P003619 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2001-05-25 human Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn updated 2026-01-15 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003619b.htm person Thompson Arthur Melville FAA AACR2 4 January 1917 9 August 2009 Place of Birth Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Physicist Mel Thompson was a physicist who started work at the National Standards Laboratory in 1940 and retired in 1982 as Chief Research Scientist from the CSIRO Division of Applied Physics. Occasionally he was Acting Director of the Laboratory. Thompson's major contributions were in the precise measurement of physical quantities, particularly electrical. This work underpinned a revolution in accurate measurement globally. In 1956, Thompson and Douglas Lampard produced a new theorem in electrostatics which allowed the electrical capacitance of a four-cylinder system to be calculated in absolute terms from one measurement of length. The result was the Lampard-Thompson capacitor noted for its absolute accuracy of measurement. 1938 1938 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Adelaide 1940 1940 Career event - Joined CSIR National Standards Laboratory 1944 1962 Career position - Research Officer, National Standards Laboratory, CSIR(O) 1962 1971 Career position - Chief Research Officer, National Standards Laboratory, CSIRO 1965 1965 Award - Sperry Medal (jointly with D.G. Lampard), Instrument Society of America 1971 1974 Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics 1972 2009 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1974 1979 Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO National Measurement Laboratory 1977 1977 Award - Morris E. Lee Award for outstanding advances in electrical measurements, particularly capacitance and resistance, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1979 1982 Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics 1982 Career position - Honorary Senior Research Fellow, CSIRO 1982 1982 Life event - Retired 1 Jan 2001 1 Jan 2001 Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and science CSIRO Division of Applied Physics [II], Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1979 - 1996)

Chief Research Scientist 1979 - 1982

 National Measurement Laboratory - CSIRO, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1974 - 1979)

Chief Research Scientist 1974 - 1979

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Fellow 1972 - 2009

 CSIRO Division of Applied Physics [I], Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1962 - 1974)

Chief Research Scientist 1971 - 1974

 Thompson, Arthur Melville (19170104-20090809)

Trove

 'Thompson, Arthur Melville (Mel)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Thompson, Arthur Melville (Mel) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Mel Thompson Anon Mel Thompson 2009 Newsletter, Australian Academy of Science 77 11 Journal Article: Arthur Melville Thompson 1917-2009 Inglis, Barry D. Arthur Melville Thompson 1917-2009 2014 Historical Records of Australian Science 25 2 306-12 Resource Section: Arthur Melville Thompson Ward, C. Arthur Melville Thompson Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)