Biographical entry Menzies, Robert Gordon (1894 - 1978)

Summary

Robert Menzies was Prime Minister of Australia from 1939 to 1941 and from 1949 to 1966. During his time in office he contributed greatly to the expansion of Australia's scientific community and scientific research. One of his main achievements was the massive expansion of the CSIRO. Menzies was appointed Prime Minister for the second time just after the legislation was passed to change the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) into the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). He and his government oversaw the CSIRO budget rise from $4.0 million in 1948/49 to nearly $41.0 million in 1965/66. His other contributions include being instrumental in the development and funding of the Australian Academy of Science; the amalgamation of the Canberra University College with the Australian National University; and the partial funding of the Anglo-Australian Telescope in Parkes, New South Wales.

Details

Events

1916

Education - Bachelor of Law (LLB) completed at the University of Melbourne

1918

Career position - Admitted to the Bar

1918

Education - Master of Laws (LLM) completed at the University of Melbourne

1928 - 1929

Career position - Member of the Legislative Council for East Yarra, Victoria

1929

Career position - King's Council (KC)

1929 - 1934

Career position - Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nunawading, Victoria

1934 - 1946

Career position - Member of the House of Representatives for Kooyong, Victoria

1937

Career position - Privy Councillor

1939 - 1941

Career position - Prime Minister of Australia

1941 - 1944

Career position - Member of the Advisory War Council

1943 - 1949

Career position - Leader of the Federal Opposition

1949 - 1966

Career position - Prime Minister of Australia

1950

Career position - Chief Commander, Legion of Merit (US)

1951

Award - Companion of Honour (CH)

1958 -

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

1960 - 1962

Career position - Minister for External Affairs

1963

Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt cr)

1965 -

Award - Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Martin, A. W., 'Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (Bob) (1894-1978)', in John Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 15, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 2000, pp. 354-361. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150416b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, '150 Years, 150 Stories: Robert Gordon Menzies', Uni News, vol. 12, no. 13, 2003, p. 4. 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

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Menzies, Robert', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-505426. Details
• White, Frederick, 'Robert Gordon Menzies 1894-1978', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, http://www.science.org.au/fellows/memoirs/menzies.html. Details

See also

• Bolton, H. C., 'Optical Instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 War: successes and lost opportunities', Australian Physicist, 1990, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/bolton2.htm. Details
• Caro, D. E.; Martin, R. L., 'Leslie Harold Martin 1900-1983', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 7, no. 1, 1987, pp. 97-107. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9870710097.htm. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne, Department of History, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 2003, 168 pp. Details
• Legge, J. W. and Gibson, F., 'Victor Martin Trikojus, 1902-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 6, no. 4, 1987, pp. 519-531. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9870640519.htm. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Optical Munitions', Chapter 12 in Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 4: Civil, volume 5 'The Role of Science and Industry', Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1958, 1958, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/papers/mellor.htm. Details
• Newton, J. O., 'Ernest William Titterton 1916-1990', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 1992, pp. 167-187. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9920920167.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
• Rogers, D. W., 'James Alexander Forrest 1905-1990', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 8, no. 4, 1991, pp. 245-248. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9910840245.htm. Details
• Sherratt, Tim, '"On the beach": Australia's nuclear history', Paper presented at French Worlds, Pacific Worlds Conference, 16 July 1996. Also available at http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/tps_on_the_beach.htm. Details
• Sherratt, Tim; Condé, Anne-Marie, A Wartime Observatory Observed - the Mount Stromlo Community, 1940-1945, Australian Science Archives Project, Canberra, 1994, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/tps_stromlo_draft.htm. Details