Oldroyd, David Roger (1936 - 2014)

Summary

David Oldroyd was an historian of science whose expertise in the history of geology was recognised world-wide. He taught in schools in the United Kingdom and New Zealand before coming to Australia to join the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of New South Wales. Oldroyd was a prolific writer and book reviewer in his field, and was editor or served on the editorial board of a number of journals. He was active in Australian and international history of science societies.

Details

Chronology

1958

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), Cambridge

1962

Life event - Migrated to New Zealand

1966 - 1969

Career position - Chemistry Master, Christ's College, Christchurch, New Zealand

1969

Life event - Moved to Australia

1969 - 1976

Career position - Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales

1974

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of New South Wales?

1975 - 1981

Career position - Member, National Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science, Australian Academy of Science

1976 - 1985

Career position - Senior Lecturer, History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales

1984 - 1985

Career position - Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Concordia University, Montreal

1986 - 1991

Career position - Associate Professor, History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales

1990 - 1994

Career position - Member, National Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science, Australian Academy of Science

1990 - 2014

Career position - Member, History of Earth Sciences Society

1993 - 1995

Career position - President, Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science

1993 - 2014

Career position - Fellow, Geological Society, London

1994

Award - Sue Tyler Friedman Medal for the History of Geology, Geological Society of London

1994 - 2014

Career position - Fellow, Australian Academy of Humanities

1995

Career position - Professor, School of Science and Technical Studies, University of New South Wales

1996

Life event - Retired

1996 - 2004

Career position - Secretary-General, International Commission for the History of Geological Sciences

1996 - 2014

Career position - Honorary Professor, School of History and Philosophy, University of New South Wales

1999

Award - History of Geology Award, Geological Society of America

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of the history of science

2004 - 2014

Career position - Vice-President, International Commission for the History of Geological Sciences

2008 - 2013

Career position - Editor, Earth Sciences History

2008 - 2014

Career position - Member, International Academy for the History of Science

2014

Award - Vallance Medal, Earth Sciences History Group, Geological Society of Australia

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Oldroyd, D., 'In the Footsteps of Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792-1855): Soldier, Surveyor, Explorer, Geologist, and Probably the First Person to Compile Geological Maps in Australia' in Four Centuries of Geological Travel: the Search for Knowledge on Foot, Bicycle, Sledge and Camel, Wyse-Jackson, P. N., ed. (London: Geological Society, 2007), pp. 343-373. Details
• Oldroyd, David, 'A Brief History of the Sapphire Industry in Queensland' in History of Mineral Resources, Ortiz,J. E. Et al., ed. (Madrid: Publicaciones del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, 2011), pp. 155-66. Details
• Oldroyd, David R., 'Griffith Taylor, Ernest Andrews et al: Early Ideas on the Development of the River Systems of the Sydney Region, Eastern Australia, and Subsequent Ideas on the Associated Geomorphological Problems' in History of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology, Grapes, R. H., Oldroyd, D. R. and Grigelis, A., eds (London: Geological Society, 2008), pp. 241-77. Details
• Turner, Susan and Oldroyd, David, 'Reg Sprigg and the Discovery of the Ediacara Fauna in South Australia: Its Approach to the High Table Modern Paleontology' in The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology, Sepkoski, David and Ruse, Michael, eds (Chicago & London: University of Chicago, 2009), pp. 254-78. Details

Conference Papers

• Oldroyd, D. R., 'Griffith Taylor and his Views on Race, Environment and Settlement and the Peopling of Australia', in Useful and Curious Geological Enquiries Beyond the World: Pacific-Asia Historical Themes: The 19th International INHIGEO Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 4-8 July, 1994 edited by D. F. Branagan and G. H. McNally (Sydney: International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences, 1994), pp. 251-274.. Details

Edited Books

• Grapes, R. H.; Oldroyd, D. R.; and Grigelis, A. eds, History of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology (London: Geological Society, 2008), 344 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'The Tom Vallence Medal [presented to David Oldroyd]', Newsletter, Earth Sciences History Group, 44 (2013), 3-5. Details
• Boschiero, Luciano and Wray, K. Brad, 'David Oldroyd 1936-2014', Metascience, 24 (1) (2015), 1-2, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11016-015-9985-0. Details
• Branagan, David, 'David Oldroyd (1936-2014)', Earth Sciences History, 34 (1) (2015), 152-4. Details
• Grigelis, Algimantas, 'David Oldroyd - outstanding historian of geological sciences', Geologijos Akiračiai/Geological Horizons, 1 (2015), 25-32. Details
• Grigelis, Algimantas, 'David Oldroyd - outstanding historian of geological sciences', Geologijos Akiraciai/Geological Horizons, 1 (2015), 25-32. Details
• Grigelis, Algimantas, 'Memories of Professor David Oldroyd (1936 - 2014)', INHIGEO Annual Record, 48 (2016), 35-43. Details
• Jiuchen Zhang, 'IHHIGEO and the research on the history of geology: an interview with David Oldroyd, Oslo, Norway, 7-8 August 2008', INHIGEO newsletter, 41 (2009), 25-37. Details
• Oldroyd, David, 'A Priori and a Posteriori Geological Mapping: the Geological Maps of the World by Ami Boué (1843) and Jules Marcou (1861) - the Australasian aspects', Earth Sciences History, 33 (2014), 227-58. Details
• Zhang, Jiuchen, 'INHIGEO and the research on the history of geology: an interview with David Oldroyd, Oslo, Norway, 7-8 August 2008', INHIGEO Newsletter, 41 (2008) (2009), 25-37. Details

Resources

• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/78769685. Details
• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q14828017. Details
• Geological Society of Australia, Australian geology hall of fame, Earth Sciences History Group, Geological Society of Australia, 2022. https://www.gsa.org.au/Public/Public/Specialist_Groups/ESHG_Sub_Pages/ESHG_Biographies.aspx?hkey=1bfc25ca-efd5-4f91-9536-dabf175139ce. Details
• Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-474522. Details

Reviews

• Clarke, W. B. (edited by Ann Moyal), The Web of Science: the Scientific Correspondence of the Rev. W. B. Clarke, Australia's Pioneer Geologist (2003)
  Oldroyd, David, Australian Book Review, 263 (August), (2004), 47-48. Details
• Johnston, Mike R., Mettle and Mines: the Life and Times of a Colonial Geologist Edward Heydelbach Davis (1845-71) (2007)
  Oldroyd, David, 'A Pioneer of (Mining) Geology in New Zealand', INHIGEO Newsletter, 40, (2009), 47-50. Details
• Johnston, Mike and Nolden, Sascha, Travels of Hochstetter and Haast in New Zealand, 1858-60 (2011)
  Oldroyd, David, Episodes (International Union of Geological Sciences), 34, (2011), 282-4. Details