(Sir) Alan Walsh was the originator and developer of the atomic absorption method of chemical analysis, which has been described as 'the most significant advance in chemical analysis' in the twentieth century. Walsh claimed this breakthrough came about when he "managed to stop being stupid long enough to see something that should have been obvious all along". The first spectrometer based on his design was produced in Australia during the mid-1960s by Techtron Pty. Ltd. Atomic absorption provided a quick, easy, accurate and highly sensitive method of determining the concentrations of more than sixty-five of the elements, rendering traditional wet-chemical methods obsolete. The method has found important application world-wide in areas as diverse as medicine, agriculture, mineral exploration, metallurgy, food analysis, biochemistry, the wine industry and environmental control. Alan Walsh was leader of the Spectroscopy Section of the CSIRO Division of Chemical Physics from 1946-57 and Assistant Chief of the Division from 1958-76.
Taken in part from http://www.science.org.au/academy/memoirs/walsh2.htm
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c. 1935 - c. 1937
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Manchester, UK
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1938
Career position - Postgraduate studies in the Physics Department of the Manchester College of Technology
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1939 - 1944
Career position - Investigator in the Physics Section of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association
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1944
Career position - Deputy Chief Chemist at the Metal and Produce Recovery Depot, Ministry of Aircraft Production in Durham, UK (secondment)
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1944
Education - Master of Science (MSc Tech) completed at the University of Manchester
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1945 - 1946
Career position - Chief Spectroscopist at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association
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1947 - 1958
Career position - Leader of Spectroscopy Section of the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) Division of Industrial Chemistry in Fisherman's Bend, Victoria
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1958 -
Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
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1958 - 1976
Career position - Chief Research Scientist and Assistant Chief (1962c) of the CSIR / CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Chemical Physics
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1960
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc) received from the University of Manchester
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1966
Award - Britannica Australia Science Award received
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1966 - 1969
Career position - Council member of the Australian Academy of Science
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1967
Award - Einstein Memorial Lecturer presented to the Australian Institute of Physics
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1967 - 1968
Career position - President of the Australian Institute of Physics
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1969 -
Award - Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
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1969 -
Career position - Foreign member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Stockholm
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1969
Award - Royal Society of Victoria Research Medal received
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1969
Career position - Honorary member of the Society of Analytical Chemistry, London
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1970
Education - Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) received from Monash University in Victoria
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1972 -
Career position - Honorary Fellow of the Chemical Society of London
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1975 -
Career position - Honorary member of the Royal Society of New Zealand
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1975
Award - James Cook Medal received from the Royal Society of New South Wales
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1976
Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt cr)
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1976
Award - Torbern Bergman Medal received from the Swedish Chemical Society
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1977 -
Career position - Honorary Fellow at Monash University
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1977 -
Career position - Consultant to Perkin-Elmer Corporation in the USA
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1980
Award - Matthew Flinders Medal received from the Australian Academy of Science
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1982 -
Award - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
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1982
Award - Robert Boyle Medal received from the Royal Society of Chemistry
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1986
Education - Doctor of Science honoris causa (Hon DSc) received from the University of Manchester
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Encyclopedia of Australian Science
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