David Rivett
Encyclopedia
Sir David Rivett, KCMG
(4 December 1885 – 1 April 1961) was an Australia
n chemist and science administrator.
Rivett was born at Port Esperance, Tasmania
, Australia. He studied at Wesley College
in Melbourne
and the University of Melbourne
, where he was a member of Queen's College
, obtaining a BSc in 1906 and a DSc in 1913. He was a Rhodes Scholar
at Lincoln College
, University of Oxford
, where he did research under the supervision of Nevil Sidgwick in the laboratories of Magdalen College
. He was awarded a BA in 1909 with First Class Honours and a BSc in 1910. In 1911 he married Stella Deakin, daughter of Alfred Deakin
, a research chemist, who he had first meet while both were students at the University of Melbourne.
After leaving Oxford he spent a year at the Nobel Institute of Physical Chemistry at Stockholm
in 1910 working with the Director, Svante Arrhenius
. He then returned to Australia as Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Melbourne from 1911 to 1921. He became Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne in 1921 and succeeded Professor David Orme Masson
, with whom he had previously worked, as Professor of Chemistry in 1924. From 1923 to 1927, he lived in what is now University House at the University of Melbourne.
In 1914 he was organizing secretary of the 84th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
, with the committee chaired by David Orme Masson. This was the first time the meeting had been held outside the United Kingdom. Rivett left extensive archives of this meeting.
Rivett was away from Australia during World War I
from 1915 to 1919. In August, 1915 he accepted a commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps Reserve but from 1917 he was involved in the production of pure ammonium nitrate, used for exposives, at the British munitions works at Swindon
. The understanding gained their lead to the publication in 1924 of The Phase Rule and the Study of Heterogeneous Equilibria, and to an appreciation of the value of fundamental research for industrial applications.
He was Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 'Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
' (CSIR) from 1927 to 1946 and Chairman of the Council of the renamed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) from 1946 to 1949.
In 1935 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941 and was a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
in 1954. He served as President of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
from 1937 to 1939. He died at Sydney
, New South Wales
in 1961.
The Australian Capital Territory
suburb of Rivett
is named after him.
. They had two children, Rohan Deakin (1917 - 1977) and Kenneth.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(4 December 1885 – 1 April 1961) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n chemist and science administrator.
Rivett was born at Port Esperance, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia. He studied at Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, where he was a member of Queen's College
Queen's College (University of Melbourne)
Queen's College is a residential College affiliated with the University of Melbourne providing accommodation to 220 students who are attending the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT University and Monash University's Victorian College of Pharmacy.In addition to the...
, obtaining a BSc in 1906 and a DSc in 1913. He was a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
at Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he did research under the supervision of Nevil Sidgwick in the laboratories of Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. He was awarded a BA in 1909 with First Class Honours and a BSc in 1910. In 1911 he married Stella Deakin, daughter of Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
, a research chemist, who he had first meet while both were students at the University of Melbourne.
After leaving Oxford he spent a year at the Nobel Institute of Physical Chemistry at Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1910 working with the Director, Svante Arrhenius
Svante Arrhenius
Svante August Arrhenius was a Swedish scientist, originally a physicist, but often referred to as a chemist, and one of the founders of the science of physical chemistry...
. He then returned to Australia as Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Melbourne from 1911 to 1921. He became Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne in 1921 and succeeded Professor David Orme Masson
David Orme Masson
Sir David Orme Masson KBE FRS was a scientist born in England who emigrated to Australia to become Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.-Early life:...
, with whom he had previously worked, as Professor of Chemistry in 1924. From 1923 to 1927, he lived in what is now University House at the University of Melbourne.
In 1914 he was organizing secretary of the 84th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
, with the committee chaired by David Orme Masson. This was the first time the meeting had been held outside the United Kingdom. Rivett left extensive archives of this meeting.
Rivett was away from Australia during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
from 1915 to 1919. In August, 1915 he accepted a commission in the Australian Army Medical Corps Reserve but from 1917 he was involved in the production of pure ammonium nitrate, used for exposives, at the British munitions works at Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
. The understanding gained their lead to the publication in 1924 of The Phase Rule and the Study of Heterogeneous Equilibria, and to an appreciation of the value of fundamental research for industrial applications.
He was Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 'Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is South Africa's central and premier scientific research and development organisation. It was established by an act of parliament in 1945 and is situated on its own campus in the city of Pretoria...
' (CSIR) from 1927 to 1946 and Chairman of the Council of the renamed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) from 1946 to 1949.
In 1935 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941 and was a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
Australian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
in 1954. He served as President of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science is an organisation that was founded in 1888 by Archibald Liversidge as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science. It was modelled on the British Association for the Advancement of Science...
from 1937 to 1939. He died at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1961.
The Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
suburb of Rivett
Rivett, Australian Capital Territory
Rivett is a residential suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, established in the late 1960s. On Census night 2006, Rivett had a population of 3,069 people...
is named after him.
Family
In 1911 he married Stella Deakin second daughter of Alfred DeakinAlfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
. They had two children, Rohan Deakin (1917 - 1977) and Kenneth.