P000229 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-03-18 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000229b.htm person Birch Arthur John AC CMG FAA FRS AACR2 3 August 1915 8 December 1995 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death ACT Hospice, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Organic chemist University Administrator Arthur Birch was Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Australian National University (ANU) from 1967. Prior to working at ANU Birch was at Oxford (1938-1948), Cambridge (1948-1952), the University of Sydney (1952-1955), and Manchester University (1955-1967). He received many honours including the H.G. Smith Medal, A.E. Leighton Memorial Award and Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, the ANZAAS Medal and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) and a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). His outstanding research contributions include the his studies of synthetic applications of diene iron tricarbonyl complexes, the Birch reduction of aromatic compounds by sodium and ethanol in liquid ammonia, his polyketide theory of the biosynthesis of natural products. The A. J. Birch Medal has been awarded by the Organic Chemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute since 1992. The main building of the Research School of Chemistry at ANU was named the Birch Building in his honour in1995. 1937 1937 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney 1938 1938 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney 1938 1948 Award - 1851 Exhibition Overseas Scholarship and ICI Fellow, studied at University of Oxford, UK 1940 1940 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil), University of Oxford 1948 1952 Career position - Smithson Fellow, The Royal Society, University of Cambridge, UK 1952 1955 Career position - Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Sydney 1954 1954 Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1954 1995 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1955 1967 Career position - Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK 1958 1995 Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS) 1960 1960 Award - Fritsche (Gunther) Award for Terpene Chemistry, American Chemical Society 1960 1995 Award - Fellow, Royal Institute of Chemistry (Chartered Chemist) 1967 1970 Career position - Dean of the Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University 1967 1980 Career position - Foundation Professor of Organic Chemistry, Australian National University 1968 1995 Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI) 1972 1972 Award - Davy Medal, The Royal Society, London 1972 1972 Award - Flintoff Medal, Chemical Society, United Kingdom 1972 1972 Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science 1972 1972 Award - Purkyne Award for Contributions to Biochemistry, Czechoslovak Medical Society 1973 1976 Career position - Dean of the Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University 1974 1974 Award - Archibald Liversidge Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1977 1977 Career position - Chair of the Independent Inquiry into CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) 1977 1977 Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Sydney 1977 1978 Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1979 1979 Career position - Founding Chair of the Australian Marine Sciences and Technologies Advisory Committee 16 Jun 1979 16 Jun 1979 Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) - in recognition of service to science 1980 1980 Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1980 1995 Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom 1982 1982 Award - DSc honoris causa, University of Manchester 1982 1982 Award - DSc honoris causa, Monash University 1982 1982 Award - Natural Products Award, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom 1982 1986 Career position - President, Australian Academy of Science 1986 1995 Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales 26 Jan 1987 26 Jan 1987 Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - in recognition of service to science, particularly in the field of organic chemistry 1989 1995 Award - Foreign Fellow, Indian National Academy of Science 1990 1990 Award - ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1994 1995 Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1995 1995 Award - Naming of the main building of the Research School of Chemistry as Birch Building ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1965 - )

Awarded the Medal 1990

 Royal Society of New South Wales (1866 - )

Honorary Fellow 1986 - 1995

 Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science (1957 - )

Awarded the Medal 1972

 Archibald Liversidge Medal and Lecture, Royal Society of New South Wales (1931 - )

Awarded the Medal 1974

 H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1929 - )

Awarded the Medal 1954

 Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1965 - )

Awarded the Medal 1980

 Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) (1953 - )

Fellow 1968 -1994; Honorary Fellow 1994 - 1994; President 1977 - 1978

 The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Professor of Organic Chemistry 1952 - 1957

 Australian National University (1946 - )

Foundation Professor of Organic Chemistry 1967 - 1980; Dean, Research School of Chemistry 1967 - 1970 and 1973 - 1976

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Fellow 1954 - 1995; President 1982 - 1986

 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Commonwealth of Australia (1949 - )

Chair of the Independent Inquiry into CSIRO 1977

 A. J. Birch Medal, RACI - Organic Chemistry Division (1992 - )

The RACI - Organic Chemistry Division has awarded the Medal since 1992

 1851 Exhibition Scholarship Awards, Australia (1891 - )

1851 Exhibition Overseas Scholarship and ICI Fellow: 1938 - 1948. [Studied at University of Oxford, UK]

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Birch, A J (19150803-19951208)

Trove

 'Birch, Arthur John', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Birch, Arthur John Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Report: CSIRO annual report 1978/79: physical sciences; industrial sciences; animal and food sciences; earth resources; biological resources CSIRO CSIRO annual report 1978/79: physical sciences; industrial sciences; animal and food sciences; earth resources; biological resources Canberra, ACT Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation 1979 Journal Article: Arthur Birch: the Grandfather of the Contraceptive Pill Walker, Rosanne Arthur Birch: the Grandfather of the Contraceptive Pill 1999 Australasian Science 20 6 46 Resource Section: Arthur Birch - grandfather of the contraceptive pill Arthur Birch - grandfather of the contraceptive pill 1997 The 1997 Australian Science Festival Resource Section: Obituary - Arthur Birch Obituary - Arthur Birch 1997 Annual Report 1996 Australian Science Archives Project Resource Section: Birch, Arthur John - Ms 121 Birch, Arthur John - Ms 121 Australian Academy of Science 1994 Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings Journal Article: Arthur John Birch 1915-1995 Rickards, Rodney W.; and Cornforth, John, Sir Arthur John Birch 1915-1995 2007 Historical Records of Australian Science 18 2 243-280 Journal Article: Investigating a Scientific Legend: the Tropinone Synthesis of Sir Robert Robinson, FRS Birch, Arthur J. Investigating a Scientific Legend: the Tropinone Synthesis of Sir Robert Robinson, FRS 1993 Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 47 277-296 Journal Article: Sir Robert Robinson: a contemporary historical assessment and a personal memoir Birch, A. J. Sir Robert Robinson: a contemporary historical assessment and a personal memoir 1976 Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 109 3/4 151-160 Book: To See the Obvious Birch, Arthur To See the Obvious Washington, D.C. American Chemical Society 1995 Edited Book: Australia 75: the other arts: science, invention, technology Birch, A. J.; and Kaye, M. J. Australia 75: the other arts: science, invention, technology Canberra Australia '75 Science Committee 1975 Resource: Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture Australian Academy of Science Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture Australian Academy of Science 2025 Journal Article: The Roche Research Institute of Marine Pharmacology, 1974-1981: Searching for Drug Leads Rae, Ian D. The Roche Research Institute of Marine Pharmacology, 1974-1981: Searching for Drug Leads 2009 Historical Records of Australian Science 20 2 209-231 Journal Article: Appointing a Professor: Reflections on Filling the Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney in 1948 Rae, Ian D. Appointing a Professor: Reflections on Filling the Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney in 1948 2007 Historical Records of Australian Science 18 1 19-42 Journal Article: Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986 Aroney, M. J.; Buckingham, A. D. Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986 1988 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 3 273-297 Arthur John Birch - Records Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science Arthur John Birch - Records MS 121 1961 - 1996 Correspondence files 1967-80; records relating to the foundation of the Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University 1961-72; records of the 1977 Inquiry into CSIRO of which Birch was Chairman; Australian Marine Sciences and Technology Advisory Committee records 1978-80; Presidential correspondence from the Australian Academy of Science 1983-86 and other subject files 1966-84; records relating to the CSIRO inquiry 1976-79; international activities, 1975-91; records relating to the Australian Academy of Science and related matters; technical files, 1949-96. 4.7 m, 28 boxes