P001336 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] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-02-10 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001336b.htm person Harper Arthur Frederick Alan AACR2 5 July 1913 10 September 1991 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Physicist Arthur Harper was a physicist noted for his contributions to Australian standards, and to Australia's conversion to the metric system. He joined the Physics Section of the CSIR National Measurement Laboratory in 1940 where, initially, he was involved in a pyrometry measurement service in relation to nation's metallurgical industries. For many years he was Leader of the Heat Section in the Division of Physics. Much of his research involved establishing and maintaining the standards of viscometry and hygrometry (with colleague R. D. Wylie), and low-temperature properties of materials (with W. R.G. Kemp, P. G. Klemens, J. A. Rayne and G. K. White). Harper was a committed advocate for the introduction of the metric system in Australia. In 1971 he left CSIRO to become Executive Member of the Metric Conversion Board and was credited with being responsible for the successful conversion program. Harper was one of the principal people behind the establishment of the Australian Institute of Physics in 1962, subsequently serving as President from 1969 to 1970. In 1988 the Institute established A. F. A. Harper Scholarship, awarded annually for excellence in the study of physics. 1933 1933 Career event - Co-founder, Sydney University Physics Society 1934 1934 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney 1935 1935 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney 1935 1938 Career position - State physicist to hospitals, Cancer Research Committee, University of Sydney 1936 1936 Career position - President, Sydney University Science Society 1938 1938 Career position - President, Physics Section, Royal Society of New South Wales 1939 1940 Career event - Training at National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom 1939 1940 Award - Science and Industry Research Scholarship, CSIR Physics Section 1940 1945 Career position - Research Scientist, CSIR Physics Section 1945 1950 Career position - Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Physics 1945 1971 Career position - Leader, Heat Section, CSIRO Division of Physics within National Standards Laboratory 1947 1969 Career position - Chairman, Heat and Temperature Measurement Regulation Advisory Committee, National Association of Testing Authorities 1950 1957 Career position - Principal Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Physics 1957 1971 Career position - Senior Principal Research Officer, CSIRO Division of Physics 1959 1960 Career position - President, Royal Society of New South Wales 1962 1966 Career position - Secretary, Australian Branch, Institute of Physics 1965 1970 Career position - Secretary, National Standards Commission 1965 1980 Career position - Australian representative, International Organisation for Legal Metrology 1967 1967 Award - Royal Society of New South Wales Medal 1967 1968 Career position - Technical Consultant, Senate Select Committee on Metric System 1969 1970 Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physics 1970 Career position - Member of Council, Standards Association of Australia 1971 Career position - Executive Member, Metric Conversion Board 1972 1975 Career position - Member, Papua New Guinea Metric Conversion Commission 1975 1991 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics 1976 1976 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished public service of a high degree in the field of metric conversion 1978 1981 Career position - Chairman, National Standards Commission Royal Society of New South Wales (1866 - )

President 1959 - 1960

 Standards Association of Australia (1929 - 1988)

Member of Council 1970 -

 National Association of Testing Authorities (1947 - )

Chairman, Heat and Temperature Measurement Regulation Advisory Committee 1947 - 1969

 National Standards Commission (1950 - )

Chairman 1978 - 1981

 Australian Institute of Physics (1963 - )

President 1969 - 1970; Honorary Fellow 1975 - 1991

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

Senior Principal Research Scientist 1957 - 1971

 Royal Society of New South Wales Medal (1884 - )

Awarded the Medal 1967

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Harper, Alan (19130705-19910910)

Trove

 'Harper, Arthur Frederick Alan', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Harper, Arthur Frederick Alan Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: Primary description of person CP 619; Arthur Frederick Alan Harper Primary description of person CP 619; Arthur Frederick Alan Harper National Archives of Australia 2000 RecordSearch Resource Section: Harper, Arthur Frederick Alan Harper, Arthur Frederick Alan Australian Science Archives Project 1995 Physics in Australia to 1945 R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham Journal Article: Alan Harper: father of metric conversion Foley, Cathy; and James, Brian Alan Harper: father of metric conversion 2007 Australian physics 44 1 23 Journal Article: Obituary: Arthur Frederick Alan Harper AO, MSc, CPhys, FInstP, Hon FAIP 1913 - 1991 Collins, J. G. Obituary: Arthur Frederick Alan Harper AO, MSc, CPhys, FInstP, Hon FAIP 1913 - 1991 1991 Australian and New Zealand physicist 28 11 236-7 Edited Book: Who's who in Australia 1980 Draper, W. J. Who's who in Australia 1980 23rd Melbourne Herald and Weekly Times Ltd 1980 Book: For good measure: the making of Australia's measurement system Todd, Jan For good measure: the making of Australia's measurement system Sydney Allen & Unwin 2004 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 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 Arthur Frederick Alan Harper - Records Private hands (Nickolls, R.) Arthur Frederick Alan Harper - Records 1913 - 1990 Autobiographical notes covering his early life in the Gloucester/Barrington area where his father was a Methodist minister, his years in England with relatives, his student days at the University of Sydney and as the first hospital physicist, and his training in England during the Second World War for the National Standards Laboratory which culminated in his work as Executive Officer of the Metric Conversion Board; they also cover the establishment of the Australian Institute of Physics [200 pages]. 1 volume Arthur Frederick Alan Harper - Records National Library of Australia Oral History Collection Arthur Frederick Alan Harper - Records DeB 1164 1934 - 1980 Oral history recording with Hazel de Berg 17 June 1980, c51 minutes, 17 page transcript [DeB 1164]. 1 reel Audio