Bolton, Herbert Cairns

Positions summary

Chair of Theoretical Physics 1962-1986; Chairman of Department of Physics, 1978 and 1980; Associate Dean of Science; President of Australian Institute of Physics (Convenor of Institute's Examining Panel for Walter Boas Medal, 1984-86); President of Australian Gemmological Association. Emeritus Professor 1987.

Biography

H. C. Bolton was born at Sunderland, UK on 21 May 1921. He was educated at Sunderland and at London University, and began his career lecturing in Physics in Nottingham, and later in Newcastle. Bolton became Professor of Theoretical Physics at Monash in 1962 and he remained at Monash until 1986, taking study leave in Oxford in 1967 and 1977. Between 1978 and 1980 Professor Bolton served as Chairman of the Department of Physics, Associate Dean of Science, and President of the Australian Institute of Physics. He later served as Convenor of the Institute's Examining Panel for the Walter Boas Medal, 1984-86. Following retirement from Monash Bolton became a senior associate in the department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. Professor Bolton has been involved in a wide range of theoretical and experimental research and this is reflected in his extensive list of published articles. His outside interests include history, genealogy and bird watching, and he has served as President of the Gemmological Association of Australia.

Papers

Articles and addresses 1935-1986
Writings including published and unpublished articles, addresses, letters to professional journals, and reports of meetings of professional associations. A small collection of mathematical problems and puzzles is also included.

Correspondence 1935-1986
Alpha run of correspondence with colleagues and research students; includes published papers, seminar notices and other items. Separate groupings of correspondence relate to third Chair in Physics and Walter Boas Medal. Correspondence also reflects his private interests in history, genealogy and birdwatching.

Photographs and material collected for Physics department history 1960-1985
Chiefly photographs taken, and collected by, departmental staff, 1961-1985. Collection includes both formal and informal photographs of staff and students, and photographs of equipment and departmental buildings under construction. Two small files contain departmental examination papers and lists of research articles and research students of department, 1964-1975.

Teaching papers 1953-1986
Files chiefly related to subjects taught by Prof. Bolton in department of Physics, 1962-1986. Several files predate this period and appear to be notes for lectures given in the UK. Files include syllabi or course outlines, handwritten lecture notes, problem sets and exam papers.

See also
Encyclopedia of Australian Science: Bolton, Herbert Cairns