P000404 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098]; Ken McInnes updated 2026-02-05 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000404b.htm person Fink Peter Thomas AO CB CBE FTSE HonFIEAust AACR2 12 October 1922 5 March 1994 Place of Birth Frankfurt-Main, Germany Place of Death New South Wales, Australia Military scientist Mechanical engineer Aeronautical engineer Tom Fink was Chief Defence Scientist, Department of Defence, Canberra and Head of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. He was formerly P N Russell Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sydney 1960-1967, and Dean of Engineering, University of New South Wales 1969-1977. The DSTO's Materials Research Laboratory in Melbourne was named in his honour in 1990. As a young aeronautical engineer, he carried out research on vortex generation by swept-back wings, work which proved to be important in the development of the Concorde supersonic airliner. His involvement with Donald Campbell's successful attempts on the world water speed record in the 1950s resulted in a significant contribution to the theory of oscillation in hydroplanes. He later assisted Ken Warby to break this record again in Australia, in 1977 and 1978. 1940 1940 Life event - Arrived in Australia 1944 1944 Life event - Naturalised as a British subject 1944 1944 Education - Bachelor of Engineering (BE) Aeronautics, University of Sydney 1949 1955 Career position - Lecturer, Aeronautics, Imperial College London 1953 1957 Career position - Consultant, Ministry of Supply, UK 1954 1957 Career position - Science Advisor, Campbell "Bluebird" team [World water speed record] 1956 1956 Career position - Reader, Aeronautics, University of London 1957 1957 Career position - Leonardo da Vinci Lecturer, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London 1958 1959 Career position - Lecturer, Aeronautical Engineering, University of Sydney 1959 1960 Career position - Acting Professor, Aeronautical Engineering, University of Sydney 1960 1967 Career position - P N Russell Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Sydney 1960 1969 Career position - Member, Australian Aeronautical Research Council 1961 1961 Career position - Chairman, Sydney Branch, Royal Aeronautical Society 1963 1963 Career event - Member (MIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London 1964 1967 Career position - Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney 1964 1969 Career position - Chairman, Australian Aeronautical Research Committee 1964 1981 Career position - Member, Australian Shipbuilding Board 1967 1981 Career position - Deputy Chairman, Australian Shipbuilding Board 1968 1969 Career position - Head, School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of New South Wales 1969 1978 Career position - Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of New South Wales 1975 1987 Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS) 1976 1977 Career position - Member, New South Wales Science and Technology Council 1976 1980 Career position - Trustee, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, New South Wales c. 1977 c. 1977 Career event - Fellow (FIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London 1977 1977 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Professor, Mechanical Engineering at University of New South Wales 1977 1978 Career position - Technical Advisor, Ken Warby "Spirit of Australia" hydroplane [World water speed record] 1977 1980 Career position - Vice President, Australian Division, Royal Institution of Naval Architects 1978 1986 Career position - Chief Defence Scientist, Defence Science and Technology Organisation 1979 Career position - Member, CSIRO Advisory Council 1982 1982 Award - Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) - In recognition of service to the public 1982 1982 Award - Honorary Fellow (HonFIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia 1982 1982 Award - Kingsford-Smith Memorial Medallist, Royal Aeronautical Society 1985 1985 Award - A G M Michell Medal, Mechanical Engineering College, Institution of Engineers Australia 1987 1987 Award - Kernot Memorial Medal, for distinguished engineering achievement in Australia. Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne 1987 1987 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975] 1987 1988 Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales 1988 1988 Life event - Retired 1988 1988 Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia 1990 1990 Life event - Tom Fink Laboratory, at DSTO Materials Research Laboratory, Melbourne - named in his honour. 1992 1992 Career event - Helped establish the Australian Maritime Engineering Co-operative Research Centre 1998 1998 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - In recognition of service to science and engineering The University of New South Wales (1958 - )

Head, School of Mechanical Engineering 1968 - 1969; Dean, Faculty of Engineering 1969 - 1978.

 The University of Sydney (1850 - )

P N Russell Professor, Mechanical Engineering 1960 - 1967; Dean, Faculty of Engineering 1964 - 1967.

 Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), Commonwealth of Australia (1974 - )

Chief Defence Scientist 1978 - 1986.

 Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

Elected Honorary Fellow 1982

 Kernot Memorial Medal, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Melbourne (1926 - )

Awarded the Medal 1987

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Foundation Fellow 1975 - 1987

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1987 [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975]

 A. G. M. Michell Medal, College of Mechanical Engineering, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1978 - )

Awarded the Medal 1985.

 Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1922 - )

Awarded the Medal 1988.

 Advisory Council - CSIRO, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1950 - 1986)

Member 1979

 Fink, P T (1922-)

Trove

 'Fink, Peter Thomas (Tom)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Fink, Peter Thomas (Tom) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Fellows of the Academy Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Academy 2024 Journal Article: Knight, Fink honoured [Sir Alan Knight, Prof Tom Fink elected Honorary Fellows] Knight, Fink honoured [Sir Alan Knight, Prof Tom Fink elected Honorary Fellows] 1983 Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 55 6 25 Report: Annual Report 1982 [Sixty-third Annual Report] Institution of Engineers Australia Annual Report 1982 [Sixty-third Annual Report] 1983 Report: Annual Report 1988 Institution of Engineers Australia Annual Report 1988 1989 Book: An Australian defence science perspective on mechanical engineering Fink, P. T. An Australian defence science perspective on mechanical engineering 1985 Journal Article: Obituary: Emeritus Professor Tom Fink Doctors, Lawrence Julian Obituary: Emeritus Professor Tom Fink 1994 Uniken - The University of New South Wales 363 3 of 1994 4 Newspaper Article: Obituary: Professor Tom Fink - Defence scientist Obituary: Professor Tom Fink - Defence scientist 1994 Canberra Times 9 March 1994 18 Journal Article: Obituary: A distinguished engineer Obituary: A distinguished engineer 1994 Engineers Australia 66 3 9 Book: A History of Defence Science in Australia Wisdom, John A History of Defence Science in Australia Melbourne Defence Science and Technology Organisation 1995 Journal Article: William Henry Wittrick, 1922-1986 Roderick, J. W. William Henry Wittrick, 1922-1986 1987 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 1 123-132 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