Person

Priestley, Charles Henry Brian (1915 - 1998)

FAA FRS

Born
8 July 1915
Highgate, England
Died
18 May 1998
Occupation
Meteorologist
Alternative Names
  • Priestly, Bill (Also known as)

Summary

Bill Priestley was Chief of the Division of Meteorological Physics, CSIRO, 1946-1973. He played a central role in the development of atmospheric science in Australia. As Chief he established a research group in meteorological physics which earned international recognition for its work particularly in turbulent transfer in the lower atmosphere. Priestley's research focused on large-scale atmospheric systems, including significant work on global-scale transport and small-scale atmospheric convection and heat transfer. Between 1963 and 1977 Priestley played a key role in the World Meteorological Organisation and the Global Atmospheric Research Program. The Priestly Medal has been awarded biennially since 1983 by the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society for excellence in meteorological research.

Details

Chronology

1937
Education - BA, University of Cambridge
1939 - 1944
Career position - Technical Officer (later Meteorologist), Meteorological Office, United Kingdom
1942 - 1978
Award - Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
1944 - 1946
Career position - Senior Meteorologist (later Head of Synoptics Section), Meteorological Office, United Kingdom
1946
Life event - Migrated to Australia
1946 - 1973
Career position - Chief, Division of Meteorological Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
1949
Award - Buchan Prize, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
1949 - 1975
Career position - Chairman, National Committee on Meteorology
1954 - 1970
Career position - Member, Executive Committee, International Meteorological Association
1954 - 1988
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science, Australia
1956
Award - David Syme Research Prize, University of Melbourne
1957 - 1958
Career position - Vice-President, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
1964 - 1969
Career position - Member, Advisory Committee, World Meteorological Organisation
1967
Award - Symons Gold Medal, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
1967 - 1975
Career position - Vice-President, International Meteorological Association
1967 - 1988
Award - Fellow, Royal Society, England
1968
Career position - Chairman, World Meteorological Association
1973
Award - IMO Prize, World Meteorological Organisation
1973 - 1977
Career event - Part-time Professor, Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Australia
1973 - 1977
Career Position - Chairman, Environmental Physics Laboratories, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
1974
Award - Rossby Medal, American Meteorological Society, United States of America (USA)
1976
Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science
1976
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
1982 - 1985
Career position - Chairman (part-time), Latrobe Valley Airshed Study
1987 - 1998
Award - Life Fellow, Royal Meteorological Society, United Kingdom
1988 - 1998
Award - Honorary Member, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

Related Awards

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • Garratt, John; Angus, David; and Holper, Paul, Winds of Change: Fifty Years of Achievements in the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research 1946-1996 (Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 1998), 136 (148) pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Garratt, J. R., 'Obituary: C. H. B. (Bill) Priestley', Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, 11 (4) (1998), 95-6. Details
  • Garratt, J. R., 'Charles H. B. Priestley', Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 80 (2) (1999), 314, 316. Details
  • Garratt, J. R.; Manins, P. C.; and Webb, E. K., 'C. H. B. (Bill) Priestley', Clean air, 32 (3) (1998), 9-10. Details
  • Garratt, J. R.; Webb, E. K.; and Mccarthy, S., 'Charles Henry Brian Priestley. 8 July 1915 - 18 May 1998', Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 57 (2011), 349-78. Details
  • Garratt, J. R.; Webb, E. K.; and Mccarthy, S., 'Charles Henry Brian Priestley 1915-1998', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (1) (2011), 126-51, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR11001. Details
  • Gibbs, W. J., 'Obituary: C. H. B (Bill) Priestley', Australian meteorological magazine, 47 (1998), 179-81. Details
  • Morton, B, 'Interview with Bill Priestley', Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, II (1998), 83-94. Details
  • Priestley, C. H. B., 'The Global Atmosphere: a memorial to H. C. Russell', Search, 2 (8) (1971). Details
  • Priestley, C. H. B., 'William Christopher Swinbank', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 3 (1) (1975), 76-92. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9750310076.htm. Details
  • Priestley, C. H. B., 'Reminiscences of 30 years of meteorological research in Australia', Australian Meteorological Magazine, 30 (1982), 19-30. Details
  • Webb, E. K.; and Garratt, J. R., 'Obituary: Charles Henry Brian Priestley', Quarterly journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 125 (559A) (1999), 2791-2. Details

Resources

See also

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

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