P000915 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 Rosanne Walker updated 2026-02-19 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000915b.htm person Woolley Richard van der Riet Kt FAA FRS AACR2 24 April 1906 24 December 1986 Place of Birth Weymouth, Dorset, England Astronomer Science administrator Richard Woolley was Director of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory (and its successor) at Mount Stromlo 1939-1955, Astronomer Royal, United Kingdom 1956-1971 and Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory 1972-1976. He was an early and consistent advocate for the Anglo-Australian telescope. 1928 1928 Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Cambridge c. 1929 c. 1929 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Cape Town 1929 1931 Career position - Commonwealth Fund Fellowship, Mt Wilson Observatory, California 1931 1931 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Cambridge 1931 1933 Career position - Isaac Newton Student, University of Cambridge 1933 1937 Career position - Chief Assistant, Royal Observatory, Greenwich 1937 1939 Career position - John Couch Adams Astronomer, University of Cambridge 1939 c. 1950 Career position - Director, Commonwealth Solar Observatory c. 1950 1955 Career position - Director, Commonwealth Observatory 1950 1955 Career position - Professor of Astronomy, Australian National University 1951 1951 Education - Doctor of Science (ScD), University of Cambridge 1953 1953 Career event - Petitioner for the Australian Academy of Science 1953 1953 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Commonwealth Astronomer 1953 1953 Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS) 1954 1986 Award - Founding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1955 1955 Award - Pollock Memorial Lecture, Royal Society of New South Wales 1955 1955 Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne 1955 1955 Career position - President, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1956 1956 Award - Scott Lectureship in Physics, University of Cambridge 1956 1971 Career position - Astronomer Royal, United Kingdom 1963 1963 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) 1963 1965 Career position - President, Royal Astronomical Society 1968 1986 Award - Honorary Fellow, Astronomical Society of Australia 1971 1971 Award - Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society 1972 1976 Career position - Inaugural Director, South African Astronomical Observatory Gascoigne, Sidney Charles Bartholemew (1915 - 2010) Commonwealth Observatory (c. 1950 - 1957)

Director c.1950 - 1955

 Commonwealth Solar Observatory, Commonwealth of Australia (1924 - c. 1950)

Director 1939 - c.1950

 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) (1930 - )

President 1955

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Petitioner for the Academy 1953, Founding Fellow 1954 - 1986

 Optical Munitions Panel (1940 - 1945)

Served on the Panel, 1940 - 1945, managing its work through Mount Stromlo.

 Pollock Award and Lectureship in the Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Royal Society of New South Wales (1949 - )

Awarded the Pollock Memorial Lecture 1955

 Army Inventions Directorate, Commonwealth of Australia (1942 - 1946)

Chief Executive Officer 1942

 Astronomical Society of Australia (1966 - )

Honorary Fellow 1968 - 1986

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Woolley, Richard Van Der Riet (19060424-19861224)

Trove

 'Woolley, Richard van der Riet', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Woolley, Richard van der Riet Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Journal Article: Bok, Woolley and Australian Astronomy Gascoigne, S. C. B. Bok, Woolley and Australian Astronomy 1992 Historical Records of Australian Science 9 2 119-126 Book: Fire in the Belly: the First Fifty Years of the Pioneer School at the ANU Ophel, Trevor and Jenkin, John Fire in the Belly: the First Fifty Years of the Pioneer School at the ANU Canberra Research School of Physical Science and Engineering, Institute of Advanced Studies, ANU 1996 Resource Section: Woolley, Richard van der Riet Woolley, Richard van der Riet Australian Science Archives Project 1997 The Giant's Eye: the Optical Munitions Exhibition A Bright Sparcs Exhibition Resource Section: Woolley, Richard van der Reit Woolley, Richard van der Reit Australian Science Archives Project 1995 Physics in Australia to 1945 R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham Journal Article: Richard van der Reit Woolley 1906-86 McCrea, S. W. Richard van der Reit Woolley 1906-86 1988 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 3 315-345 Journal Article: R. v.d. R. Woolley in Australia Davies, Susan R. v.d. R. Woolley in Australia 1984 Historical Records of Australian Science 6 1 59-69 Book: The Longest Tyranny: an Inaugural Lecture Delivered at Canberra on 28 July 1955 Woolley, Richard van der Riet The Longest Tyranny: an Inaugural Lecture Delivered at Canberra on 28 July 1955 Canberra Australian National University 1955 Journal Article: Mount Stromlo Observatory Woolley, Richard van der Riet Mount Stromlo Observatory 1968 Records of the Australian Academy of Science 1 3 53-57 Journal Article: Richard van der Riet Woolley, 24 April 1906 - 24 December 1986 McCrae, William Hunter Richard van der Riet Woolley, 24 April 1906 - 24 December 1986 1988 Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 34 923-82 Journal Article: From the Sun to Universe - the Woolley and Bok Directorships at Mount Stromlo Hyland, A. R.; and Faulkner, D. J. From the Sun to Universe - the Woolley and Bok Directorships at Mount Stromlo 1989 Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia 8 2 216-228 Journal Article: Astrophysics at Mount Stromlo: the Woolley Era Gascoigne, S. C. B. Astrophysics at Mount Stromlo: the Woolley Era 1984 Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia 5 597-605 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: How Mount Stromlo Observatory shed its imperial beginnings Bhathal, Ragbir How Mount Stromlo Observatory shed its imperial beginnings 2014 A&G: News and Reviews in Astronomy & Geophysics 55 6 6.33-6.35 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: Edward George Bowen 1911-1991 Brown, R. Hanbury; Minnett, Harry C; White, Fredrick W. G. Edward George Bowen 1911-1991 1992 Historical Records of Australian Science 9 2 151-166 Resource: A Wartime Observatory Observed - the Mount Stromlo Community, 1940-1945 Sherratt, Tim; Condé, Anne-Marie A Wartime Observatory Observed - the Mount Stromlo Community, 1940-1945 Canberra Australian Science Archives Project 1994 Richard van der Riet Woolley - Records Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science Richard van der Riet Woolley - Records MS 194 July 1927 Diary of Cambridge University expedition to Edge Island, July 1927 (photocopy of original donated to the Royal Astronomical Society, London). 0.01 m Richard van der Riet Woolley Richard van der Riet Woolley All rights reserved.

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