Vale Professor John de Laeter - Memorial Service Details
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
It is with sadness we advise that Professor John de Laeter died on Monday 16 August 2010.
A service to celebrate John's life will be held on Friday, 20 August 2010, 9.30am at the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, 497 Marmion Street, Booragoon.
John was a colleague, friend and mentor to many current and former CSIRO staff. He was a committee member of the CSIRO Western Australian State Committee from 1974/1975 until 1982/1983, Chairman of the CSIRO Western Australian State Committee from 1983/1984 until 1985/1986 and member of CSIRO Advisory Council from 1983/1984 until 1985/1986. He was on the CSIRO Board from December 1991 until December 1995.
He had a long and illustrious career at Curtin University, beginning as the inaugural Head of Physics of WAIT (the pre-cursor to Curtin) in 1968, and moving up through the ranks over the years as Dean of Science, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Engineering and Science, Acting Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Development.
John will be remembered as one of Australia's outstanding scientists, for his research achievements and support and patronage of science education and being instrumental in setting up the Technology Park, the Gravity Discovery Centre and Scitech. His many scientific achievements include measuring the atomic weight of 12 elements, mapping the geological age of WA rocks and finding ways to store nuclear waste.
John was also a member of the Australian SKA Consortium and provided early support towards the establishment of the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory on Boolardy Station in the State’s Mid West region. This site is Australia's candidate site for the international megascience square kilometre array radio telescope project.
We have set up a tribute blog on AxON in honour of Professor John de Laeter. Please feel free to write comments and reminiscences of John on this blog which we will pass on to his family. Alumni members are able to add a 'new post' to the blog page directly. If you are not an Alumni member and would like to contribute, please send your comments and reminiscences to susan.smith@csiro.au, subject Vale Professor John de Laeter and we would be happy to add your comments to the blog.
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