Person

Oldroyd, David Roger (1936 - 2014)

Born
20 January 1936
Luton, United Kingdom
Died
7 November 2014
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Science historian

Summary

David Oldroyd was an historian of science whose expertise in the history of geology was recognised world-wide. He taught in schools in the United Kingdom and New Zealand before coming to Australia to join the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of New South Wales. Oldroyd was a prolific writer and book reviewer in his field, and was editor or served on the editorial board of a number of journals. He was active in Australian and international history of science societies.

Details

Chronology

1958
Education - BSc, Cambridge
1962
Life event - Migrated to New Zealand
1966 - 1969
Career position - Chemistry Master, Christ's College, Christchurch, New Zealand
1969
Life event - Moved to Australia
1969 - 1976
Career position - Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales
1974
Education - PhD, University of New South Wales?
1975 - 1981
Career position - Member, National Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science, Australian Academy of Science
1976 - 1985
Career position - Senior Lecturer, History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales
1984 - 1985
Career position - Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Concordia University, Montreal
1986 - 1991
Career position - Associate Professor, History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales
1990 - 1994
Career position - Member, National Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science, Australian Academy of Science
1990 - 2014
Career position - Member, History of Earth Sciences Society
1993 - 1995
Career position - President, Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science
1993 - 2014
Career position - Fellow of the Geological Society, London
1994
Award - Sue Tyler Friedman Medal for the History of Geology, Geological Society of London
1994 - 2014
Career position - Fellow, Australian Academy of Humanities
1995
Career position - Professor, School of Science and Technical Studies, University of New South Wales
1996
Life event - Retired
1996 - 2004
Career position - Secretary-General, International Commission for the History of Geological Sciences
1996 - 2014
Career position - Honorary Professor, School of History and Philosophy, University of New South Wales
1999
Award - History of Geology Award, Geological Society of America
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of the history of science
2004 - 2014
Career position - Vice-President, International Commission for the History of Geological Sciences
2008 - 2013
Career position - Editor, Earth Sciences History
2008 - 2014
Career position - Member, International Academy for the History of Science
2014
Award - Vallance Medal, Earth Sciences History Group, Geological Society of Australia

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Book Sections

  • Oldroyd, D., 'In the Footsteps of Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792-1855): Soldier, Surveyor, Explorer, Geologist, and Probably the First Person to Compile Geological Maps in Australia' in Four Centuries of Geological Travel: the Search for Knowledge on Foot, Bicycle, Sledge and Camel, Wyse-Jackson, P. N., ed. (London: Geological Society, 2007), pp. 343-373. Details
  • Oldroyd, David, 'A Brief History of the Sapphire Industry in Queensland' in History of Mineral Resources, Ortiz,J. E. Et al., ed. (Madrid: Publicaciones del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, 2011), pp. 155-66. Details
  • Oldroyd, David R., 'Griffith Taylor, Ernest Andrews et al: Early Ideas on the Development of the River Systems of the Sydney Region, Eastern Australia, and Subsequent Ideas on the Associated Geomorphological Problems' in History of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology, Grapes, R. H., Oldroyd, D. R. and Grigelis, A., eds (London: Geological Society, 2008), pp. 241-77. Details
  • Turner, Susan and Oldroyd, David, 'Reg Sprigg and the Discovery of the Ediacara Fauna in South Australia: Its Approach to the High Table Modern Paleontology' in The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology, Sepkoski, David and Ruse, Michael, eds (Chicago & London: University of Chicago, 2009), pp. 254-78. Details

Conference Papers

  • Oldroyd, D. R., 'Griffith Taylor and his Views on Race, Environment and Settlement and the Peopling of Australia', in Useful and Curious Geological Enquiries Beyond the World: Pacific-Asia Historical Themes: The 19th International INHIGEO Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 4-8 July, 1994 edited by D. F. Branagan and G. H. McNally (Sydney: International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences, 1994), pp. 251-274.. Details

Edited Books

  • Grapes, R. H.; Oldroyd, D. R.; and Grigelis, A. eds, History of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology (London: Geological Society, 2008), 344 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Anon, 'The Tom Vallence Medal [presented to David Oldroyd]', Newsletter, Earth Sciences History Group, 44 (2013), 3-5. Details
  • Boschiero, Luciano and Wray, K. Brad, 'David Oldroyd 1936-2014', Metascience, 24 (1) (2015), 1-2, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11016-015-9985-0. Details
  • Branagan, David, 'David Oldroyd (1936-2014)', Earth Sciences History, 34 (1) (2015), 152-4. Details
  • Grigelis, Algimantas, 'David Oldroyd - outstanding historian of geological sciences', Geologijos Akiračiai/Geological Horizons, 1 (2015), 25-32. Details
  • Grigelis, Algimantas, 'David Oldroyd - outstanding historian of geological sciences', Geologijos Akiraciai/Geological Horizons, 1 (2015), 25-32. Details
  • Grigelis, Algimantas, 'Memories of Professor David Oldroyd (1936 - 2014)', INHIGEO Annual Record, 48 (2016), 35-43. Details
  • Jiuchen Zhang, 'IHHIGEO and the research on the history of geology: an interview with David Oldroyd, Oslo, Norway, 7-8 August 2008', INHIGEO newsletter, 41 (2009), 25-37. Details
  • Oldroyd, David, 'A Priori and a Posteriori Geological Mapping: the Geological Maps of the World by Ami Boué (1843) and Jules Marcou (1861) - the Australasian aspects', Earth Sciences History, 33 (2014), 227-58. Details
  • Zhang, Jiuchen, 'INHIGEO and the research on the history of geology: an interview with David Oldroyd, Oslo, Norway, 7-8 August 2008', INHIGEO Newsletter, 41 (2008) (2009), 25-37. Details

Resources

Reviews

  • Clarke, W. B. (edited by Ann Moyal), The Web of Science: the Scientific Correspondence of the Rev. W. B. Clarke, Australia's Pioneer Geologist (2003)
    Oldroyd, David, Australian Book Review, 263 (August), (2004), 47-48. Details
  • Johnston, Mike R., Mettle and Mines: the Life and Times of a Colonial Geologist Edward Heydelbach Davis (1845-71) (2007)
    Oldroyd, David, 'A Pioneer of (Mining) Geology in New Zealand', INHIGEO Newsletter, 40, (2009), 47-50. Details
  • Johnston, Mike and Nolden, Sascha, Travels of Hochstetter and Haast in New Zealand, 1858-60 (2011)
    Oldroyd, David, Episodes (International Union of Geological Sciences), 34, (2011), 282-4. Details

Helen Cohn

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