Biographical entry Robertson, Rutherford Ness (1913 - 2001)

Summary

(Sir) Rutherford Robertson was Director of the School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University 1973-1978. Earlier he was Professor of Botany, University of Adelaide 1960-1969, and was President of ANZAAS in 1965 and of the Australian Academy of Science 1970-1974. He is commemorated by the Robertson Symposia and the Robertson Theatre at the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University.

Details

Events

1934

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Sydney

1934

Career position - Science Research Scholar at the University of Sydney

1935 - 1936

Career position - Linnean Macleay Fellow in Plant Physiology at the University of Sydney

1939

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Cambridge, UK

1939 - 1946

Career position - Assistant Lecturer, later Lecturer in Botany at the University of Sydney

1946 - 1947

Career position - Senior Research Officer at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Food Preservation and Transport

1949

Career position - President of the Linnean Society of New South Wales

1952 - 1955

Career position - Principal Research Officer at the CSIRO Division of Food Preservation and Transport

1952 - 1955

Career position - Senior Principal Research Officer at the CSIRO Division of Food Preservation and Transport

1954 -

Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1954

Career position - President of the Botany Section of ANZAAS (Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science)

1954

Award - Clarke Memorial Medal received from the Royal Society of New South Wales

1955 - 1959

Career position - Chief Research Officer at the CSIRO Division of Food Preservation and Transport

1958

Career position - Secretary (Biological Sciences) of the Australian Academy of Science

1958 - 1959

Career position - Visiting Professor at the University of California, USA

1959 - 1962

Career position - Member of the Executive of CSIRO

1961 -

Award - Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)

1961

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the University of Sydney

1962

Award - Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences

1962 - 1969

Career position - Professor of Botany at the University of Adelaide

1963

Award - Farrer Memorial Medal received from the Australian Academy of Science

1965

Career position - President of ANZAAS

1965 - 1969

Career position - Chairman of the Australian Research Grants Committee

1968

Award - ANZAAS Medal received (Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science)

1968

Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

1969 - 1972

Career position - Master of University House at the Australian National University in Canberra

1970

Award - ANZAAS Mueller Medal received (Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science)

1970 - 1974

Career position - President of the Australian Academy of Science

1971 - 1973

Career position - Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Ramaciotti Medical Research Foundation

1972

Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt cr)

1973 - 1978

Career position - Director of the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University

1977 - 1981

Career position - Deputy Chairman of the Australian Science and Technology Council

1980

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

1984 - 1986

Career position - Pro-Chancellor of the Australian National University

1987

Award - Robertson Symposia established by the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University

1992

Award - Robertson Theatre opened at the Research School of Biological Sciences

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Australian National Research Council - Records, October 1948 - November 1951, MS 202; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
• Australian Society of Plant Physiologists - Records, 1958 - 1999, MS 097; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
• Oral Collection, 1931 - 2003, MS 057; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
• Rutherford Ness Robertson - Records, 1946 - 1987, MS 117; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• Rutherford Ness Robertson - Records, 1920 - 1972, DeB 624; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science Exhibitions

• Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details

Books

• Robertson, Rutherford, The Three Societies Lecture: Penal Settlement to High Technology and the Future, Royal Society of Edinburgh on behalf of the three societies, Edinburgh, 1989, 10 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Robertson, Rutherford, 'Osborn, Theodore George Bentley (1887-1973), Botanist, Ecologist and Academic', in Geoffrey Serle (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 11, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1988, pp. 99-100. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110110b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Barrett, J.; Robertson, R. N., 'Max Rudolf Lemberg', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 4, no. 1, 1979, pp. 133-156. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9790410133.htm. Details
• Hatch, Marshall D., Osmond, Barry (C. B.), and Wiskich, Joseph T., 'Rutherford Ness Robertson 1913-2001', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 14, no. 4, 2003, pp. 485-507. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR03008.htm. Details
• Minnett, H. C. and Robertson, Rutherford Sir, 'Frederick William George White 1905-1994', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 11, no. 2, 1996, pp. 239-258. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9961120239.htm. Details
• Robertson, R. N., 'Obituary. L.G.M. Baas Becking', Australian Journal of Science, vol. 26, no. 1, 1963, pp. 15-16. Details
• Robertson, R. N., '"A Society of Natural History. I hope they may succeed." - the first hundred years', Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. 99, no. 1, 1974, pp. 69-78. Details
• Robertson, R. N. and Eardley, C. M., 'Obituary: Theodore George Bentley Osborn, DSc, MA, FLS [includes list of publications]', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, vol. 97, no. 4, 1973, pp. 317-320. Details
• Robertson, R. N. and White, N. H., 'Obituary. Professor T.G.B. Osborn', Search, vol. 4, no. 11/12, 1973, p. 455. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Anderson, Brian, 'Obituary: Rutherford Ness Robertson, AC, CMG', The Age, 24 April 2001. Details

Online Resources

• 'Robertson, Rutherford Ness - Ms 117', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms117.html. Details
• Blythe, Max, Interview with Sir Rutherford Robertson, Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 14 September 1993, http://www.science.org.au/scientists/interviews/r/rr.html. Details
• 'Robertson, R N', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-959288. Details
• Ward, C., 'Sir Rutherford Ness (Bob) Robertson', in CSIROpedia, 2011, http://csiropedia.csiro.au/display/CSIROpedia/Robertson%2C+Sir+Rutherford+Ness. Details

See also

• Ashton, D. H.; Ducker, S. C., 'John Stewart Turner 1908-1991', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 3, 1993, pp. 278-290. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9930930278.htm. Details
• White, F. W.G., 'Robert Gordon Menzies (1894-1978)', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 1, 1980, pp. 68-102. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9800510068.htm. Details