Joseph Mason Baldwin (9 September 1878 – 6 July 1945) was
Victorian government astronomer 1920–1943.
Baldwin was born in
Carlton
Carlton may refer to:
People
* Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname
* Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy
* Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
,
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
, the third son of Joseph Baldwin (d.1887) and his wife Emma Maria, née Graham. J.M. Baldwin's maternal grandfather was astronomer
Andrew Graham who was involved in his grandson's training.
Baldwin received his professional education at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
in the state of
Victoria, Australia
Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...
from 1896 to 1913, where he received two Bachelor's, a Master's and lastly a
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...
degree.
He was chief assistant at the
Melbourne Observatory
Melbourne Observatory is an observatory located on a hill adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. The observatory commenced operations in 1862 and was decommissioned from official Government work in 1945. The observatory has since continu ...
from 1908, acting Director from 1915 and served as government astronomer in the state of Victoria from 1920 to 1943.
Baldwin was president,
Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia.
Foundation
In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fou ...
1925–26; president, Section A,
1930-31 and fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society
(Whatever shines should be observed)
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.
Baldwin became acquainted with the work of
Edward J. Nanson, a professor of mathematics at the University of Melbourne, and wrote an article describing an elimination method for the
Borda count
The Borda count is a family of positional voting rules which gives each candidate, for each ballot, a number of points corresponding to the number of candidates ranked lower. In the original variant, the lowest-ranked candidate gets 0 points, the ...
based on Nanson's research.(1) This method is referred to as Baldwin's method.
Baldwin Rocks The Baldwin Rocks () are a group of rock outcrops about northwest of Watson Bluff on the north side of David Island. They were charted by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911–14, under Mawson, and named by him for Joseph M. Baldwin of the ...
are named after him.
References
Baldwin, Joseph Mason (1878 - 1945)at Bright Sparcs, University of Melbourne
Footnotes
1. The technique of the Nanson preferential majority system of election. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. n.s.39; pp. 42–52. (1926)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Joseph M.
1878 births
1945 deaths
20th-century Australian astronomers
Scientists from Melbourne
University of Melbourne alumni
People from Carlton, Victoria
Australian people of Irish descent