P007956 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2026-01-23 human Helen Cohn updated 2026-03-19 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007956b.htm person Buckingham Amyand David FAA FRS CBE AACR2 28 January 1930 4 February 2021 Place of Birth Pymble, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Cambridge, United Kingdom Theoretical physicist Chemical physicist University Administrator David Buckingham was a physicist who made fundamental theoretical and experimental contributions to the understanding of optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules. In his research he explored the basics of intermolecular forces (with relevance to aspects of molecular biology and genomics) and nonlinear optics (intrinsic to laser-based technology and telecommunications). His interests were wide-ranging and included a direct method of measurement of quadrupole moments of molecules (measured in buckinghams) and the determination of the first accurate values of hyperpolarizability using the Kerr effect. Born in Australia, Buckingham spent most of his career at the University of Cambridge, retiring in 1997 after nearly 30 years as Professor of Chemistry. A Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, he received a number of awards for his research, including the Harrie Massey Medal and Prize, from the Australian Institute of Physics and the Institute of Physics, and the Royal Society of New South Wales Edgeworth David Medal. Buckingham was a talented cricketer. 1951 1951 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc (hons)), University of Sydney 1952 2021? Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1953 1953 Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney 1955 1955 Education - PhD, University of Cambridge 1955 1957 Award - 1851 Exhibition Senior Student, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford 1958 1958 Award - Rennie Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1958 1965 Career position - Lecturer, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Cambridge 1963 1966 Career position - Associate Editor, Journal of chemical physics 1965 1969 Career position - Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bristol, United Kingdom 1968 1972 Career position - Editor, Molecular physics 1969 1997 Career position - Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge 1970 1970 Award - Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1973 1987 Career position - Member, Advisory Council, Royal Military College of Science 1974 1978 Career position - Member, Council of the Senate, University of Cambridge 1975 2021 Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London 1978 1999 Career position - Editor, Chemical physics letters 1978 2021 Award - Fellow, Optical Society of America 1982 1984 Career position - Chairman, Advisory Council, Royal Military College of Science 1985 1985 Education - ScD, University of Cambridge 1985 1989 Career position - Chairman of the Board, Faculty of Physics and Chemistry, University of Cambridge 1986 2021 Award - Fellow, American Physical Union 1987 1989 Career position - President, Faraday Division, Royal Society of Chemistry 1990 2009 Life event - President, Cambridge University Cricket Club 1992 2021 Award - Foreign Associate, United States National Academy of Science 1993 1993 Award - DSc honoris causa, University of Sydney 1995 1995 Award - Harrie Massey Medal and Prize, Australian Institute of Physics and Institute of Physics, United Kingdom 1996 1996 Award - Elected Foreign Member, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 1996 1996 Award - Hughes Medal, Royal Society, London 1997 1997 Life event - Retired 1997 1997 Award - Companion of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 1997 2021 Career position - Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Cambridge 1998 1998 Award - Faraday Lectureship and Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry 1999 1999 Award - Burrows Award, Inorganic Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemistry Institute 1999 2001 Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society, London 2001 2001 Award - C. H. Townes Award, Optical Society of America 2006 2006 Award - Inaugural Ahmed Zewali Prize in Molecular Sciences, American University on Cairo 2008 2021 Award - Corresponding Fellow, Australian Academy of Science Burrows Award, RACI - Inorganic Chemistry Division (1975 - )

Received the Award 1999

 1851 Exhibition Scholarship Awards, Australia (1891 - )

1851 Exhibition Overseas Scholarship?: 1955-1957. [Senior Student, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford]

 Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales (1948 - )

Awarded the Medal 1970

 Rennie Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1931 - )

Awarded the Medal 1958

 Harrie Massey Medal and Prize, Australian Institute of Physics (1990 - )

Awarded the Medal 1995

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Corresponding Fellow 2008 - 2021

 'Buckingham, Amyand David (David)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Buckingham, Amyand David (David) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986 Aroney, M. J.; Buckingham, A. D. Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1905-1986 1988 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 3 273-297 Journal Article: Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1 April 1905 - 26 August 1986, elected F.R.S. 1959 Aroney, M. J.; and Buckingham, A. D. Raymond James Wood Le Fèvre 1 April 1905 - 26 August 1986, elected F.R.S. 1959 1988 Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 34 375-403 Resource: The Academy's Fellows [Fellows elected between 2001 and 2010] Australian Academy of Science The Academy's Fellows [Fellows elected between 2001 and 2010] Canberra Australian Academy of Science 2025 Edited Book: Optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules - a review of the work of A. D. Buckingham . Clary, D. C., and Orr, B. J. Optical, electric and magnetic properties of molecules - a review of the work of A. D. Buckingham . Amsterdam Elsevier 1997 Journal Article: Amyand David Buckingham Anon Amyand David Buckingham 1996 Molecular physics 87 4 711-24 Newspaper Article: Scientist had molecular unit named after him: Amyand David Buckingham, 1930 - 2021 Orr, Brian Scientist had molecular unit named after him: Amyand David Buckingham, 1930 - 2021 2021 Sydney morning herald 2 March Journal Article: Amyand David Buckingham, 28 January 1930 - 4 February 2021 Clary, David C.; and Orr, Brian J. Amyand David Buckingham, 28 January 1930 - 4 February 2021 2022 Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 72 77-99 Journal Article: Amyand David Buckingham 1930 - 2021 Clary, David C.; and Orr, Brian J. Amyand David Buckingham 1930 - 2021 2022 Historical Records of Australian Science 33 1 28-41