[This document can be acquired from a sub-directory coombspapers via anonymous FTP and/or COOMBSQUEST gopher on the node COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU] The document's ftp filename and the full directory path are given in the coombspapers top level INDEX file] [This version: 29 September 1993] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- **************************************** HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE NEWSLETTER No.31 JULY 1993 **************************************** This newsletter is published three times a year in March, July and November. Contributions of short articles, reports and notices are welcomed. Items for inclusion in this newsletter should be sent to the editor: Tim Sherratt Australian Science Archives Project, Canberra Office GPO Box 783 CANBERRA ACT 2601. Phone: (06) 257 7985 Fax: (06) 257 7986 E-mail: sherratt@coombs.anu.edu.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: 1. NEWS 1.1 Women in Melbourne University Science 1.2 Honours to Historians 1.3 Joan Freeman Honoured 1.4 Ionosonde Information? 1.5 Macleay Museum News 1.6 Friends of the Wellcome Institute 1.7 Altazimuth Instrument Restored 1.8 Historic Instruments in Australian Universities 2. REPORTS 2.1 Banks Conference 2.2 Doodling at AAHPSSS 2.3 Sex/Gender in Techno-Science Worlds 3. FEATURES 3.1 The Great Scientific Memorial Search 3.2 Explorers Stake Their Claim 3.3 Future Directions 4. ASAP Annual Report Summary 5. PUBLICATIONS 6. DATES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. NEWS: 1.1 WOMEN IN MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY SCIENCE 1993 is the centenary of the first woman science graduate at the University of Melbourne. To mark this centenary a special PhD scholarship has been established to promote research into the history of women in Melbourne University science. The scholarship has been awarded to Amaya Jane Alvarez who recently completed a Masters degree in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science on the 'Position of Women Workers in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in the 1930s and 1940s'. Amaya is interested in contacting or hearing from any women who studied or taught at Melbourne University and can provide insights into the experience of 'doing' science at Melbourne. She is particularly interested in the period from the 1930s to the 1970s. Amaya hopes to explore the strategies women adopted so that they could study and work in science, as well as how they felt their work changed, not only in relation to changes in the practice of science, but also in the context of their own life experiences and society in general. She is keen to stress that the women she would be interested in hearing from do not have to be 'high-ranking' scientists, nor still working in science. Amaya can be contacted through the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Melbourne. ********** 1.2 HONOURS TO HISTORIANS! Once again our congratulations go to Ann Moyal who was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday honours list. The award was made to Ann for 'service to science and technology in Australia, particularly through the recording of its history'. Ann's classic work on the history of Australian science, _A Bright and Savage Land_, will soon be republished by Penguin. Congratulations also to Sophie Ducker, editor of _The Contented Botanist - Letters of W.H. Harvey about Australia and the Pacific_ and author of a number of articles on the history of botany, who was recently made a LLD by the University of Melbourne. ********** 1.3 JOAN FREEMAN HONOURED After a distinguished career in physics, Dr Joan Freeman was recently honoured by the award of an Hon. DSc from the University of Sydney. Dr Freeman is a Sydney graduate -- BSc Hons (1939), MSc (1943) -- who spent the years 1941 to 1946 in the CSIR Radiophysics Laboratory, although she subsequently pursued her career in England. Her autobiography, _A Passion for Physics - The Story of a Woman Physicist_, was recently published by Adam Hilger. -- John Jenkin, LaTrobe University ********** 1.4 IONOSONDE INFORMATION? A request for help comes from Norman Heckenberg at the University of Queensland who is cleaning up an 'ionospheric recorder type Y10D/70890/J28A manufactured by C.S.I.R. Radiophysics Laboratory for R.A.A.F.' for display in the Physics Museum there. Norman is seeking information, either background or technical, on this piece of equipment. He writes: 'The ionosonde presumably came from the RAAF or Ionospheric Prediction Service. Someone thought that it dated from 1947, but it predates any living memory. It stands about 2m high, is battleship grey, and has an impressive array of gears and cams to drive variable capacitors to sweep the frequency. I suppose that it was built during the war. It was installed at the Physics Department's field station at Moggill and seems to have been in use for over twenty years'. Any clues?? ********** 1.5 MACLEAY MUSEUM NEWS In order to bring news of its activities to a wider audience, the Macleay Museum has begun publishing its own newsletter, the _Macleay Museum News_. The first edition (March 1993) includes information on new exhibitions, staff notes, 1992 publications, and an 'Object Lesson' delving into the history of a mysterious artefact. For those who don't know, the Macleay Museum is located at the University of Sydney. As the the Acting-Director says in his introductory article, 'the Museum's collections cover natural history, anthropology, scientific instruments and historic photographs... History provides a linking theme between the collections, particularly history of science and Australian history'. _Macleay Museum News_ will appear twice a year in March and September. If you would like to receive it, send your name and address to: Macleay Museum News Macleay Museum University of Sydney NSW 2006 A donation towards the cost of production and distribution of the Newsletter, or for the Museum's work in general, would be very welcome. Donations to the Macleay Museum are tax deductible. ********** 1.6 FRIENDS OF THE WELLCOME INSTITUTE The Friends of the Wellcome Institute was founded in November 1992 and already the membership numbers over 400. The aim of the group is to focus interest on the unusually rich research collections of the Institute Library and on the knowledge and expertise of its academic and library staff in interpreting them. Organizers seek to make this an adventurous, enjoyable, and mind-expanding exercise, with something for everyone. To this end they will hold thematic evenings, private views of the Institute's new series of exhibitions, joint meetings with related societies and institutions, and occasional tours to places of medico-historical interest in Europe and the UK. Special benefits of Friendship will include: * Ready access to the Library * Reduced symposia fees * Reduced subscriptions for Institute journals and publications * Lists of reasonably-priced hotel/hostel accommodation within reach of the Institute. Contact: Jan Pinkerton, Administrative Secretary, Friends of the Wellcome Institute, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. ********** 1.7 ALTAZIMUTH INSTRUMENT RESTORED In March the Land Information Centre in Bathurst held an open day to exhibit to clients its range of high-tech land information systems. The LIC, part of the NSW Department of Conservation and Land Management, set up a field post for the day on nearby Mt Panorama. According to a report in the _Western Advocate_, the height of one of the visitors 'was measured to within two centimetres' accuracy using four satellites orbiting 22,000 kilometres above Earth, and associated technology'. The LIC, while promoting the capacities of its new land information technology, is not neglecting the technology which pioneered the mapping of New South Wales. As part of the renovated foyer of the LIC, a display case has been incorporated in one wall exhibiting a number of early instruments and the lithographic printing block for a parish map. Opposite this is one of the largest and most impressive surveying instruments used in New South Wales during the l9th century. The 18-inch altazimuth instrument was constructed by the famous English firm Troughton & Simms in 1874 for the Trigonometrical Survey of New South Wales. It has one horizontal and two vertical circles of 18-inch diameter, and was used for many years to make highly accurate observations for trigonometrical and geodetic mapping of New South Wales. --Julian Holland ********** 1.8 HISTORIC INSTRUMENTS IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES Where are Australia's historic scientific instruments? The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne have extensive collections. There are some instruments in the National Museum of Australia and the other state museums. There are specialist surveying museums in Brisbane and Adelaide, and anyone who has visited the Lady Denman Heritage Centre in Huskisson on the NSW south coast will have been impressed, if not overwhelmed, by the remarkable display of navigational instruments. Other instruments are in private collections. (See also the notice on the altazimuth instrument on this page.) There are also, however, very significant collections of scientific instruments held in Australia's universities. Most of these instruments were used in the universities and so are closely associated with them in their provenance and context of use. They are also in many cases uncatalogued and at risk. In order to identify the scope of instrument collections held in Australian universities, a preliminary survey has been conducted by Julian Holland, Curator of Scientific Instruments at Sydney University's Macleay Museum. Responses so far indicate that there are more than twenty-five collections containing instruments in universities around the country. These range from the wide array of instruments held by the Museum of the History of Science at the University of New South Wales to the small number of Chinese measuring and weighing devices among the ethnographic collections of the Museum of Tropical Anthropology at James Cook University of North Queensland. There are physics museums at the universities of Adelaide and Queensland, and an important physics collection at Sydney University. Historic surveying instruments are on display at the universities of New South Wales and Melbourne. Sydney University's important collection of surveying instruments was withdrawn from display after several valuable instruments were stolen a decade or so ago. Good collections of microscopes are held by the universities of Queensland (Microscope Division, Kelvin Grove), Melbourne (Medical History Unit) and Sydney (Macleay Museum and Pathology Museum). There are psychology museums at the universities of Sydney and Western Australia. Only the University of Adelaide has published a comprehensive listing of its collections of historic scientific instruments (Runge, 1986). An illustrated catalogue of the Macleay Museum's microscopy collection was published in 1989 and a 'Catalogue for a Display of Calculating Devices' in the Physics Museum at the University of Queensland was issued in 1991. Handlists for some other collections are available. Several collections do not even have elementary manuscript catalogues. Clearly, Australia's universities hold a wide range of instruments representing Australian scientific teaching and research which is not duplicated in the holdings of state and federal museums. Consideration should be given to establishing mechanisms for funding the documentation and management of these collections commensurate with their national importance. Any museums/collections not already covered by the survey, or anyone wishing to make broader comments on the subject, should contact Mr Holland at the address below. Mr Holland has recently been appointed the Scientific Instrument Society's first Australian Representative. The Scientific Instrument Society, based in Britain, has an international membership of curators, dealers, collectors and scientists interested in historic scientific instruments. The Society publishes a very informative illustrated Bulletin four times a year. The role of a Foreign Representative is to promote the activities of the Society and to report instrumental matters to the Society. Anyone wishing to have more information about the Society should write to the address below. Information about exhibitions, publications, talks or other matters relating to historic scientific instruments should also be sent to: Julian Holland, Curator of Scientific Instruments, Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, NSW 2006. ********** -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. REPORTS: 2.1 BANKS CONFERENCE On 22-23 April 1993 an International 250th Anniversary Commemorative Conference entitled 'Sir Joseph Banks: A Global Perspective' was held at the Royal Society in London. The papers presented were: H.B. Carter, 'Sir Joseph Banks and the Royal Society'; M. Crosland, 'An overview of anglo-continental scientific relations c.1780-1820'; B. Jonsell, 'The Swedish connection'; Anna Agnarsdottir, 'Sir Joseph Banks and Iceland'; H. Torrens, 'Patronage and problems: Banks and the earth sciences'; D.M. Knight, 'The application of enlightened philosophy: Banks and the physical sciences'; R. Joppien, 'Sir Joseph Banks and the world of art in Great Britain'; R. Desmond, 'The transformation of the Royal Gardens at Kew'; B. Elliot, 'The promotion of horticulture'; A. Frost, 'The planting of New South Wales: Sir Joseph Banks and the creation of an antipodean Europe'; W. Stanton, 'Banks and the Americas'; G. Metailie, 'Sir Joseph Banks: an Asian policy?'; D. Middleton, 'Banks and African exploration'; G. Williams, 'Sir Joseph Banks: a reassessment'. ********** 2.2 DOODLING AT AAHPSSS The Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Conference was held at La Trobe University from the 10-13 July. I don't know if it was because the conference was being hosted by the Philosophy Department, but there definitely seemed to be more philosophy than history on offer. This was particularly so on the first couple of days when papers on natural laws and suchlike left me with several pages of exotic doodles. (Can anybody interpret doodles?) Were there fewer postgrads giving papers this year? It seemed so to me, perhaps that explains why the overall energy level seemed a bit down (ok, so it might just have been me - I do live in Canberra nowadays). Anyway, I enjoyed Jane Azevedo's discussion of 'A tribal model of science' and not just because of her extensive use of cricket metaphors. Stephen Gaukroger and Michael Shortland teamed up to present a session on scientific biography that was a highlight of the conference. Stephen discussed his work on an intellectual biography of Descartes, while Michael provided a commentary on some of the problems associated with writing biographies and the relationship between biographers and their subjects. The history of Australian science pickings were fairly slim, and for some reason two papers on Australian topics were given the same timeslot! As a result I missed out on Bob Paddle's talk entitled 'Creating scientific innocence from the ashes of extinction' which examined ways in which the extinction of the thylacine has been interpreted by scientists (also on at the same time was Gabriela Stephenson's talk on 'Post World War II changes in biomedical science'). Instead I went to Linden Gillbank's paper 'Contingencies of collections: Charles Walter in East Gippsland' which presented a fascinating piece of detective work whereby Linden decisively proved that Charles Walter #1 (a plant collector) and Charles Walter #2 (a landscape photographer) were one and the same person. Also of interest to HASN readers would have been Brian Mackness and Chris Telford's paper entitled 'Gnashing teeth and kiwi feats: The birth of the science of thegotics' and John Jenkin's look at the Australian physicist and medical researcher Henry Brose, examining in particular his internment during WWII. ********** 2.3 SEX/GENDER IN TECHNO-SCIENCE WORLDS From 26 June to 1 July at the University of Melbourne, a conference entitled 'Sex/Gender in Techno-Science Worlds' was held in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. The conference received support from the Science Faculty as part of the ongoing events being held to mark the centenary of the first woman science graduate. The conference brought together women from all over the world discussing a diverse range of theoretical, practical and political issues, from the gendering of the technology of children's toys, to cybernetics and virtual reality. The conference was structured around the broad themes of the environment, the biomedical sciences, new reproductive technologies, history and historiography of science and technology, technology and work, philosophy of technology, and the construction of science. The conference not only facilitated stimulating discussion about the papers presented and the questions raised, but it also provided a forum for women working, writing and teaching in a range of areas to meet and interact. Hence the 'informal' side of the conference was rich in intellectual and social possibilities. This was one of the memorable aspects of the conference -- to meet so many different women and hear about their work. The conference organisers should be congratulated not only on the smooth running of the conference but also on the obvious thought, energy and imagination that went into designing such a challenging and enjoyable event. From the conference dinner to the responses and interest expressed in the formal sessions, the conference left many participants not only invigorated by the ideas and research presented, but also invigorated by the opportunity to attend a conference with such a feeling of energy, commitment and support amongst women. --Amaya Alvarez, University of Melbourne Some papers presented at the Sex/Gender in Techno-Science Worlds Conference: Ann Moyal, 'Women in Science in Australia'; Nessy Allen, 'Success Despite Discrimination: An Australian Woman in Chemistry'; Linden Gillbank, 'WWII and Women in Australian Science'; Amaya Jane Alvarez, 'The CSIR and Womens Employment Board: Salaries, female assistants and the structure of scientific work'. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. FEATURES: 3.1 THE GREAT SCIENTIFIC MEMORIAL SEARCH! The Great Scientific Memorial Competition is well underway! As you can see from these following few pages there is no shortage of sites commemorating scientific achievement in Australasia, though at present the field is dominated by medical scientists and explorers. Why? Is it because the public can identify more with their activities? I suppose memorials to explorers help towns or communities to give their surroundings some historical meaning, but what about the medicos? I await your comments. First off the mark was an anonymous correspondent from the Australian War Memorial who used the Victorian Memorials Database, compiled by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, to come up with several candidates. I think this is probably cheating, nonetheless, I will record that the list included memorials to Ferdy von Mueller (of course), Daniel Sullivan (hint - look in the Grampians), William Farrer (yep another one - in Minyip this time), and Georg Balthasar von Neumayer (Flagstaff Gardens). My favourite, though, was a memorial plaque and tree dedicated to the physicist Harrie Massey at the Hoddle Creek Primary School which he attended from 1913-17. The memorial aims 'to perpetuate his affinity with the people of Hoddle's Creek and in particular Primary School no. 2541'. (Somebody please send me a photograph!) Frank Fenner provided the most prestigious entry so far, the Florey Stone in Westminster Abbey (see photograph). This is positioned in the Nave close to the grave of William Herschel, and was unveiled in 1981. The stone itself is of South Australian marble, a gift of the government and people of South Australia. Frank Fenner himself gave the address at the unveiling of the stone, opening with the words: 'We have gathered here today to commemorate, in a way that is uniquely English, a man who was born and educated in Australia, lived in England for all of his working life and by his scientific work improved the health of men women and children all over the world.' In the interests of a totally fair competition I am prepared to travel to Westminster Abbey to inspect this memorial (return air-tickets gratefully accepted). Frank Fenner also provided details of a memorial to Neil Hamilton Fairley and those who served with him in the Land Headquarters Medical Research Unit. Their work on malaria saved many lives in the latter years of WWII. The memorial, a rough granite block with a black plaque, stands on a corner of the North Cairns sports reserve. An impressive entry came from Garry Tee who sent me an eight-page article describing memorials in the Pacific region. The first half of this article is printed overleaf (the remainder will be in the next HASN). I was particularly taken by the Charles Darwin Reception Room and hope that HASN readers will be inspired to organise a history of Australian science related gathering there. I can see it now -- SYMPOSIUM ON CHARLES DARWIN'S RECEPTION IN AUSTRALIA To be held in the CHARLES DARWIN RECEPTION ROOM. Greatly appreciated was the entry from John Pearn who sent me a copy of the book _The Bancroft Tradition_. No, it wasn't a bribe because it includes a chapter by John entitled 'The Bancroft Memorials'. This provides a comprehensive listing of all manner of memorials to Joseph Bancroft, a Brisbane doctor who was the first to suggest that human disease might be transmitted by an insect, and his son Thomas Lane Bancroft, particularly known for his study of the lung fish. As John says: 'You will see that the Bancrofts, father and son, are I believe the most "memorialised" of all Australian scientists, with several hundred memorials to their name including a cairn, a park, streets, an aquarium, prizes, a building, a medal, a township, an oration, and the names of dozens of trees, plants, mosquitoes, insects, nematodes and other creatures.' Even leaving aside the plant and animal species (which open another can of nematodes altogether), it's still pretty hard to argue with John's assessment. And yes, the aquarium contains lung fish! There's still plenty of time left to get your entries into the competition (there's no official closing date, I'll keep it going for as long as I continue to receive interesting copy!) The Bancroft township and street names made me think that some enterprising Canberra resident might like to compile a list of streets and suburbs named after scientists in the ACT. How about it? Or perhaps you have some other cairn, plinth, boulder, park bench or water fountain in mind? Remember to send photographs if you can! ********** 3.2 EXPLORERS STAKE THEIR CLAIM In the Editor's appeal (March 1993) for information about scientific memorials, he declared that `in general I don't think that explorers count ... but feel free to argue a case to the contrary'. I feel free to argue a strong case to the contrary for Captain James Cook, who was deeply involved with science, especially with astronomical observations and with celestial navigation. The numerous memorials to Cook include some which emphasise scientific activities.(1) The ostensible purpose of Cook's first expedition was to observe the Transit of Venus from Tahiti on 3 June 1769. Lieutenant James Cook erected a monument in the form of a cylinder of coral rock, about 1.5m high, at the observing site which he named as Point Venus. The base for that cylinder now bears a bronze plaque, with the inscription: THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED BY CAPTAIN JAMES COOK TO COMMEMORATE THE OBSERVATION OF THE TRANSIT OF VENUS, JUNE 3rd 1769 WAS RESTORED AND FENCED AROUND BY THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION AT TAHITI AND THIS PLATE WAS PLACED HERE BY THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY IN 1901 The line of text `BY THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION AT TAHITI' was clearly inserted after the plaque had been cast. On 1769 November 5, Cook anchored HMB Endeavour in Whitianga Harbour in New Zealand. He decided to stay there to observe a Transit of Mercury on November 10 in order to check his longitudes, and accordingly he named the site as Mercury Bay. In March 1954 a cairn was erected at Shakespeare Cliff in Mercury Bay,(2) with a plaque declaring that: IN THIS BAY WAS ANCHORED 5-15 NOVEMBER 1769 H.M.S. ENDEAVOUR, LIEUTENANT JAMES COOK R.N., COMMANDER HE OBSERVED THE TRANSIT OF MERCURY AND NAMED THE BAY. Subsequently, J. C. Beaglehole (editor and biographer of James Cook) identified the actual site of Cook's observatory at Cook Bay within Mercury Bay; and on the 200th anniversary of Cook's observation of the Transit of Mercury a plaque was unveiled there,(3) announcing that: MERCURY BAY NEAR THIS SPOT ON 10 NOVEMBER 1769 JAMES COOK AND CHARLES GREEN OBSERVED THE TRANSIT OF MERCURY TO DETERMINE THE LONGITUDE OF THE BAY. On Captain Cook's second expedition, he anchored at Dusky Bay in southwest New Zealand from 27 March to 11 May 1773. The crew cut down some trees to clear a site for an observatory, where William Wales made very careful observations of latitude, longitude and tides. In that prodigiously wet climate, wood does not decay rapidly, and the moss-covered stumps of those trees still show the axe-marks which form a memorial to Cook.(4) Numerous memorials commemorate Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander, the botanists on Cook's first expedition. At Cook's Cove in Tolaga Bay, a plaque was unveiled in 1966,(5) with the inscription: COOK'S COVE HERE CAPTAIN COOK'S 'ENDEAVOUR' GOT WOOD AND WATER. JOSEPH BANKS AND DANIEL SOLANDER COLLECTED PLANTS 23-29 OCTOBER 1769. An islet south of the South Island of NZ was named Solander Island by Cook, and later it became renowned as a rendezvous for sealing and whaling vessels. On 26 November 1983 a noticeboard was unveiled at Pahia, explaining that the islet which can be seen from there (on a clear day) was named after the botanist Dr Daniel Solander (1733-1782), who was born at Pitea in northern Sweden. Lieutenant James Cook initially named his first landfall in Australia as Stingray Harbour, then changed it to Botany Harbour and finally to Botany Bay, in honour of the many botanical specimens collected there by Banks and Solander. He named the northern headland as Cape Banks and the southern headland as Point Solander. The Swedish dramatist August Strindberg wrote in 1907 to the Swedish Consul in Sydney that "Solander was a great man and deserves a stone at the Cape". In August 1914 a group of Swedes arranged for a large monument in Swedish granite to be erected at Cape Solander, with the inscription: This is erected in memory of Daniel Carl Solander who together with Capt James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks landed in Australia in April 1770. On 31 March 1982 the Solander Garden within Sydney Botanical Garden was opened, with a bronze bust of Solander by Tora Ceder being unveiled there. The 250th anniversary of Solander's birth was celebrated in 1983 by conferences at his birthplace Pitea and at the British Museum (Natural History), with bronze busts of Solander being mounted at both places. Another bronze bust of Solander was unveiled at the University of Auckland in 1986.(6) Several portrait busts of Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) are kept in England, and Francis Chantrey's full-length statue depicting Banks seated at the age of 70 is exhibited at the British Museum (Natural History).(7) A fine bronze bust of Banks is mounted in the garden of the Herbarium at Canberra. Charles Darwin rode from Sydney to Bathurst and back, in the fierce heat of January 1836. He stayed at the Weatherboard Inn near Wentworth Falls on the night of 17 January, and from 22-26 January on his return journey. A Mediterranean green oak (_Quercus ilex_) was planted on the site of the Inn in January 1936 to commemorate the centenary of Darwin's visit. A 2km walking track to Wentworth Falls was opened in 1986 and named as the Charles Darwin Walk, and on 18 January 1986 a plaque was erected on a rock beside Jamison Creek as part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Darwin's visit to Wentworth Falls.(8) On 18 January Darwin rode to Blackheath, where he stayed at the Scotch Thistle Inn. The building now occupying that site is Gardner's Inn, which features THE CHARLES DARWIN RECEPTION ROOM.(9) At Bathurst on 1949 November 13, a plaque was unveiled in Machattie Park:(10) THIS CITY WAS THE OBJECTIVE AND TERMINAL POINT OF THE ONLY INLAND JOURNEY IN AUSTRALIA MADE BY CHARLES DARWIN IN JANUARY 1836 FOOTNOTES: 1 Frances Porter, _A Sense of History: A Commemorative Publication for John Cawte Beaglehole, O.M., About James Cooks Landing Sites in New Zealand_, Government Printer, Wellington, 1978 2 Porter, p. 32 3 Porter, p. 73 4 A. Charles Begg & Neil C. Begg, _Dusky Bay_, Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch, 1966, p. 135 and Plate 4 5 Porter 6 Per Tingbrand, Daniel Solander and the Pacific, _Journal of the New Zealand Federation of Historical Societies_, vol. 2, no. 5, September 1987, pp. 6-14 7 Harold B. Carter, _Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820): A Guide to Biographical and Bibliographical Sources_, St Pauls Bibliographies, Winchester, 1987, pp. 310-311 8 F.W. & J.M. Nicholas, _Charles Darwin in Australia_, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989, pp. 34-37 9 Nicholas & Nicholas, pp. 38-39 10 Nicholas & Nicholas, p. 57 --Garry J. Tee, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Auckland ********** 3.3 FUTURE DIRECTIONS You will remember that in the last HASN Rod Home reflected on possible future directions for the history of Australian science, prompting me to ask if anybody else had some thoughts on what areas needed looking at. A. J. Hosking has responded with a number of interesting suggestions which are printed below. I'm pleased to say that ASAP is already tackling some of these areas - such as compiling a national database and preparing educational resources - but there's still a lot to do! I would be interested to receive any further ideas along these lines, or indeed to hear of initiatives undertaken in any such areas. ********** AUSTRALIAN SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE Basically, I believe that the directions and priorities virtually 'pick themselves'. While human and financial resources inevitably will be less than ideal for the tasks, I'm sure that an adequate job can and will be done through many volunteers working within a nationally oriented but decentralised, networked system built upon coordination and cooperation. The fundamental tasks, I believe, are: 1) Curating and archiving the key items in the history of Australian science in repositories around the nation; libraries, museums (general and specialised), universities, major companies and professional societies should have major roles in these activities; tendencies to centralised, 'under one roof' approaches should be resisted; 2) Doing justice to the 'great people' and 'great ideas' in Australian science though the use of both permanent and temporary displays in appropriate locations; 3) Compiling and maintaining of a national database of heritage items ('who's got what where?') which can be accessed by computer; 4) Preparation of educational/promotional resources to ensure that public and student awareness of science history is as high as possible (through use of videos, photographs, posters, audiotapes, computer products etc); 5) Coordination and cooperation with museums to ensure that frequent lending or exchanging of heritage items occurs between major centres and that roadshows are routinely available to take heritage to the backblocks; 6) Establishment of science heritage tracks for tourists to give an added dimension to the current push for cultural/educational tourism rather than 'hedonistic' tourism; the assistance of local historical associations should be sought for this initiative; 7) Compiling and maintaining of a national database of theses on science heritage in Australian universities which can be accessed by computer. -- A.J. Hosking -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. ASAP - THE REAL STORY Conscientious readers of HASN will, no doubt, have a pretty good idea of what ASAP has been up to over the past year. There was the 'Recovering Science' conference, the opening of our Canberra Office, the 'Australia's Scientific Heritage' exhibition, the publication of the _Guide to the Records of E.S. Hills_, and the launch of our Supporters' Fund (no it's not too late to get your donation in!!!). These were the highlights, but behind the cocktail parties and photo-opportunities, ASAP staff have continued to grind away at the mammoth task of preserving our scientific heritage. For a full catalogue of ASAP's herculean labours on your behalf contact the ASAP Melbourne Office for a copy of the Annual Report 1992/3. Otherwise you'll have to be content with the sanitised MFN (modified for newsletter) version that follows. ********** ASAP ANNUAL REPORT 1992-1993 INTRODUCTION The last twelve months have been particularly productive for the ASAP but a number of events are notable and indicate clear directions open to us for the further development and security of the Project. With the continuation of Mechanism C funding for 1993, the plan to open a second project office, in Canberra, was able to go ahead. In January 1993, the second full-time archivist from our Melbourne office, Tim Sherratt, moved to Canberra to establish the office in the Becker Building of the Australian Academy of Science. A former President of the Academy, Dr Lloyd Evans FRS, FAA, became the Project's Regional Director in Canberra. The Canberra office was officially opened on 27 March 1993 by the current President of the Academy, Professor David Craig. The first steps have been taken towards the opening of the proposed Sydney Office in 1994, with the identification of Dr D.P. Miller as the Project's Regional Director in Sydney and the University of New South Wales as its institutional base there. At the conclusion of the December 1992 meeting of the Project's Advisory Board, the Board formally dissolved itself and was replaced by a reconstituted National Advisory Board including representatives of the Project's four nationally-based Facilitating Institutions, as well as representatives of the scientific, historical, archival and business worlds. FUNDING The Mechanism C grant from DEET, which was only 67% of proposed budget, has contributed towards the employment of the Chief Archivist in Melbourne and the Senior Archivist in Canberra. The short-fall in the funding required to set up the Canberra Office was partially met by a grant from the Ian Potter Foundation. An application for the continuation of the DEET funding for 1994 to enable the establishment of a Sydney Office has been submitted. The Supporters' Fund was launched at the opening of the Canberra Office and the first annual appeal was sent to all recipients of the History of Australian Science Newsletter in April. The response, while coming from few in number, has so far raised over $7,000. These funds have been placed in a Trust Fund and form the beginnings of a capital fund which it is proposed will be used to enable the annual re-employment of ASAP staff and to act as a buffer while further funding for their salaries is sought from projects. MELBOURNE OFFICE PROJECTS Work on a number of archival collections is finished or nearing completion. Published Guides to these collections are currently being prepared, and are expected to be available by the end of 1993. These include the records of: F.M. Burnet, L.P. Coombes, A.L.G. Rees, P.C. Morrison and D.W. Goode. Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens: The detailed appraisal report of the survey of the records of the Zoo, comprising some 265 pages, was submitted in March 1993. Earlier, in January, a separate register of the artworks held by the Zoo was submitted. Further work needs to be carried out on the various collections held at the Zoo to prepare them for transfer to the Public Record Office of Victoria or the La Trobe Library as required. Some of the records form part of the A.D. Butcher personal records collection which is mentioned below. Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture, Burnley Campus: The past year has seen the cataloguing and classification of over seven hundred items in a rapidly growing and diverse archival collection. The transference of the manual records on to computer has facilitated speedy identification for research and other purposes. The project is staffed mainly by volunteers who have been ably assisted by Tom Kneen and Eric Littlejohn (past principals of the College) in the identification of the more obscure material. They have also provided invaluable historical information on post-war education at the College. Elizabeth Hill, the longest serving volunteer, recently attended a conservation workshop on storage and preservation organised by Zetta Florence. Her new skills and knowledge have been of great assistance in the day-to-day handling of the collection. A.D. Butcher: A significant collection of about 10 linear metres of well ordered records was transferred to the ASAP office in late May 1993. Alf Butcher was Chairman of the Zoological Board of Victoria for many years and was Deputy Director of Conservation in Victoria 1973-78. Prior to that he had been Director of Fisheries and Wildlife 1949-73. Some records that belong with this collection were also located at the Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens during the recent survey held there. A substantial portion of the records have been surveyed and re-boxed by the archive studies students Helen Spry and David Fowler. Helen is returning to continue work on the collection as a further assignment for her course. The records will eventually be transferred to the La Trobe Library, State Library of Victoria. State Electricity Commission of Victoria, Photograph Collection: The ASAP joined with the Public Record Office of Victoria and ScienceWorks museum to survey, re-house and prepare this substantial collection of over 100,000 images, both negatives and prints, for eventual transfer to the Laverton repository of the PROV. However, before the transfer is made ScienceWorks will select approximately 5,000 images for their image database system. This will greatly improve access to the collection as users will be able to view the images on-screen and get a good idea of the range available before they request copies. The work was undertaken at ScienceWorks in Spotswood using a most successful combination of ASAP and PROV staff. The ASAP will eventually publish a brief guide to the collection. Royal Australian Chemical Institute: The RACI transferred its headquarters from Ian Clunies Ross House to new premises in North Melbourne early in 1993 and in the process prepared another large accession of records for the RACI archive collection at the University of Melbourne Archives. In the course of listing these, it is planned to convert all the earlier guides and lists of the various accessions from wordprocessing to database format. This will make it much easier to control the growth and development of the collection and produce new editions of the guide as required. Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture, Dookie Campus: A workshop was held in May to train members of the Dookie staff and Dookie Campus Association members in using the ASAP survey system so as to gain documentary control over the collection. Lisa O'Sullivan and Gavan McCarthy led the workshop and much was achieved by the team. The data has since been entered into a database and a report produced. Staff at Dookie will continue the survey and data entry but will liaise with ASAP as the project unfolds. Nicholas Aspro Pharmaceutical Group: In February the Chief Archivist led a team of assistant archivists at Roche Products Pty Ltd in Dee Why, NSW, to survey and re-house the historical records of the various Nicholas companies that had been involved in the production of ASPRO since it was first manufactured. The collection is being held by Roche in Sydney until a decision is made as to its final archival home. The success of ASPRO was a combination of the quality of the product and the power of its marketing. This collection documents the marketing aspect in graphic detail and includes a large set of radio and television advertisements from the late 1950s to the 1970s. Feasibility Study into the Production of a Guide to the Records of Science and Technology held by Australian Archives: The Chief Archivist has been investigating the technical aspects of data communication between the Australian Archives database and the ASAP database system. A number of trials have been successfully completed involving a small amount of programming at each end. This ability to transfer data will form the cornerstone of the project which now should proceed apace. The data will eventually be added to the ASAP national register (RASA) but there will have to be some modification to various data elements in RASA to smooth the transfer. A full report on the feasibility study should be submitted shortly. CANBERRA OFFICE PROJECTS E.W. Titterton: Material from this collection was returned to the Basser Library with the opening of the Canberra Office. Anne-Marie Conde continued the work she had begun in Melbourne and completed listing and indexing Series 1 before she left ASAP. The database listing system being used for this collection is proving very satisfactory. The draft guide produced from the work completed thus far was recently used by a researcher preparing a history of the ANU. Listing will recommence in the near future. Peter Mason: ASAP has held the papers of the physicist and science broadcaster Peter Mason for some years, having been unable to raise the necessary funds to allow detailed listing. This collection has been transferred to Canberra and new applications for funding have been prepared in the hope of ensuring that this interesting collection is properly documented. Phyllis M. Rountree: Ann Moyal put the ASAP Canberra Office in touch with microbiologist Phyllis Rountree, who was seeking advice on what to do with her personal papers. The Senior Archivist visited her in Sydney and inspected the collection which, while not large, is likely to be of considerable significance to researchers in the history of medical science in Australia. Funding is currently being sought for ASAP to work on this collection which will be deposited with the Mitchell Library. Australian Scientists Multimedia CD: Work on the 'Australia's Scientific Heritage' exhibition revealed a clear need for educational resource material on the history of Australian science. After discussions with the Australian Academy of Science it was decided to investigate the possibility of producing a multimedia CD-ROM for use in schools and libraries. This resource package would include RASA, a bibliography of publications on the history of Australian science, and interactive multimedia stories highlighting particular individuals or events. ASAP will work with the Australian Foundation for Science in the development of this product. Discussions have also been held with a number of science educators and multimedia developers. As a first step, students from the University of Canberra Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering are developing a demonstration model of the program as a project in multimedia technology. Work will begin on this in July 1993 and will continue for seven weeks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. PUBLICATIONS: RAGBIR BHATHAL, _AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMER - THE LIFE AND WORLD OF JOHN TEBBUTT_, KANGAROO PRESS, KENSHURST (NSW), 1993, 80PP, ILLUS., $19.95. John Tebbutt, the man on the Australian $100 note, was Australia's most famous nineteenth century astronomer and discoverer of two of that century's great comets (1861 and 1881). Starting his astronomical career with an ordinary sextant and a small marine telescope, he went on to establish single-handedly a privately run observatory which rivalled, in terms of quality and quantity of research papers, the much larger state-run observatories. This book is the first on the life and scientific work of John Tebbutt and traces the remarkable career of this gentleman astronomer. It highlights his scientific achievements, his squabbles with other astronomers, his role in the formation of the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association and his views on education, science and religion in a frontier society. It is a fascinating and exciting account of an amateur astronomer who was the equal of the world's professionals and who showed his countrymen that there was a place in Australia for a 'life of the mind'. --(From publisher's publicity notes.) ********** _HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE_, VOL. 9, NO. 3, 1992. The latest edition of HRAS has recently been published. As usual it contains several historical articles and biographical memoirs, as well as book reviews and the latest addition to the Bibliography of the History of Australian Science. Articles include: Ian D. Rae and C.L.H. Stonyer, 'New Zealand Chemists in Australia's Munitions Industry in the Second World War'; Alison M. Turtle, 'The Development of Institutionalized Psychology in Australia between the Wars: Bibliographical Compendium and Commentary'; L.C. Birch and T.O. Browning, 'Herbert George Andrewartha, 1907-1992'; H.B. Harrison and H.G. Poulos, 'Jack William Roderick, 1913 1990'; David H. Ashton and Sophie C. Ducker, 'John Stewart Turner, 1908-1991'. For subscription details contact the Australian Academy of Science, GPO Box 783, Canberra ACT 2601. ********** DICK GILLING, _A QUANTUM OF AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE_, ALLEN & UNWIN, ST LEONARDS, NSW, 1993, XV + 184PP, ILLUS., $19.95. This is basically a 'best of' book, providing a selection of stories covered by the ABC's science program 'Quantum'. However, the stories themselves have been rewritten to suit the published format and they are divided into thematic sections. Each section is introduced by a brief historical survey of the relevant field providing quite a nice introduction to the history of Australian science for the general reader. ********** MARGARET MCPHEE, _THE DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALIAN INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES_, ALLEN & UNWIN, ST LEONARDS, NSW, 1993, X + 165PP., ILLUS., $19.95. More than just Victa mowers and Hills hoists this is a useful reference work that includes information on a number of major scientific figures such as William Henry Bragg, Macfarlane Burnet, Joseph Bancroft, Howard Florey and Richard Threlfall. The Plastic Banknote's there of course, as well as the utility, kelpies, dung beetles and the dry wheat pickler. Lots of fun to browse! ********** ANZAAS - FOR SALE! Copies of Roy MacLeod's _The Commonwealth of Science: ANZAAS and the Scientific Enterprise in Australasia, 1888-1988_ (Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1988) -- one of the more enduring by-products of the Bicentennial Year -- are now available to recipients of the _History of Australian Science Newsletter_ at the BARGAIN price of $10 plus postage. Teachers should note: this price should bring it within the range of school and student use. If interested, please write, indicating number of copies desired, to Professor Roy MacLeod, Department of History, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 (Fax: (02) 692 3918). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. DATES: 17 AUGUST 1993: MANNIX COLLEGE HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES. Doug McCann (University of Melbourne) speaking on 'The origins and growth of fundamental genetics in Australia'. At 8.15pm in the Senior Common Room, Mannix College, Wellington Road, Clayton. For further details phone (03) 544 8896. ********** 22-29 AUGUST 1993: XIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF HISTORY OF SCIENCE. To be held at Zaragosa, Spain. As usual, the Congress will consist of Symposia which will address themes of special interest, Scientific Sections devoted to the various branches and periods of the history of science and technology as well as Poster Sessions. Official languages of the Congress will be English, French and Spanish. ********** 24 AUGUST 1993: MANNIX COLLEGE HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES. Linden Gillbank (University of Melbourne) speaking on 'A woman in a man's world: Maisie Fawcett's ecological investigations of the effect of cattle on the Bogong High Plains in the 1940s'. At 8.15pm in the Senior Common Room, Mannix College, Wellington Road, Clayton. For further details phone (03) 544 8896. ********** 31 AUGUST 1993: MANNIX COLLEGE HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES. John Spink (University of Melbourne) speaking on 'Anatomy of a wartime CSIR laboratory'. At 8.15pm in the Senior Common Room, Mannix College, Wellington Road, Clayton. For further details phone (03) 544 8896. ********** 11 SEPTEMBER 1993: COLONIAL SCIENCE CLUB. Astronomy excursion to John Tebbutt's observatory, Windsor, 6.30-8.30pm. Visit will include a tour of the buildings, some historical background and observation of the heavens. Cost: $8 adults, $5 children. Contact: Jan Todd on (02) 524 7600. ********** 15 SEPTEMBER 1993: SA HISTORY OF SCIENCE, IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGY GROUP. Mike Tyler (University of Adelaide) speaking on 'The history of the use of frogs in medicine: Medical Herpetology'. Frogs have played a major role in medicine, both directly as sources of medicinal compounds, and as a subject of physiological experiments following the development of galvanism. The earliest records of frogs as drugs (particularly as tonics and balms) is at least 3000 years ago in China. However, the Incas licked and smoked toad skin to obtain hallucinogenic effects. This talk reviews the historical diversity of medical use and some of the modern developments. At 7.45pm for 8.00pm in the Royal Society Rooms, off Kintore Avenue, Adelaide. Mike Tyler is a much sought-after speaker and a great raconteur. Supper will be provided. Please contact: Pauline Payne on (08) 269 6879 or Gael Phillips on (08) 297 9297 AH. ********** 29 SEPTEMBER - 1 OCTOBER 1993: THE SHAPING OF INSTITUTIONS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES - THE AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 1993 CONFERENCE. Themes addressed by plenary papers and panel discussions include: cultural institutions; the institutions of gender and population; the construction of political language in the 19th century; religious institutions; the writing of the history of urban institutions. To be held in the Coombes Lecture Theatre, Australian National University. Contact: Helen Macnab, c/- History program, RSSS, ANU. Ph: (06) 249 3053 Fax: (06) 249 3969. ********** 15 NOVEMBER 1993: COLONIAL SCIENCE CLUB. Lindsay Bryant speaking on 'The history of wood chipping at Eden'. At History House, 133 Macquarie Street Sydney, 6.00pm. Contact: Jan Todd on (02) 524 7600. ********** 4-8 JULY 1994: HISTORY OF THE GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES IN THE PACIFIC REGION - THE 19TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE HISTORY OF THE GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES. The symposium program will have as its principal theme the development of the geological sciences in Australasia and the Pacific region, though papers dealing with other aspects of earth science and mining history will be welcome. Sessions will be held in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Sydney. Deadline for abstracts and preliminary registration is the 23 December 1993. Contact: 19th INHIGEO Symposium, c/o Earth Resources Foundation, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006. Phone: (02) 552 6136 Fax: (02) 552 6058. ********** 26-30 SEPTEMBER 1994: HISTORY '94 - SEVENTH BIENNIAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. This conference will mark the 21st anniversary of the founding of AHA at the 1973 ANZAAS Conference in Perth. A wide range of historical themes will be explored, but papers are especially sought in the following areas: monarchies and republics in history; indigenous peoples and their histories; migration and ethnicity; bodies and identities; cultural heritage studies; spatial history; public history issues; teaching issues; and challenges to history - theory and method. Contact: Jenny Gregory, History '94 Conference Convener, Department of History, University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009. Ph: (09) 380 2143/3404 Fax: (09) 380 1069 E-mail: jag@uniwa.uwa.edu.au. ********** 2-9 JULY 1995: 'MUTINY AND MEDICINE' - AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH. To be held on Norfolk Island - experience the conference and holiday of a lifetime! Conference themes include: convict health and medicine; the history of penal systems and medical aspects of incarceration; military and garrison medicine and health; maritime medical history. The conference organisers require early expressions of interest so contact: Dr John Thearle, Australian Society for the History of Medicine, Department of Child Health, Mater Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4101. Ph: (07) 840 8935 Fax: (07) 844 9069. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- end of file