Biographical entry Bolton, John Gatenby (1922 - 1993)

Summary

John Gatenby Bolton was a Chief Research Scientist with the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics and was the first Director of the Parkes Telescope, later the Australian National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 1961-71.

Details

Born Sheffield, United Kingdom, 5 June 1922. Died Buderim, Queensland, 6 July 1993. CBE 1982. Educated University of Cambridge (graduated in physics 1942). Radar Officer, Royal Navy; Telecommunications Research Establishment; Radiophysics Laboratory, CSIR/O 1946-55; director of radio astronomy, Caltech 1955-61; director, Parkes Radio telescope (later Australian National Radio Astronomy Observatory) 1961-71, Astronomer at Large 1971-81. Edgeworth David Medal 1951; FAA 1965-80; Fellow, Royal Society 1973; Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences 1973; Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society 1977; Foreign Associate, U.S. National Academy of Sciences 1980; Bruce Medal, Astronomical Society of the Pacific (U.S.) 1988.

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• John Gatenby Bolton - Records, 1940 - 1980, TRC 324; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Lovell, Bernard, 'John Gatenby Bolton, 1922-1993', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004. Details

Journal Articles

• Bolton, J. G., 'Radio Astronomy at Dover Heights', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, vol. 4, no. 4, 1982, pp. 349-358. Details
• Bolton, J. G., 'The Fortieth Anniversary of Extragalactic Radio Astronomy: Radiophysics in Exile', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, vol. 8, no. 4, 1990, pp. 381-383. Details
• Ekers, R. D., 'John Bolton's Variable-baseline Interferometer and the Structure of Radio Galaxies', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 569-576. Details
• Milne, D. K., 'John Bolton and the Rainmakers', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 549-554. Details
• Orchiston, Wayne, 'John Bolton, Discrete Sources, and the New Zealand Field Trip of 1948', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 541-548. Details
• Roberts, J. A., 'Some Memories of John Bolton from Caltech and Early years at Parkes', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 561-568. Details
• Robertson, Peter, 'John Bolton and Australian Astronomy', Australian Physicist, vol. 21, 1984, pp. 178-179. Details
• Savage, Ann, 'Wild, Woolley and Savage - or How John Bolton and I Went Hunting for Quasars and QSOs', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 589-590. Details
• Stanley, Gordon J., 'Recollections of John G. Bolton at Dover Heights and Caltech', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 507-516. Details
• Westfold, K. C., 'John Bolton - Some Early Memories', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 535-540. Details
• Whiteoak, J. B., 'John Bolton as a Pioneer of OH Spectroscopy', Australian Journal of Physics, vol. 47, no. 5, 1994, pp. 577-584. Details
• Wild, J. P. And Radhakrishnan, V. R., 'John Gatenby Bolton 1922-1993', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 10, no. 4, 1995, pp. 381-391. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9951040381.htm. Details

Online Resources

• John Gatenby Bolton. 1988 Bruce Medalist, 2001, http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/BruceMedalists/Bolton/. Details
• National Library of Australia, 'Bolton, J G', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-595149. Details

See also

• 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