P004623 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2005-10-10 human Annette Alafaci updated 2025-10-14 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004623b.htm person Gentilli Joseph Hefetz AO FRMetS FRGS AACR2 13 March 1912 8 August 2002 Place of Birth San Daniele del Friuli, Italy Place of Death Western Australia, Australia Geographer Climate scientist Joseph Hefetz Gentilli was a key figure in Australian climatology and an equally capable geographer. Gentilli migrated to Australia as a war refugee in 1939 and soon gained employment as a lecturer in statistics at the University of Western Australia (1940). He remained at the University for over fifty years and was founder of its Department of Geography. Gentilli was one of the first to report on the Northwest Cloudbands which originate over the Indian Ocean and occasionally blow across Australia, sometimes bringing with them widespread rain and storms to the south. He also made some of the earliest studies of Western Australia's climate records looking for evidence of changes which may have influenced an increase in soil salinity (1952) and in 1977 was part of a world panel of climatologists who examined the phenomenon of climate change and its possible impacts. Joseph Gentilli published widely, in four different languages, and received many honours and awards including being appointed a Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He was also involved in many professional scientific bodies, was President of the Geographical Society of Western Australia and a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society (FRMetS) and the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). 1934 1934 Education - Doctorate in Political Science, University of Venice Economics Institute in Italy 1934 1935 Career position - Junior Lecturer in Geography, University of Florence 1935 c. 1936 Life event - Evaded military service by disappearing 'over the mountains' and court-martialled on his return 1939 1940 Career position - Lecturer of Statistics (part-time), University of Western Australia 20 August 1939 20 August 1939 Life event - Migrated to Australia (Fremantle, Western Australia) 1940 1942 Career position - Lecturer in Economics, University of Western Australia 1941 Career position - Lectured in Geography and introduced Economic Geography to the University of Western Australia 1969 1969 Award - Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 1977 c. 1997 Career position - Retired and appointed Honorary Research Fellow, University of Western Australia 1981 1981 Education - Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Western Australia 1988 2002 Award - Honorary Life Member of the Institute of Australian Geographers 1992 1992 Award - John Lewis Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch 1996 1996 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of service to the study and teaching of geography, particularly in the areas of climatology and immigration studies 1998 1998 Award - Griffith Taylor Medal, Institute of Australian Geographers 1998 1998 Career position - Keynote Speaker at the Australia New Zealand Climate Forum in Perth The University of Western Australia (1911 - )

Founded Department of Geography; retired 1977

 Institute of Australian Geographers (1959 - )

Honorary Life Member 1988 - 2002

 John Lewis Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australia Branch (1947 - )

Awarded the Medal 1992

 Griffith Taylor Medal, Institute of Australian Geographers (1989 - )

Awarded the Medal 1998

 The Western Australian naturalist (1947 - )

Editor 1956

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Gentilli, J (1912-2002)

Trove

 'Gentilli, Joseph Hefetz', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Gentilli, Joseph Hefetz Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Gentilli, Joseph Hefetz (Italy-Australia 1912-2000) Smith, Charles H. Gentilli, Joseph Hefetz (Italy-Australia 1912-2000) Journal Article: Obituary: Joseph Gentilli 13th March 1912 to 1st August 2000 Cramb, J. Obituary: Joseph Gentilli 13th March 1912 to 1st August 2000 2000 Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society 13 109-111 Journal Article: Obituary: Joseph Gentilli Armstrong, Patrick Obituary: Joseph Gentilli 2001 Australian Geographical Studies 39 2 249-252 Journal Article: A History of Meteorological and Climatological Studies in Australia Gentilli, J. A History of Meteorological and Climatological Studies in Australia 1967 University Studies in History 5 54-88 Resource: GT [Griffith Taylor] Medal Institute of Australian Geographers GT [Griffith Taylor] Medal Institute of Australian Geographers 2025