Professor Roy MacLeod

Roy MacLeod is Professor Emeritus of (Modern) History at the University of Sydney, and an Honorary Associate in the History and Philosophy of Science. He was educated in history, the biochemical sciences, and the history of science at Harvard University (summa cum laude), in sociology at the London School of Economics, and in history and the history of science at Cambridge, where he took the PhD degree in 1967.

He is the author or editor of 22 books and about 120 articles in the social history of science, medicine and technology; military history, museum history, Australian and American history, European history; research policy, and the history of higher education.

Roy MacLeod's most recent book, Archibald Liversidge: Imperial Science under the Southern Cross is about to be published by the Royal Society of NSW and Sydney University Press. Liversidge was renowned for his remarkable service to Australian science in the early days of the University of Sydney, where in 1872 he became demonstrator in chemistry and then `Reader in Geology and Assistant in the Laboratory' and professor of geology and mineralogy in 1874.

One of his greatest contributions was to science education. He worked tirelessly to secure proper recognition of science in both secondary and tertiary education. In the Preface of his book, Professor MacLeod comments: "Liversidge remained confident that Australia's path would follow the route of the `moving metropolis', strengthened by the bonds that tied Australia to its British heritage. In that heritage lay his life, and through that heritage, flowed the genius of imperial science in New South Wales."