Birch, William David (Bill) (1949 - )

Summary

William Birch joined the staff of the National Museum of Victoria (later Museum Victoria) in 1973 as Curator of Minerals with responsibility for curating and developing the Museum's geological collection. He acquired for the Museum a number of significant historical and research collections, including those of the Geological Survey of Victoria, the University of Melbourne, and a number of collections from individuals. Under his curatorship, the Museum's geological collections became recognised internationally for the excellence of their curation and potential for research. Birch's research interests centre on the analysis and identification of rocks, minerals and meteorites particularly from Victoria and Broken Hill (N.S.W.). This has resulted in the description of over 35 minerals new to science and the publication of over 220 books and scientific papers. Birch has been an office-bearer and President of geological and other scientific societies in Australia, and represented Australia on the International Mineralogical Association. The mineral Birchite, from Broken Hill, was named in his honour in 2008.

Details

Chronology

1973 - 1974

Career position - Curator of Minerals, National Museum of Victoria

1974 - 2013

Career position - Senior Curator, Geosciences (Mineralogy and Petrology), Museum of Victoria

1976

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

1976 - 1985

Career position - Co-editor, Australian Mineralogist

1977 - 1979

Career position - President, Museums Association. Victorian Branch

1977 - 1980

Career position - Treasurer, Geological Society of Australia (Victoria Division),

1979

Career position - Vice-President, Friends of the National Museum of Victoria

1981 - 1987

Career position - Vice-President, Mineralogical Society of Victoria

1983 - 1987

Career position - Visiting Research Fellow, Geology Department, University of Melbourne

1984 - 1998

Career position - Australian Representative, International Mineralogical Association Commission of New Minerals and Mineral Names

1984 - 2008

Career position - Australian Representative, International Mineralogical Association

1987 - 1989

Career position - Honorary Associate, Geology Department, University of Melbourne

1987 - 1989

Career position - Chairman, Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division)

1989 -

Career position - Associate Editor, The Mineralogical Record

1995 -

Career position - Editorial board member, Australian journal of mineralogy

1996 - 2012

Career position - Council member, Royal Society of Victoria

1998 - 2008

Career position - Secretary, International Mineralogical Association Commission of New Minerals and Mineral Names

1999

Award - Selwyn Medal, Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division)

2000 -

Career position - Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne

2006

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to geological science, particularly through the study and documentation of the geology of Victoria, and to a range of professional organisations

2013 -

Career position - Research Associate, Geosciences, Museum Victoria

2013

Life event - Retired

2013 - 2017

Career position - President, Royal Society of Victoria

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Birch, Bill, 'E.. J. Dunn and his rock and mineral collection' in A Museum for the people: a History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000, Rasmussen. Carolyn, ed. (Carlton North, Vic.: Scribe Publications, 2001), pp. 138-40. Details

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Changing of the guard in mineralogy at Museum Victoria, Melbourne', Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 17 (2) (2015), 61-2. Details
• Birch, W., 'The mineral collection of the Museum of Victoria', Mineralogical Society bulletin (1996), 13-5. Details
• Birch, W. D., 'The Wedderburn Meteorite revisited', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 131 (2) (2019), 74-83. https://doi.org/10.1071/RS19010. Details
• Birch, W. D.; and Henry, D. A., 'The geology collections of Museum Victoria, Melbourne', Australian Journal of Mineralogy, 6 (2) (2000), 83-91. Details
• Birch, William D., 'The Ellerslie meteorite: decription and correction to its historical find site', Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 154 (1) (2021), 12-23. Details
• Birch, William D.; and Darragh, Thomas A., 'George Henry Frederick Ulrich (1830 - 1900): pioneer mineralogist and geologist in Victoria', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 127 (1) (2015), 17-38, https://doi.org/10.1071/RS15002. Details
• Birch, William D.; and Willman, Clive E., 'John Halliley Greenwood: an intrepid pioneer miner in 19th century Australia', Journal of Australasian mining history, 19 (2021), 23-44. Details
• Gleadow, Andy; and Birch, Bill, 'John Francis Lovering 27 March 1930 - 4 January 2023', TAG: the Australian geologist, 206 (2023), 43. Details
• Henry, D. A.; and Birch, W. D., 'Mineral collections in Australian museums', National Science Museum Monographs, 34 (2006), 1-8. Details
• Henry, Dermot A, 'Who's who in mineral names: William "Bill" David Birch (b. 1949)', Rocks and Minerals, 86 (3) (2011), 273-6. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Sellwood, Lynne; and Birch, William, 'John Lovering AO FAA FTSE March 27, 1930 - January 4, 2023: stellar career in geological science', The Age (2023), 39. Details

Resources

• GSA Victoria, Selwyn Medal, Geological Society of Australia, Victorian Division, 2022. https://www.gsavic.org/awards.html. Details
• 'Birch, William David (19490403-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1772726. Details