Person

Fensham, Peter James (1927 - 2021)

AO FRACI FASSA

Born
26 October 1927
Melbourne, Victora, Australia
Died
23 August 2021
Melbourne, Victora, Australia
Occupation
Environmental educator, Environmental scientist and University Administrator

Summary

Peter Fensham was widely recognised as a leader in science and environmental education within Australia and internationally. In 1967 he was appointed the inaugural Professor of Science Education at Monash University, a position he held for 25 years. Although he did not have formal qualifications in education, his two PhDs (in chemistry and social psychology) led him to advocate for access to science for all students. He believed that science was a tool for social change. In 1975 Fensham represented Australia at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Environmental Workshop, the outcome of which was a proposal for a global framework for environmental education, referred to as The Belgrade Charter. He also headed the Australian delegation to the UNESCO-UNEP Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education, Tbilisi, U.S.S.R. 1977. Fensham was active in educational associations, being a founding member of the Australian Science Education Research Association, and President of the Australian Association for Environmental Education and the Australian Science Teachers' Association The Fensham Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Chemical Education was established by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 2010.

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Details

Chronology

1949?
Education - BSc, University of Melbourne
1952?
Education - PhD, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
1956 - 1967
Career position - Reader in Physical Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1967 - 1992
Career position - Professor of Science Education, Monash University
1970
Career position - Founder, Australian [later Australasian] Science Education Research Association
1972 - 1974
Career position - President, Australian Science Teachers' Association
1975
Career position - Convenor, Education and the Human Environment Seminar, Australian National Commission for UNESCO
1976
Career position - Chair, Study Group on Environmental Education, Curriculum Development Centre (CDC)
1980 - 1982
Career position - Inaugural President, Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE)
1982 - 1988
Career position - Dean, Faculty of Education, Monash University
1983
Award - Nyholm Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom
1984 - 2021
Award - Life Fellow, Australian Association for Environmental Education
1985 - 2021
Award - Fellow, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
1989 - 1993
Career position - Chair, Victorian Environmental Education Council
1992
Life event - Retired
1992 - 2021
Career position - Emeritus Professor, Monash University
1998 - 2002
Career position - Patron, Science Teachers Association of Victoria
2003 - 2010
Career position - Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology
2003 - 2010
Career position - Science Education Ambassador for Queensland

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Edited Books

  • Cross, Roger ed., A vision for science education: responding to the work of Peter Fensham (London: Routledge, 2003), 240 pp. Details

Journal Articles

See also

  • Robson, Alexandra K.; Production Manager and Editor eds, Who's who in Australia 2019 (Southbank, Vic.: AAP Directories, 2018), 1788 pp. Details

Helen Cohn

Created: 31 March 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P008014b.htm

This Edition: 2026 February - 1926 Centenaries
Kooyang - Gariwerd calendar - Late summer: late January to late March - season of eels
Reference: https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/gariwerd-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-kooyang-season-of-eels

Publisher: Swinburne University of Technology.

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