SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR PHYSICS Council Chairman J. A. Macpherson Deputy Chairman S. E. Chatterton Councillor Lynn Arnold J. D. Brookes J. Keith Campbell J.'I. Dryburgh Sit George Fisher T. J. N. Foley H. D. Huyer R. J. Kirby W. M. Leonard Sir Robert Norman Sir Frank Packer Sir Raymond Purves John R. Slade or Paul H. Slade A. J. White R. W. R. Wiltshire Liaison Member I. McCloy Ex Officio Chancellor of the University of Sydney Deputy Chancellor Vice-Chancellor and Principal Deputy Principal Chairman, Senate Finance Committee Professor and Head'of the School of Physics and Director of the Foundation Executive Officers Director Professor H. Messel Secretary Oscar Guth Asst Secretary Miss Rita Knight Hon Secretaries C. R. Hall Rear-Admiral H. A. Showers, R.A.N. Ret. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE SCIENCE FOUN THE SCHOOL OF PHYSICS WITHIN THE JANUARY, 1973 Highlights of the Year: FOUNDATION FUNDS SCHOOL OF PHYSICS' lOO'TON MARINE RESEARCH VESSEL 1972 was a particularly successful year for the Foundation. Amid increasing interest by a number of University Departments in the establishments of our new Environmental Physics Department, the Foundation and the School of Physics decided to construct a 100-ton, 70-foot research vessel. This has led to the activating of the University's Marine Science Centre by the University Senate. The year saw yet another International Science School for High School Students which, for the second year running, went outside physics to deal with ecology and "Brain Mechanisms and the Control of Behaviour". For the first time the Foundation invited the Chancellor of the University and Mrs H. D. Black to represent it and the University at the scholarship award ceremonies in London, Washington and Tokyo. Mr and Mrs Black kindly accepted this mission and upon their return the Chancellor made a written report to the Council of the Foundation. Council found this report so colourful a description of the overseas functions that it obtained the consent of Mr Black to reprint it here for the benefit of Members. In his report Mr Black said: On behalf of the Science Foundation for Physics, my wife and I attended the three ceremonies associated with the presentation of Certificates and Medals to the 1972 International Science Scholars. We attended first the ceremony in Washington D.C., which was held in the offices of the National Science Foundation. Prior to this ceremony, and in the morning of the day on which it was to occur, I was accorded an admirable opportunity to meet and talk at length informally to the ten selected students from the United States. I was able to talk about the Foundation, Australian development, and our mode of life, and of the University they would be visiting; and to answer their questions, my wife assisting with some which she could more appropriately answer. I formed the impression that the 1972 U.S. group was a most carefully chosen one, of very attractive young people, who would amicably cohere as a team; and this impression was shared from the outset by the escorts, Mr Albert Young and his wife, Lois. It was an absolutely correct impression. The ceremony proper was held in the rooms of the National Science Foundation, the Head of which, Dr David, being unable to be present since he was involved in negotiations concerning scientific and technological exchanges with the Soviet Union, which negotiations followed the President's visit to the Soviet Union earlier in the year. His place was taken by Dr Stiver who spoke at length at the ceremony about science and science policy, and of the impact of science, and of the cross relations between sciences. Present also were several members of the Australian Embassy staff, including Professor Webster, Dr Muecke, and Dr Garrill; and I should like to record the very great help and hospitality accorded us by Professor Webster. From the President's Office of Science and Technology were present Dr Baldescheiller and Dr Yorke, the former speaking of scientific laws having no national boundaries. Last year's escort, Dr K. Kelson, was also present. He had, at the morning session, been most helpful, delivering to the students a straight, candid, and direct talk on behaviour, which was sensible and inoffensive, and which came well from him—relieving me of any such task. I was asked to speak, and did so, at some length, referring to the University, Australian development, the creation and role of the Foundation, and making a few promises as to how we would look after the young visitors to our country (this for the benefit of some parents present). The Presentation of Medals and Certificates over, we adjourned to the Chancery of the Australian Embassy, saw a fine film of the echidna, had a tour of the building, seeing some of the magnificent The Washington scholarship award ceremony was held in the rooms of the U.S. National Science Foundation on July 10, 1972, when this picture was taken. It shows standing (1. to r.) the Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Mr H. D. Black, Leonard Herk, Theodore Guth, Michael Buxbaum, Robert Pascal, Eric Gon^oli, Dr H. Guyford Stever, Director of the National Science Foundation. Seated (1. to r.) are James Small, Kathleen Lowry, Leslie Robinson, Robin Edison and Jane Talvenheimo. tapestries of John Coburn for presentation to the Kennedy Center, consumed a vast and filling Australian afternoon tea; and on the following day, toured with the Scholars, the White House, and Washington, esrscially covering the full resources of the Kennedy Center. The ceremony was, all in all, simple a d unaffected. In London, die five U.K. Scholars accompanied my wife and myself to the Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace; and we were duly marshalled at the particular spot in the grounds whereat His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh would meet the Scholars. But long before he came on the scene the Earl Mountbatten of Burma sought us out and, with the niost affable informality, met everybody, and with enormous good humour pointed out aspects of the Party; and then went away and gathered up every Australian he could find, including all the Military, Naval, and Air attaches and their wives, and brought them back to form a little colony of Australians to meet the Scholars and the Duke. And these other Australians were amazed to hear about us footing the bill to take British students back to Australia . .the amazement in their case being exceeded only by that of some Americans who could not quite grasp the idea that we were footing the bill for their benefit . that simple fact about the Foundation's activities left several Americans speechless, which is really something. His Royal Highness spoke to all the Students, who answered him in unaffected candour and without awe. He recalled Professor Messel, and in a short exchange about examinations, which he ar to the effect that the University of Sydney iok no questioning. mmensely excited, to the Royal Institution, , who lectured for the Foundation in 1971, •ved, and it was nice being convivial among hewaite, Professor King, and Mr and Mrs ndation and others. Most pleasing was the ome especially from Oxford, and Cambridge welcomed by Sir George and myself, and I tier alia, to the Washington Ceremony and leet; I promised "lethal" hospitality to the ance, and conveyed to all the greetings of on Medallions and Scholarship Certificates, He spoke rapidly, covering many things: pungent remarks about notable politicians, would make to New Delhi, to his relations Edwina, his wife, and where, and how the ;, in this room, the Viceroy of India, Earl th infectious good humour, recounting story this withall in a manner which retained a The London presentation ceremony was held in the rooms of the Royal Institution in Albemarle Street vn July 13, 1972. Picture at left shows the Chancellor, Miss Helen Ward, who escorted the U.K. scholars in the previous year, Mr Eric Breeze, Professor Ronald King, Abigail Fowden, Professor Eric Laithwaite, Dorothy Palmer, Mr Attwood, Vi-ginia Alun Jones, Michael Wickstead, Miss Jocelyne Artingstail, the 1972 U.K. escort, and Timothy Sanderson. Picture above shows Sir George and Lady Porter with Lord Mountbatten (right) after the ceremony. The Tokyo scholarship award ceremony took place at the official residence of the Prime Minister. Picture shows (I. to r.) Mr Hiroshi Tsiinoi. Director, International Cultural Relations Division, Commissioner's Secretariat, Agency for Cultural Affairs; Mr Hachiro Suda, Deputy Director-General, Elementary & Secondary Education Bureau, Ministry of Education; Mr Kenji Adachi. Commissioner, Agency for Cultural Affairs; Mr Yuji Sud. Mr Hiroshi Maeda; Mr Jun-ichi Sato: Dr Osamu Inaba, the Minister of Education; Mr Kakuei Tanaka, the Prime Minister: Mr and Mrs H. D. Black: the Hon. Gordon Frecfh, Australian Ambassador; Miss Yoko Jibu and Miss Yoko Sueoka. line of seriousness throughout. Everyone was pleased, none more than the five Scholars. He had paid them the comp'iment of taking the engagement, seriously; he had done his homework for the occasion, and his presence and performance made the night memorable.' He took his departure to Brussels to make another television series, on the Home Guard; whereupon my wife and I took the children, tired but indomitable, to dinner Au Jardin des Gourmets in Soho, with Sir George and Lady Porter, and the 1971 "five", who wanted to relive their own experience, and to eat another Jinner at the Foundation's expense, and great was the gusto of the whole evening. It is impossible to describe just what this whole sequence of events, adding up to a long, tiring day, has done to the British "five"; but the image of Australia which they formed comes through in their letters and comments, and the Foundation has no more grateful children than these.