Biographical entry White, Frederick William George (1905 - 1994)

Summary

(Sir) Frederick William G. White worked for CSIR/O from 1942, rising to Chairman 1959-70. He was also an amateur ornithologist, who studied the songs of the male Olive Whistler in the Koskiusko National Park and other areas in eastern Australia using a sonograph, identifying some of the song functions, tracing the birds' seasonal migrations and finding evidence for song learning.

Details

Born Wellington, New Zealand, 26 May 1905. Died 17 August 1994. CBE 1954, KBE 1962. Educated at Victoria University College, Wellington (BS, MSc) and Cambridge University (PhD). Lecturer in Physics, King's College, London 1931-36, Professor of Physics, Canterbury University College, Christchurch 1937-42, Chairman, Radiophysics Advisory Board 1941, Chief, Division of Radiophysics, CSIR 1942-45, CSIR/O Executive 1945-59, Chief Executive Officer 1949-57, Deputy Chairman 1957-59 and Chairman 1959-70. Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1960, Honorary Member, Royal Society of New Zealand 1961, Fellow, Royal Society 1966, ANZAAS Medal 1975. President, Australian Branch, Institute of Physics 1956-57; President of ANZAAS 1963-64 and Chairman 1970-73. Donated money to the Australian Academy of Science for the Frederick White Prize and the Elizabeth and Frederick White Conferences.

Related entries

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Frederick William George White - Records, 1931 - 1987, MS 111; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne

• Audio of interview with Sir Fredrick White, 12 August 1986, P000889; Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Frederick William George White - Records, 1769 - 1969, MS 2384; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Brown, R. Hanbury; Minnett, Harry C; White, Fredrick W. G., 'Edward George Bowen 1911-1991', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 1992, pp. 151-166. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9920920151.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
• White, F. W. G., 'John Percival Vissing Madsen', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 2, no. 1, 1971, pp. 51-65. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9710210051.htm. Details
• White, F. W. G., 'Casey of Berwick and Westminster, Baron Richard Gardiner Casey, KG, PC, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, KStJ, FAA, MA(Cantab.)', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 3, no. 4, 1977, pp. 54-83. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9770340054.htm. Details
• White, F. W. G. and Huxley, L. G. H., 'Radio Research Australia, 1927-39', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 3, no. 1, 1975, pp. 7-29. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9750310007.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
• White, Sir Frederick, 'James Cook and the Measurement of Longitude', Navigation, vol. 3, no. 2, 1969, pp. 179-183. Details

Online Resources

• 'White, Frederick William George - Ms 111', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms111.html. Details
• 'White, Frederick William George', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P000889p.htm. Details
• National Library of Australia, 'White, Frederick', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-464875. Details

See also

• Federation and Meteorology, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/scripts/fam-dynindex.php3?EID=P000889. Details
• McIntyre, A. K., 'Walter Victor Macfarlane 1913-82', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 6, no. 2, 1985, pp. 247-265. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9850620247.htm. Details
• Paterson, M. S., 'John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 3, 1982, pp. 64-88. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9820530064.htm. Details
• Rees, A. L. G., 'Ian William Wark 1899-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 6, no. 4, 1987, pp. 533-548. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9870640533.htm. Details
• Robin, Libby, The Flight of the Emu: a Hundred Years of Australian Ornithology 1901-2001, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 2001, 492 pp. Details
• Walsh, A. and Willis, J. B., 'Albert Lloyd George Rees 1916-1989', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 1, 1992, pp. 31-47. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9920910031.htm. Details