P001291 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 McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-14 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001291b.htm person Cumming Ronald William FTS AACR2 9 April 1920 31 December 1986 Place of Birth Perth, Western Australia, Australia Place of Death Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Engineer Psychologist Ronald Cumming was an engineer who, started his career in aeronautics. As a Research Scientist at the CSIRO Division of Aeronautics (later Aeronautical Research Laboratories) he conducted research on human factors in aviation and aviation safety. His group worked on the highly successful T-VASIS, a visual landing system for aircraft, and was responsible for the design of the interior cockpit layout for the Boeing 707. In 1956 Cumming became Reader in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Much of his research was focussed on road safety. As a Member of the Australian Road Research Board he was part of the group that persuaded the Victorian Government to introduce, in 1970, the compulsory wearing of seat belts in road vehicles, the first jurisdiction in the world to do so. Cumming's later career included terms as Director of the Caulfield Institute of Technology and Visiting Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at theUniversity of Melbourne. 1941 1949 Career position - Research Scientist, CSIR Division of Aeronautics 4 January 1945 4 January 1945 Life event - Married Betty Gent. They had four children 1949 1955 Career position - Research Scientist, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Commonwealth Department of Supply and Engineering 1956 1966 Career position - Member, Human Engineering Group, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Commonwealth Department of Supply and Engineering 1956 1979 Career position - Reader in Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne 1960 Career position - Member, Australian Roads Research Board 1960 1960 Education - AM (Psychology), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. 1979 1982 Career position - Director, Caulfield Institute of Technology 1979 1986 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS) 1983 1983 Award - Doctor of Engineering (DEng), honoris causa, University of Melbourne 1983 1986 Career position - Visiting Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Melbourne Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) (1960 - 1995)

Member 1960 - ?

 CSIR Division of Aeronautics, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1940 - 1949)

Research Scientist 1941 - 1949

 Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Department of Supply and Development (1949 - 1994)

Research Scientist 1949 - 1955; member of the Human Engineering Research Group 1956 - 1966

 Faculty of Engineering, The University of Melbourne (1860 - )

Reader in Mechanical Engineering 1956 - 1979; Visiting Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 1983-1986

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Fellow 1978 - 1986

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

Member 1974-1978

 Gent, Betty Lovell (1921 - 2003)

Spouse

 Cumming, Malcolm James (1934 - 2019) Cumming, Ronald William (19201021-)

Trove

 'Cumming, Ronald William', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Cumming, Ronald William Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Ronald William Cumming Guide to Records Cytowicz, Barbara, McCarthy, Ann, and McCarthy, Gavan Ronald William Cumming Guide to Records Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2007 Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Book: A History of Defence Science in Australia Wisdom, John A History of Defence Science in Australia Melbourne Defence Science and Technology Organisation 1995 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 Ronald William Cumming - Records State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection Ronald William Cumming - Records MS 13551 Small collection of records regarding the Aeronautical Research Laboratories.