Person
Donald, Colin Malcolm (1910 - 1985)
FAA CBE
- Born
- 21 March 1910
Colchester, England - Died
- 14 March 1985
- Occupation
- Agricultural scientist, Science administrator and Agronomist
Summary
Colin Donald was Professor of Agronomy at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide 1954-1973. Earlier he had been the Assistant Chief of the CSIR/O Division of Plant Industry 1934-1954. He profoundly influenced pasture development in Australia by understanding the limitations to pasture growth imposed by soils and environment, and advanced our understanding of competition between plants when grown in communities. Donald is commemorated by the C.M. Donald Medal established in 1984 by the Australian Society of Agronomy.
Details
Chronology
- 1928
- Education - Diploma in Agriculture completed at Hawkesbury Agricultural College
- 1932
- Education - Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgSc) completed at the University of Sydney
- 1933 - 1934
- Career position - Researcher at the Agrostology Branch of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture
- 1934 - 1939
- Career position - Mineral deficiency Investigator at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide
- 1934 - 1954
- Career position - Research Officer at CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) / CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)
- 1939
- Education - Master of Agricultural Science completed at the University of Adelaide
- 1939 - 1941
- Career position - Pawlett Overseas Scholar studying pasture development in the UK, USA and New Zealand
- 1942 - 1945
- Career position - Seconded to the Department of War Organization of Industry, later Assistant Director of the Department, in charge of the Rural Industries Division in Melbourne
- 1943 - 1945
- Career position - Chairman of the Commonwealth Rural Production Goals Committee
- 1945 - 1954
- Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry in Canberra
- 1946 - 1948
- Career position - President of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, Australian Capital Territory branch
- 1954 - 1973
- Career position - Professor of Agriculture at the University of Adelaide and Head of the Department of Agronomy at Waite Agricultural Research Institute
- 1955 - 1973
- Career position - Member of the Advisory Council of Roseworthy Agricultural College
- 1956 - 1957
- Career position - President of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, South Australian branch
- 1960
- Career position - President of the South Australian Branch, Australian Society for Animal Production
- 1961 - 1965
- Career position - Member of the CSIRO Advisory Council
- 1961 - 1985
- Award - Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (FAIAS)
- 1962
- Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the University of Sydney
- 1963
- Career position - President of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
- 1964
- Award - Australian Medal of Agricultural Science, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
- 1965
- Career position - President, Section K (Agricuture and Forestry), Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
- 1965
- Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust
- 1968 - 1985
- Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1973 -
- Career position - Emeritus Professor and Honorary Research Associate at the University of Adelaide
- 1979
- Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 1984
- Award - C.M. Donald Medal established by the Australian Society of Agronomy
Related entries
Archival resources
Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science
- Colin Malcolm Donald - Records, 1943 - 1975, MS 141; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
Waite Agricultural Research Institute
- Colin Malcolm Donald - Records, 1929 - 1970; Waite Agricultural Research Institute. Details
Published resources
Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions
- Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details
Book Sections
- Radcliffe, John C., 'Donald, Colin Malcolm (1910 - 1985), agricultural scientist' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Langmore, Di, ed., vol. 17 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2007), pp. 327-8. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/donald-colin-malcolm-12430. Details
Journal Articles
- Knight, R.; and Quirk, J. P., 'Colin Malcolm Donald 1910-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, 10 (1) (1994), 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9941010051. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21536556. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/308239291. Details
- 'Donald, C M (1910-1985)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-571860. Details
Resource Sections
- 'Donald, Colin Malcolm - Ms 141', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms141.html. Details
- Knight, R.; and Quirk, J. P., 'Colin Malcolm Donald 1910-1985', in Australian Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs, Australian Academy of Science, 2006, http://www.science.org.au/fellows/memoirs/donald.html. Details
- Ward, C., 'Colin Malcolm Donald', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Donald-Colin-Malcolm. Details
Digital resources
McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 19 December 2023
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education