P000261 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; Ken McInnes updated 2026-04-08 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000261b.htm person Briggs George Henry AACR2 23 March 1893 24 July 1987 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Gordon, New South Wales, Australia Physicist George Briggs was Head of the Physics Section, CSIR National Standards Laboratories, Sydney 1939-1945 and then Chief of the Division of Physics, CSIR/O 1945-1958. His chief research interests were radioactivity, the precise measurement of certain physical constants and the construction of highly stable standards of electrical resistance. Briggs was instrumental in the formation of the Australian Institute of Physics and was made an Honorary Fellow on its formation. 1916 1916 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney 1918 1927 Career position - Demonstrator and lecturer in physics, University of Sydney 1922 1922 Career event - Elected Associate Member (Physics), Australian National Research Council 1926 1926 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Cambridge 1928 1939 Career position - Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Sydney 1937 1937 Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Sydney 1939 1945 Career position - Officer-in-charge, Physics Section, National Standards Laboratory, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) 1941 1941 Award - Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, Australian National Research Council 1945 1958 Career position - Chief, Division of Physics, CSIR(O) 1946 1947 Career position - Scientific Advisor to the Australian representative, Atomic Energy Commission, United Nations, New York 1950 1952 Career position - President, Australian branch, Institute of Physics 1962 1962 Career event - Proposed the formation of an independent Australian Institute of Physics and made an Honorary Fellow on its formation 1962 1987 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Assistant Professor of Physics 1928 - 1939

 Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal, Australian National Research Council and Australian Academy of Science (1935 - )

Awarded the Medal 1941

 Australian Institute of Physics (1963 - )

Honorary Fellow 1962 - 1987

 National Standards Laboratory - CSIR/O, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1939 - 1973)

Officer-in-Charge Physics Section 1939 - 1945

 CSIR/O Division of Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1945 - 1973)

Chief 17 April 1945 - 28 November 1958.

 Optical Munitions Panel (1940 - 1945)

Served on the Panel, c1941 - 1945, managing its work through the Physics Section, National Standards Laboratory, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

 Australian National Research Council (ANRC) (1919 - 1955)

Elected Associate Member (Physics) 1922 -

 CSIR Physics Section, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1939 - 1945)

Officer-in-Charge 16 January 1939 - 16 April 1945

 Briggs, George Henry (1893-1987)

Trove

 'Briggs, George Henry', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Briggs, George Henry Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: Briggs, George Henry Briggs, George Henry Australian Science Archives Project 1995 Physics in Australia to 1945 R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham Book: CSIRO research for Australia: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO CSIRO research for Australia: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Canberra Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation 1962 Resource Section: Briggs, George Henry Briggs, George Henry Australian Science Archives Project 1997 The Giant's Eye: the Optical Munitions Exhibition A Bright Sparcs Exhibition Resource: Papers of George H. Briggs Papers of George H. Briggs National Library of Australia 2003 Journal Article: Honorary Fellow: G.H. Briggs Honorary Fellow: G.H. Briggs 1964 Australian Physicist 1 6 87 Article: Political Fallout: Australian Scientists and the Atomic Bomb Sherratt, Tim Political Fallout: Australian Scientists and the Atomic Bomb 1996 Australasian Science Spring Journal Article: Obituary: John Edward Thompson Briggs, G. H.; Burgmann, V. D. Obituary: John Edward Thompson 1955 Australian Journal of Science 18 1 22 Journal Article: The electrostatic charging of motor cars Briggs, G. H. The electrostatic charging of motor cars 1932 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 4 7 248-252 Resource: Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal Australian Academy of Science Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal Canberra Australian Academy of Science 2023 Journal Article: Ronald Gordon Giovanelli 1915-84 Piddington, John Hobart Ronald Gordon Giovanelli 1915-84 1985 Historical Records of Australian Science 6 2 223-236 Conference Paper: "On the beach": Australia's nuclear history Sherratt, Tim "On the beach": Australia's nuclear history 1996 Journal Article: Optical Instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 War: successes and lost opportunities Bolton, H. C. Optical Instruments in Australia in the 1939-45 War: successes and lost opportunities Melbourne Australian Science Archives Project 1990 Bright Sparcs Exhibition Papers Journal Article: John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979 Paterson, M. S. John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979 1982 Historical Records of Australian Science 5 3 64-88 Journal Article: A Short History of the Australian Institute of Physics, Part 2: from the Formation of the Australian Branch of the Institute of Physics to the Establishment of the Australian Institute of Physics Binnie, Anna A Short History of the Australian Institute of Physics, Part 2: from the Formation of the Australian Branch of the Institute of Physics to the Establishment of the Australian Institute of Physics November/December Australian Institute of Physics 2007 Australian Physics 44 4 128-137 Book Section: Invisible Workers and Invisible Barriers: Women in the CSIR in the 1930s and the 1940s Alvarez, Amaya Jane Invisible Workers and Invisible Barriers: Women in the CSIR in the 1930s and the 1940s Melbourne Text Publishing Company 1993 On the Edge of Discovery: Australian Women in Science Farley Kelly 77-103 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000 George Henry Briggs - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection George Henry Briggs - Records MS 8255 1868 - 1983 Family history records 1868-77; correspondence with the Cavendish Laboratory 1924-35 including E. Rutherford and J.D. Cockcroft; correspondence concerning the National Standards Laboratory, CSIR 1938-39 including A.C.D. Rivett, R.S. Wallace, M.L.E. Oliphant and C.D. Ellis; correspondence regarding the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission 1946-47 including letters to A.E.V. Richardson and J.J. Dedman; retirement correspondence 1958; photographs of George and Edna Briggs 1924-83 [9 files, 4 cm]. 0.14 m, 1 box George Henry Briggs - Records National Library of Australia Oral History Collection George Henry Briggs - Records DeB 1120 1924 - 1983 Oral history recording with Hazel de Berg 2 April 1979, c25 minutes, 8 page transcript. Dr Briggs looks back on his career as a scientist and recalls the highlights and controversies generated by his work in the field of radioactivity. Dr Briggs speaks of his childhood and education. 1 reel and 10 cm Audio, Photographs