The Edgeworth David Medal
The Edgeworth David Medal is awarded for distinguished contributions by a young scientists under the age of thirty-five (35) years for work done mainly in Australia or its territories; or, contributing to the advancement of Australian science. It is named after the pioneering geologist and longstanding supporter of the Society, Sir Edgeworth David, who wrote the first comprehensive record of the geology of Australia.
In September 1942, Henry Ferdinand Halloran, who had joined the Society in 1892, decided to celebrate his jubilee as a member by making a donation to the Society. In May 1943 the Council decided to use some of Mr. Halloran's gift for the establishment of the Edgeworth David Medal, that was to be awarded annually to scientists under the age of 35 years.
In October 1943, the sculptor Mr. Lyndon Dadswell was commissioned to draw up a design for the Edgeworth David Medal. About three years elapsed before Mr. Dadswell finalised the design. The Council of the Society had decided at an early stage that a portrait of the late Professor Sir Edgeworth David would appear on the obverse side of the medal. Members of Council were not satisfied that the first plaster cast of the medal was a good likeness of Sir Edgeworth and a modified design was finally accepted by Council in March 1947.
The first award of the Edgeworth David Medal was made at the Annual General Meeting of the Society in April 1949.
The Edgeworth David Medal 2012
This year’s award is awarded to Dr Joanne Whittaker, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. Dr Whittaker’s area of interest is investigating Indian Ocean plate reconstructions and continental breakup as part of the “Gondwanaland extension, breakup and continental margin revolution”, a research project funded by Statoil Hydro. Her particular area of interest is in plate tectonics, geophysics and geology, investigating the formation revolution of continental margins and the oceanic crust. Her PhD, from the University of Sydney, was on tectonic consequences of mid-ocean bridge formation, evolution and subduction.
Dr Whittaker has an enviable peer-reviewed publication record and has been invited to present at a number of Australian and international conferences. She won the Australian Institute of policy and Science NSW Tall Poppy award in 2010. She is a worthy recipient of the Edgeworth David Medal for young researchers.
Nomination information can be downloaded from Edgeworth David Medal 2012
| YEAR | RECIPIENT | FIELD OF INTEREST |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Joint Award: R.G. Giovanelli & E. Ritchie |
Astrophysics Organic Chemistry |
| 1949 | T.B. Kiely |
Plant Pathology |
| 1950 | Joint Award: R.M. Berndt & Catherine H. Berndt |
Anthropology Anthropology |
| 1951 | J.G. Bolton | Radio Astronomy |
| 1952 | A.B. Wardrop | Botany |
| 1954 |
E.S. Barnes |
Mathematics |
| 1955 |
H.B.S. Womersley | Botany |
| 1956 |
J.M. Cowley |
Chemical Physic |
| 1957 | Joint Award: J.M. Cowley & J.P. Wild |
Chemical Physics Radio Astronomy |
| 1958 |
P.I. Korner | Physiology |
| 1960 |
R.D. Brown | Chemistry |
| 1961 | R.O. Slatyer | Climatology |
| 1962 | R.F. Isbell |
Soil Science |
| 1963 | W.H. Fletcher | Physics |
| 1964 | M.E. Holman |
Physiology |
| 1965 | J.L. Dillon | Agricultural Economics |
| 1966 | R.I. Tanner | Mechanical Engineering |
| 1967 | Joint Award: D.H. Green & W.J. Peacock |
Geology Botany |
| 1968 | R.M. May | Physics |
| 1969 | B.W. Ninham | Physics |
| 1970 | D.A. Buckingham | Inorganic Chemistry |
| 1971 |
W.F. Budd | Glaciology |
| 1972 | Joint Award: D.H. Napper & J. Stone |
Physical Chemistry Physiology |
| 1973 | C.D. Osmond | Plant Biology |
| 1974 | A.W. Snyder | Physics |
| 1975 | F.J. Ballard | Biochemistry |
| 1976 | R.H. Street | Mathematics |
| 1977 | R.A. Antonia |
Mechanical Engineering |
| 1978 | Joint Award: T.W. Cole & M.G. Clark |
Astronomy Physiology |
| 1979 | G.C. Goodwin | Electrical Engineering |
| 1980 |
Michael Anthony Etheridge | Geology |
| 1981 | Martin Andrew Green | Applied Physics |
| 1982 |
Nhan Phan-Thien | Mechanics |
| 1983 | Denis Wakefield | Ocular Immunology |
| 1984 | Alan James Husband |
Pathology |
| 1985 |
Joint Award: Simon Charles Gandevia & Brian James Morris |
Clinical Neurophysiology Molecular Biology |
| 1986 | Joint Award: Leslie David Field & Peter Gavin Hall |
Chemistry Statistics |
| 1987 |
Andrew Cockburn |
Zoology |
| 1988 | Peter Andrew Lay |
Inorganic Chemistry |
| 1989 |
Trevor William Hambley |
Chemistry |
| 1990 | Timothy Fridjof Flannery | Taxonomy & Phylogeny - Macropodidea |
| 1991 | Mark Harvey | Taxonomy - Invertebrates |
| 1992 | Joint Award: Peter James Goadsby & Keith Alexander Nugent |
Neurophysiology Optics |
| 1993 | John Skerritt | Agriculture (Genetics) |
| 1994 | Richard Hume Middleton | Electrical Engineering |
| 1995 | Anthony Bruce Murphy |
Physics |
| 1996 |
Peter Alexander Robinson |
Physics |
| 1997 |
Albert Zomaya |
Mathematics |
| 1998 |
Not awarded |
|
| 1999 |
Dr Merlin Crossley |
Molecular Biology |
| 2000 |
Dr. Michael Coon Yoong Lee |
Zoology |
| 2001 |
Dr Samantha Richardson |
Evolution |
| 2002 |
Prof. Marcella Bilek |
Physics |
| 2003 |
Dr Stuart Robert Batten |
Chemistry |
| 2004 |
Dr Cameron Kepert |
Chemistry |
| 2005 |
A/Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik |
Chemistry |
| 2006 |
Professor Barry Brook |
Environmental Science |
| 2007 |
A/Professor Stuart Wyithe | Astrophysics |
| 2008 |
Dr Adam Micolich | Physics |
| 2009 |
A/Prof. Nagarajan Valanoor | Materials Science |
| 2010 |
A/Prof. Angela Moles | Botany |
| 2011 |
Dr Trent Woodruff | Pharmacology |
| 2012 |
Dr Joanne Whittaker | Geophysics |
Awards
- Archibald D. Ollé Prize
- Clarke Medal
- Clarke Memorial Lecture
- Edgeworth David Medal
- James Cook Medal
- Liversidge Lecture
- Poggendorff Lecture
- Pollock Memorial Lecture
- Walter Burfitt Prize
- Warren Prize
- Royal Society of NSW Scholarships
- Royal Society of NSW Medal
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