In 1927 Sir John returned to research work having made original contributions to physics in conjunction with W H Bragg (1905-1911) starting in Adelaide at the University involving radioactivity & Rutherford’s nuclear atom in 1911. At Sydney University Sir John, as first & only Professor of Electrical Engineering in any Australian University until 1946, was the founding Chairman of the Australian Radio Research Board for the next 30 years as part of CSIRO. The principal legacy of the RRB up to 1939 was its contribution to the development of radar vital to the Allied defensive effort in the SWPA undertaken by the Radiophysics Laboratory & supervised by the Radiophysics Advisory Board of which Sir John was Chairman from 1939-1942. Sir John had a long association with Philips & was a Director of Philips Australia from 1948-1963.

Biography

Talk by Roger Madsen (B.Com UNSW, 1969)[1947-] retired & long term family historian of his grandfather & great grandfather from Denmark. Educated in Wagga & lived with his grandfather in Roseville for 5 years up to 1969. Professional career was in Finance & software development (1965-2015) mainly in Sydney but with 2 ½ years (1972-1974) overseas experience.

This has been a joint lecture of The Manly Warringah Radio Society and the Computer Engineering Laboratory at The University of Sydney.

Watch on VK2MB-TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piehXNOFSfA