P000860 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy updated 2026-03-20 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000860b.htm person Walsh Alan Kt FAA FTSE FRS AACR2 19 December 1916 3 August 1998 Place of Birth England Place of Death Australia Chemical physicist Sir Alan Walsh was the originator and developer of the atomic absorption method of chemical analysis, which has been described as 'the most significant advance in chemical analysis' in the twentieth century. Walsh claimed this breakthrough came about when he "managed to stop being stupid long enough to see something that should have been obvious all along". The first spectrometer based on his design was produced in Australia during the mid-1960s by Techtron Pty. Ltd. Atomic absorption provided a quick, easy, accurate and highly sensitive method of determining the concentrations of more than sixty-five of the elements, rendering traditional wet-chemical methods obsolete. The method has found important application world-wide in areas as diverse as medicine, agriculture, mineral exploration, metallurgy, food analysis, biochemistry, the wine industry and environmental control. Alan Walsh was leader of the Spectroscopy Section of the CSIRO Division of Chemical Physics from 1946-1957 and Assistant Chief of the Division from 1958-1976. Taken in part from http://www.science.org.au/academy/memoirs/walsh2.htm c. 1935 c. 1937 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Manchester, UK 1938 1938 Career position - Postgraduate studies in the Physics Department, Manchester College of Technology 1939 1944 Career position - Investigator in the Physics Section of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association 1944 1944 Education - Master of Science (MScTech), University of Manchester 1944 1944 Career position - Deputy Chief Chemist, Metal and Produce Recovery Depot, Ministry of Aircraft Production in Durham, UK (secondment) 1945 1946 Career position - Chief Spectroscopist, British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association 1947 1958 Career position - Leader of Spectroscopy Section of the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) Division of Industrial Chemistry in Fisherman's Bend, Victoria 1958 1976 Career position - Chief Research Scientist and Assistant Chief (1962c) of the CSIR / CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Chemical Physics 1958 1998 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1959 1959 Patent - Improvements in or relating to spectral lamps [53783/1959] 1960 1960 Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Manchester 1966 1966 Award - Britannica Australia Science Award 1966 1969 Career position - Council member, Australian Academy of Science 1967 1967 Award - Einstein Memorial Lecturer presented to the Australian Institute of Physics 1967 1968 Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physics 1968 1968 Award - Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research 1969 Career position - Foreign member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden 1969 1969 Career position - Honorary member, Society of Analytical Chemistry, London 1969 1998 Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS) 1970 1970 Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, Monash University in Victoria 1972 Career position - Honorary Fellow, Chemical Society of London 1975 Career position - Honorary member, Royal Society of New Zealand 1975 1975 Award - James Cook Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1976 1976 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - Services to science 1976 1976 Award - Torbern Bergman Medal, Swedish Chemical Society 1977 Career position - Consultant to Perkin-Elmer Corporation in the USA 1977 Career position - Honorary Fellow, Monash University 1979 1998 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics 1980 1980 Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science 1982 1982 Award - Robert Boyle Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry 1982 1982 Award - K. L. Sutherland Memorial Medal, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences 1982 1987 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS) 1986 1986 Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Manchester 1987 1998 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Awarded by AATS 1982] James Cook Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales (1954 - )

Awarded the Medal 1975

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

Awarded the Medal 1980

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Fellow 1982 - 1987

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1987 - 1998 [Elected Fellow AATS 1982]

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Fellow 1958 - 1998

 Australian Institute of Physics (1963 - )

President 1967 - 1968; Honorary Fellow 1979 - 1998

 CSIRO Division of Chemical Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1958 - 1987)

Chief Research Scientist 1958 - 1976; Assistant Chief c.1962

 Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research (1959 - )

Awarded the Medal 1968

 Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry, Australian Institute of Physics (2002 - )

The Australian Institute of Physics has awarded the Medal since 2002

 K. L. Sutherland Memorial Medal (1982 - )

Awarded the Medal 1982

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Walsh, Alan (1916-1998)

Trove

 'Walsh, Alan', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Walsh, Alan Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Australian Patent search database IP Australia, Commonwealth of Australia Australian Patent search database Commonwealth of Australia 2015 Resource Section: Sir Alan Walsh Ward, C. Sir Alan Walsh Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Book: The plastic banknote: from concept to reality Solomon, David; Spurling, Tom The plastic banknote: from concept to reality Collingwood, Vic. CSIRO Publishing 2014 Book: Australia's Greatest Inventions and Innovations Knight, Linsay and Cheng, Christopher Australia's Greatest Inventions and Innovations North Sydney, N.S.W. Random House Australia 2012 Book: Surprise and Enterprise: Fifty Years of Science for Australia: CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia) McKay, Andrew Surprise and Enterprise: Fifty Years of Science for Australia: CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia) Melbourne CSIRO 1976 Journal Article: Alan Walsh 1916-1998 Hannaford, Peter Alan Walsh 1916-1998 2000 Historical Records of Australian Science 13 2 179-206 Edited Book: Inventive Vics Exhibition Gold, Ergad; Greener, Rosalie (Ed) Inventive Vics Exhibition Melbourne, Victoria Australian Scientific Industry Association 1985 Catalogue of the Exhibition 58 Journal Article: The application of atomic absorption spectra to chemical analysis Walsh, Alan The application of atomic absorption spectra to chemical analysis 1955 Spectrochimica acta 7 108-17 Journal Article: Atomic absorption spectroscopy - stagnant or pregnant? Walsh, Alan Atomic absorption spectroscopy - stagnant or pregnant? 1974 Analytical chemistry 46 8 698A-708A Journal Article: Albert Lloyd George Rees 1916-1989 Walsh, A.; and Willis, J. B. Albert Lloyd George Rees 1916-1989 1992 Historical Records of Australian Science 9 1 31-47 Book Section: Walsh, Alan Hannaford, Peter Walsh, Alan Detroit Charles Scribner's Sons 2008 New Dictionary of Scientific Biography Koertge, Noretta 7 228-233 Journal Article: [Alan Walsh Commemorative Issue] Amos, Max; Hannaford, Peter; Slavin, Walter; Willis, John [Alan Walsh Commemorative Issue] 1999 Spectrochimica Acta B 54 14 1933-2182 Resource Section: Walsh, Sir Alan (1916 - 1998), physicist and inventor of atomic absorption spectroscopy Spurling, T. H. Walsh, Sir Alan (1916 - 1998), physicist and inventor of atomic absorption spectroscopy Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 2022 Australian dictionary of biography Newspaper Article: Sir Alan Walsh: physicist and inventor Willis, John Sir Alan Walsh: physicist and inventor 1998 Age (Melbourne) 20 August 22 Journal Article: Sir Alan Walsh. 19 December 1916 - 3 August 1998 Hannaford, Peter Sir Alan Walsh. 19 December 1916 - 3 August 1998 2000 Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 46 533-64 Resource: Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture Australian Academy of Science Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture Australian Academy of Science 2025 Journal Article: Alan Walsh and the atomic absorption story: celebrating 60 years Hannaford, Peter Alan Walsh and the atomic absorption story: celebrating 60 years 2013 Australian Physics 50 6 188-94 Book: Australian inventions and innovations Ingpen, Robert Australian inventions and innovations Rigby Publishers Limited 1982 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 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 Book: Engineering a Legacy: Memories of the journey of CSIRO Chemical Engineering Beale, Bob Engineering a Legacy: Memories of the journey of CSIRO Chemical Engineering Clayton, Victoria CSIRO Minerals 2005