David Forbes Martyn FAA FRS (27 June 1906 – 5 March 1970) was a

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-born

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n physicist and radiographer.Australian Academy of Science Profile
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Martyn, David Forbes (1906–1970)
, ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. First published in ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 15, (MUP), 2000.

Education

Martyn was educated at Plymouth College and Allan Glen's School, a school in Glasgow noted for its commitment to the teaching of science. In 1923, he entered the Royal College of Science at Imperial College London. Martyn was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1926; a

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in 1929; and a Doctor of Science degree in 1936.

Career

Martyn moved to Australia in 1927 to take up one of the first posts in radio research there. He contributed to the development of coastal and air defence RADAR for Australia during World War II. He was awarded the Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal of the

Australian National Research Council 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 Soci ...

in 1947 for his discovery of atmospheric tides, and received the

T. K. Sidey Medal Sir Thomas Kay Sidey (27 May 1863 – 20 May 1933) was a New Zealand politician from the Otago region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time. Early life Sidey was born on 27 May 1863, to John and Johan Murray Sidey, in ...

from the Royal Society of New Zealand in the same year, an award set up for outstanding scientific research. He was elected FRS of London in 1950. Australia did not have a learned society for the whole of the Commonwealth of Australia equivalent to the (British) Royal Society - each of the states had its own. (For example, the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. The Society was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June ...

.) Martyn was one of the then 12 Fellows of the Royal Society resident in Australia, and it was largely through his patient negotiation that the various scientific bodies in Australia agreed that 11 of these 12 Fellows were independent enough to form a credible Australian Academy of Science (AAS), which they did in 1954. As well as being a

Foundation Fellow of the AAS 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 Soci ...

, he was elected its ''Secretary for Physical Sciences'' for 1954-5 and its president for 1969 until his death in 1970. He was inducted into the

International Space Hall of Fame The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a museum and planetarium complex in Alamogordo, New Mexico dedicated to artifacts and displays related to space flight and the Space Age. It includes the International Space Hall of Fame. The Museum of S ...

in 1980. His tours, lectures, diplomacy and encouragement were strongly influential in establishing an effectively communicating Australian scientific community. His main interests were radiographic studies of the upper atmosphere and the sun, though his main contributions were theoretical. In 1959, Martyn delivered the first four of the annual series of ABC lectures (subsequently named the Boyer Lectures) on "Society in the Space Age".

Personal

Martyn was born in

Cambuslang Cambuslang ( sco, Cammuslang, from gd, Camas Lang) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a ...

, Scotland, the son of Harry Somerville Martyn, ophthalmic surgeon and Elizabeth Craig Allan, née Thom. He was a keen trout fisherman, which partly explains his growing interests in environmental matters. He married Margot Adams, from

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1944. They had no children. He died in Camden, New South Wales on 5 March 1970.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martyn, David Forbes 1906 births 1970 deaths Alumni of Imperial College London Alumni of University of London Worldwide Alumni of the University of London Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Fellows of the Royal Society People educated at Plymouth College People educated at Allan Glen's School People from Cambuslang Scottish scientists Presidents of the Australian Academy of Science British emigrants to Australia