P005151 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2012-06-19 human Rebecca Rigby updated 2025-04-10 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005151b.htm person Whiteley Kenneth James AACR2 28 January 1934 Place of Birth Eumungerie, New South Wales, Australia Wool expert Wool expert Ken Whitley was a lecturer, and later associate professor in Wool Science at the University of New South Wales from 1959 to 1980. From 1980 to 1998 he worked at the CSIRO, beginning as a Senior Principal Research Scientist in the Division of Textile Physics and later becoming Foundation Chief of the newly-established Division of Wool Technology (1988 to 1996). Whitely is known for his contribution to the development and implementation of methods for the objective measurement of wool in the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to this, the Australian wool industry ran entirely on a traditional system of 'hand and eye' measurement and quality assessment. The introduction of standardised pre-sale testing of raw wool and structured categorisation of wool fibre characteristics completely revolutionised the wool industry and dramatically improved the efficiency of wool valuation and trading in Australia.

In 1989 Whitleley (with colleagues) was awarded the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for the introduction of objective measurement into the marketing of Australian raw wool.

1955 1955 Education - Bachelor of Science (Wool Technology), New South Wales University of Technology 1955 1957 Career position - Teaching Fellow in the School of Wool Technology, NSW University of Technology 1957 1959 Career position - Research Fellow, University of Leeds, UK 1959 1980 Career position - Lecturer, Senior Lecturer then Associate Professor in Wool Science, University of New South Wales 1980 1984 Career position - Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Textile Physics 1981 1981 Award - Umbrae Memorial Award (Gold medal), by the Government of South Australia 1984 1987 Career position - Chief of CSIRO Division of Textile Physics 1988 1988 Award - Warner Memorial Medal of the Textile Institute in Manchester 1988 1996 Career position - Foundation Chief of CSIRO Division of Wool Technology 1989 1989 Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (shared with eight others from CSIRO and external bodies) 1996 1998 Career position - Sector coordinator for wool and textile research in CSIRO CSIRO Division of Wool Technology, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1988 - 1999)

Chief of the Division 1988 - 1996

 CSIRO Division of Textile Physics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1958 - 1988)

Chief 1984 - 1987

 CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (1985 - )

Awarded the Medal (with colleagues) 1989

 Whiteley, Kenneth James (19340128-)

Trove

 'Whiteley, Kenneth James', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Whiteley, Kenneth James Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: From Fleece to Fabric, 1948-1998: 50 Years of Wool Textile Research Williams, V. A. From Fleece to Fabric, 1948-1998: 50 Years of Wool Textile Research Geelong CSIRO Wool Technology 1998 Resource Section: Kenneth James Whiteley Ward, C. Kenneth James Whiteley Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Source used to compile entry

 Resource Section: CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award Ward, Colin CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2013 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)