Harry Messel, , (3 March 1922 – 8 July 2015) was a Canadian-born Australian

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and educator.

Life and work

Messel was born in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

parents.Bright Sparcs entry on Harry Messel
/ref> He was born in Levine Siding in

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, and brought up in

Rivers, Manitoba Rivers is an unincorporated urban community in the Riverdale Municipality within the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located northwest of Brandon, above sea level. It is within the Westman Region (Southwestern Manitoba). Agriculture, hea ...

. He was accepted into the

Royal Military College of Canada '') , established = 1876 , type = Military academy , chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister) , principal = Harry Kowal , head_label ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

he served as a

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

with the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

. He entered Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1946, enrolling in both Honours Engineering Physics and an Honours Degree in Mathematics. After fellowships at

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

and

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...

, Messel moved to Australia in 1951. He lectured in mathematical physics at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

1951–52, before being appointed in 1952 as Professor of Physics and Head of the School of Physics at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

, a position he held for 35 years until his retirement in 1987. In 1952 he established the Nuclear Research Foundation, later known as the Science Foundation for Physics. Messel was also Chancellor and CEO of Bond University 1992–1997. When the Soviet satellite, Sputnik 2, passed over the Southern Polar region in 1958, Messel recorded the encrypted data while the satellite was at its apogee of 1671 km. However, the Soviets, who were unable to collect the data themselves, refused to release the interpreting code. When they asked Messel for the data, he told them to "go to hell". In 1958 Professor Messel started the International Science School (ISS), which aims to encourage scientifically capable and interested students in their final two years of school to extend their knowledge and apply it to achieve progress. He frequently stated his discontent when sportsmen were praised and hailed whereas the next generation of scientists to change and run the world were given little to no encouragement. Since its inception, over 4,000 scholars have attended the ISS. The program runs once every two years with close to 150 students from up to 10 countries staying at the Women's College for two weeks, attending lectures and participating in activities around the University of Sydney.

Honours

Messel was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) in the 1979 New Year's Honours list; and a Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

(AC) in the 2006 Australia Day Honours 2006 for his service to Australian science and to education as an outstanding educator raising awareness of the importance of the study of science and in particular physics, for instrumental contributions to improving science teaching in schools, and for conservation advocacy relating to endangered crocodile and alligator species. In 2014, Messel, along with

Simon McKeon Simon Vincent McKeon (born 19 December 1955) is an Australian lawyer, businessman, and administrator. He has been chancellor of Monash University, and non-executive director of Rio Tinto, Spotless Group, and National Australia Bank. He is ret ...

, was awarded the

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 Soc ...

's ''Academy Medal'', which recognises scientific contributions other than research. The award to Messel was made "in recognition of his conspicuous and enduring service to the cause of science in Australia".

Personal life

Messel was married to Patrica Pegram, a nurse from

Sussex, England Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English C ...

whom he met in Dublin. They had three daughters, Naomi, Wendy and Iona.

References

External links

Ri Aus - people in Science
{{DEFAULTSORT:Messel, Harry 1922 births 2015 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of Australia Canadian emigrants to Australia Australian physicists Australian people of Ukrainian descent Bond University Vice-Chancellors Bond University chancellors Academics of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies