promoter of international co-operation', Chemistry in Australia, 2015 (February) (2015), 30. Details
• Spurling, Tom; and Butt, Charles, 'Wilfred (Wilf) Ernest Ewers (1919 - 2020): centenarian, RACI President, scientist and science leader', Chemistry in Australia, 2020 (May/June) (2020), 30-1. Details
• Spurling, Tom; and Cockrum, Peter, 'Vale Claude Charles Culvenor, Australia's first chemistry PhD', Chemistry in Australia (2022), 31. Details
• Spurling, Tom; and Laslett, Bob, 'Ian McWilliam (1933 - 2020): inventor of the flame ionisation detector', Chemistry in Australia, 2020 (July/August) (2020), 34. Details
• Spurling, Tom; and McCarthy, Gavan, 'A gateway to the history of chemistry in Australia', Chemistry in Australia (2022), 38. Details
• Swift, J. D.; and Spurling, T. H., 'Enid C. Plante: Early Days at Fishermens Bend', Chemistry in Australia (1989), 230-231. Details
• Symington, D.; and Spurling, H., 'The "Draw a scientist test": interpreting the data', Research in science & technological education, 8 (1) (1990), 75-7. Details
• Upstill, Garrett, and Spurling, Thomas H., 'Adjusting to changing times: CSIRO since the 1970s', Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, 9 (2007), 113-124. Details
• Upstill, Garrett, and Spurling, Thomas H., 'New Structures, New Strategies: CSIRO's Changing Role in Australian Innovation', Prometheus, 26 (2008), 141-152. Details
• Upstill, Garrett; and Spurling, Thomas H., 'Engaging with Australian indusry: CSIRO in the late twentieth century', Historical Records of Australian Science, 31 (1) (2020), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR19006. Details
• Upstill, Garrett; Spurling, Thomas H.; Healy, Terence J.; and Simpson, Gregory W., 'Realignment and change: CSIRO and industry 2000-10', Historical Records of Australian Science, 34 (2) (2023), 109-22, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR22017. Details
• Watson, Donald and Spurling, Tom, 'Frank G. Watson, engineer 2nd September 1927 to 11th October 2013', ATS and ITA news, 2014 (March) (2014), 118. Details
• Wolff, Helen A.; Healy, Terence J.; and Spurling, Thomas H., 'An introduction to the CSIRO oral history collection', Historical Records of Australian Science, 30 (2) (2019), 112-8, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR18026. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Spurling, Tom; Tytler, Russell; Lenten, Tony; and Symington, John, 'An engaging curious educator: David Symington, December 29 1935 - August 4, 2021', The Age (2021). https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/an-engagingly-curious-educator-20211212-p59gy2.html. Details
• Watson, Donald, and Spurling, Tom, 'A gifted engineer who ensured Melburnians were in the Loop', The Age (2013), 41, https://www.theage.com.au/national/a-gifted-engineer-who-ensured-melburnians-were-in-the-loop-20131113-2xgxb.html. Details

Resources

• 'Spurling, T H (19401224-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-462307. Details

Resource Sections

• Healy, Terry; Upstill, Garrett; and Spurling Tom, 'Tom Spurling, interviewed by Terry Healy and Garrett Upstill, 26 April 2017 and 8 August 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 26 April and 8 August 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-tom-spurling/. Details
• Plante, Enid; Spurling, Tom; Swith, Jean; transcribed by Wolff, Helen, 'Enid Plante, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Jean Swift, 17 January 1986', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 17 January 1986. https://csiropedia.csiro.au/enid-plante-interviewed-by-tom-spurling-and-jean-swift-17-january-1986/. Details
• Spurling, T. H., 'Walsh, Sir Alan (1916 - 1998), physicist and inventor of atomic absorption spectroscopy', in Australian dictionary of biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, 2022, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/walsh-sir-alan-32130. Details
• Spurling, T. H., 'Price, James Robert (Jerry) (1912 - 1999), organic chemist and science administrator', in Australian dictionary of biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, 2023, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/price-james-robert-jerry-32122. Details
• Spurling, T. H., 'Pitman, Michael George (1933 - 2000), botanist and chief scientist', in Australian dictionary of biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, 2024, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pitman-michael-george-32497. Details
• Spurling, Tom and Adam, Colin, 'Colin Adam, interviewed by Tom Spurling, 15 August 2018', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 15 August 2018, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-colin-adam/. Details
• Spurling, Tom and Green, Roy, 'Roy Green, interviewed by Tom Spurling, 3 April 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-roy-green/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Barber, Michael, 'Michael Barber, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 3 December 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 3 December 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-michael-barber/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Boardman, Keith, 'Keith Boardman, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 5 December 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 5 December 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-keith-boardman/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Duncan, Annabelle, 'Annabelle Duncan, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 6 February 2019', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 6 February 2019, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-annabelle-duncan/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Money, Catherine, 'Catherine Money, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 8 December 2021', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript, CSIROpedia, 8 December 2022. https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-catherine-money/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Sandland, Ron, 'Ron Sandland, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 20 September 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 20 September 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-ron-sandland/. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Solomon, David, 'David Solomon, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 12 January 2017 and 2 February 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 12 January and 2 February 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-david-solomon/. Details
• 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
• Spurling, Tom; Swift, Jean; and Plante, Enid, 'Enid Plante, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Jean Swift, 17 January 1986', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript, CSIROpedia, 25 May 1986. https://csiropedia.csiro.au/enid-plante-interviewed-by-tom-spurling-and-jean-swift-17-january-1986/. Details
• Ward, C., 'Thomas Harley Spurling', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Spurling-Thomas-Harley. Details

See also

• Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia [Queen's Birthday 2008: M-Z], Governor General's Office, Canberra, 2008, https://web.archive.org.au/awa/20130329080918mp_/http:/www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/qb/qb2008/Media%20notes%20AM%20%28M-Z%29%20%28final%29-web.pdf. Details
• Who's who in Australia 2012 (Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd, 2012), 2430 pp. Details
• Anon, Australian men and women of science, engineering and technology (Port Melbourne: Reed Reference Australia, 1995), 661 pp. 'Spurling, Thomas Harley, Dr', p.508. Details