P008033 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2026-05-13 human Gavan McCarthy updated 2026-05-20 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P008033b.htm person Webb John Mark OAM FRACI AACR2 17 December 1944 Place of Birth Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia Science diplomat Inorganic chemist Science teacher John Webb was a distinguished Australian chemist and science diplomat whose career was built on education in Australia and the USA in the emerging field of biological inorganic chemistry. A champion of collaborative research across disciplines as well as of Australian scientists engaging internationally, particularly in Asia, he was awarded the OAM. A life-long supporter of UNESCO, he accepted a diplomatic role for Australia in the High Commission in Delhi, India, where the Australia India Strategic Research Fund was established. His diplomatic responsibilities extended also to Pakistan and Nepal. At the University of Melbourne, he had a key role in establishing the Australia India Institute. In his later years he was an active member of the Swinburne University of Technology, History of Science Research Group, under the Office of the Swinburne Chief Scientist.

His major scientific publications include:

Mann, S, Webb J and Williams RJP (Editors) Biomineralization: Chemical and Biochemical Perspectives, VCH Verlagesellschaft, Weinheim, Germany (1989); review in Nature Volume 343, page 226 (1990), https://doi.org/10.1038/343226a0

Clarke PE and Webb J Mossbauer Spectroscopic Studies on Hemerythrin from 'Phascolosoma lurco', Biochemistry 20, 4628-32 (1981)

St Pierre TG, Chua-anusorn W, Webb J, Macey DJ, and Pootrakul P The form of iron oxide deposits in thalassemic tissues varies between different groups of patients: a comparison between Thai beta-thalassemia/hemoglobin E patients and Australian beta-thalassemia patients. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1407, 51-60 (1998)

Mann S, Perry CC, Webb J, Luke B and Williams RJP. Structure, morphology, composition and organization of biogenic minerals in limpet teeth. Proc. Royal Soc (B) 227, 179-187 (1986)

1968 1968 Education - B.Sc. first class honours, inorganic chemistry and University Medal, University of Sydney; CSIRO scholarship to USA 1972 1972 Education - Ph.D. in chemistry with minors in biochemistry and political science, California Institute of Technology; thesis Structural Studies of Some polynuclear Iron Proteins. 1973 1975 Career position - Research Fellow, University of Alabama Medical School, Birmingham, USA 1975 1977 Career position - Research Fellow, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University 1977 2005 Career position - Lecturer, then senior appointments leading to Professor, Murdoch University, Perth Australia 1978 1978 Education - Diploma of Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia 1981 1981 Award - Fulbright Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology, USA 1984 1984 Career position - Visiting Fellow, Inorganic chemistry, University of Oxford, UK 1984 1986 Career position - Honorary Secretary, UNESCO Network for Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry (ANAIC) 1986 1986 Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI) 1990 1990 Career event - Co-founder, with Professor Wang Kui of Beijing University, continuing conference series on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry starting in Wuhan China 1990 2000 Career position - Honorary Director, Network for Instrumentation Development, Maintenance and Repair (NIDMAR) 1994 1994 Award - Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Sydney International House for outstanding contribution to the international community. 1996 1996 Award - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - for forming research networks in Asia and for research in bioinorganic chemistry 1999 1999 Career event - Member, Australian national delegation (led by Gareth Evans MP) to UNESCO's World Conference on Science, Budapest, Hungary 1999 2004 Career position - Member, Australian National Commission of UNESCO 2001 2001 Award - Citation, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, for 'contributions to chemistry and the RACI, particularly through the International Relations Committee and the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies, over many years' 2002 2003 Career position - Senior Consultant (science and education), UNESCO, Paris 2005 Award - Emeritus Professor, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia 2005 2008 Career position - Counsellor (Education, Science and Training), Australian High Commission, New Delhi, India; responsibilities also in Nepal and Pakistan 2005 2008 Career position - Foundation member, Advisory Board for UNESCO's International Basic Sciences Program 2006 2006 Award - Life member and Fellow, Federation of Asian Chemical Societies 2008 2011 Career position - Deputy Director and Professor, Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria 2012 2014 Career position - Professorial Fellow, Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Victoria 2015 2024 Career position - Adjunct Professor, Centre for Transformative Innovation, School of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 2018 2020 Career position - Council member, Victorian Branch of Australian Institute for International Affairs 2024 Career position - Adjunct Professor, History of Science Research Group, Office of the Swinburne Chief Scientist, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria Spurling, Thomas Harley (Tom) (1940 - ) Murdoch University (1973 - )

Lecturer, then senior appointments leading to Professor, 1977-2005; Emeritus Professor, 2005 onwards

 Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (1979 - )

Life member and Fellow, 2006

 'Webb, John Mark', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Webb, John Mark Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Science diplomacy: where chemistry is crucial Webb, J,M.; Spurling, T.H.; Simpson, G.W. Science diplomacy: where chemistry is crucial Israel Chemical Society (ICS) 2021 AsiaChem Magazine November 2021 26-31 Journal Article: The Great War brought us tragedy but it also birthed Australian science Spurling, Tom; Webb, John Mark The Great War brought us tragedy but it also birthed Australian science Australia The Conversation AU 2015 The Conversation Journal Article: William Percy Wilkinson: analytical chemist, ampelographer and provocateur Spurling, T. H.; Webb, J. M. William Percy Wilkinson: analytical chemist, ampelographer and provocateur 2017 Chemistry in Australia 2017 March 33 Resource: Experts Search Swiburne University of Technology Experts Search Swinburne University of Technology 2022