P F Thompson Lecturers

Eminent Australasian corrosion practitioners and researchers who have delivered the lecture include Greig Wallwork (in 1983), Graham Wright (in 1984), Graeme Kelly (in 1986), Brian Cherry (in 1987), Ian MacLeod (in 1988), John Duncan (in 1990), Les Boulton (in 1993), David Nicholas (in 1994), Peter Farinha (in 1995), Paul Schweinsberg (in 1997), Tony Betts (in 2000), Brian Martin (in 2001), Bruce Ackland (in 2005), Rob Melchers (in 2009) and Graham Sussex (in 2012). It is not by coincidence that many of these eminent PFT Lecturers have also been past ACA Presidents, Operations Committee Members, Branch Presidents, Corrosion & Materials Journal Editors and Associate Editors, Conference Paper Reviewers, etc. This is a clear demonstration of their giving something back to the corrosion profession. As a form of appreciation, the ACA have also afforded many of these past PFT Lecturers Life Membership not just for their contributions to the practice of corrosion and the research thereof but also as recognition of their volunteer contributions to the ACA.

The gaps in the table are not because the PFT Lectures were not given, but because in those days hard-copies only of proceedings were produced and there are no copies of the proceedings for the 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 & 1979 Conferences in the ACA Library.

The 1978 P F Thompson Lecturer is significant. J W Thompson, John (Jack) Thompson, was the eldest son of PFT. Like his father, J W Thompson was also a metallurgist. It was Jack Thompson’s eldest son Graham Thompson (also a metallurgist) that was entrusted with PFT’s files and from which so much more information on PFT has been able to be gleaned.

Year	Location	Memorial Lecturer	Topic of Lecture
2017	Sydney	Maria Forsyth	Controlling Corrosion with Chemistry
2016	Auckland	Patricia Shaw	Corrosion of Polymeric Materials
2015	Adelaide	Rob Francis	Who Rusts First: Revisiting Galvanic Corrosion
2014	Darwin	Warren Green	Electrochemistry and Its Relevance in Reinforced Concrete Durability, Repair and Protection
2013	Brisbane	Arthur Austin	Where Theory Meets Practice; Some Demonstrations and Case Histories
2012	Melbourne	Graham Sussex	A Journey Through Stainless Steel
2011	Perth (ICC)	Ian MacLeod	Consuming Corrosion –A Journey into the Realm of Materials Conservation
2010	Adelaide	Dennis Richards	The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of the Heavy Duty Coating Industry
2009	Coffs Harbour	Rob Melchers	Experiments, Science and Intuition in the Development of Models for the Corrosion of Steel Infrastructure
2008	Wellington	Keith Lichti	Accelerated Corrosion Testing
2007	Sydney	Fred Salome	State of Corrosion Address
2006	Hobart	Ivan Baxter
2005	Gold Coast	Dr Bruce Ackland
2004	Perth	Robert de Graaf	Corrosion Management Australia
2003	Melbourne	Mark Weston
2002	Adelaide	Ian McLeod	Electrons Lost in Paradise
2001	Newcastle	Mr Brian Martin	Stray Current Corrosion Real Corrosion
2000	Auckland	Dr Tony Betts	Corrosion Technology from the Industrial Age to the Information Age and Beyond
1999	Sydney	Dr Bruce Hinton
1998	Hobart	Professor Brian Cherry
1997	Brisbane	Dr Paul Schweinsberg	Modern Science, Technology and the Learned Society
1996	Melbourne	Prof Brian Cherry
1995	Perth	Dr Peter Farinha	Corrosion Management in Mining – MIC a Problem
1994	Adelaide	Dr David Nicholas
1993	Newcastle	Les Boulton
1992	Hobart	Graham Robilliard	Synergy in Cause and Prevention
1991	Sydney	Jerry McAuliffe
1990	Auckland	John Duncan	Materials and Maintenance
1989	Gold Coast	Brian Byrne
1988	Perth	Dr Ian D McLeod	Lessons from the past, Hope for the future
1987	Melbourne	Professor Brian Cherry
1986	Adelaide	Graeme Kelly	Experts, Expertise and Expert Systems
1985	Newcastle	Professor E O Hall
1984	Rotorua	Graham A Wright	The Reactivity and Passivity of Metal Surfaces
1983	Sydney	Professor G R Wallwork	Corrosion – Australia versus England
1982	Hobart	J C Scully	Pitting Corrosion
1981	Brisbane	Professor L E Lyons
1980	Adelaide	Professor Mattsson
1979	Perth	Associate Professor Ian Ritchie	The Cancer of Corrosion
1978	Melbourne	Jack W Thompson
1977	Newcastle
1976	Auckland	Professor A L Titchener	Corrosion – Battle between consumption and conservation
1975	Sydney-6th ICMC
1974	Hobart	Professor H Muir	Corrosion and Engineering Design
1973	Brisbane
1972	Adelaide	Brian Casling
1971	Melbourne	Dr Edmund Potter (inaugural lecture)	The Corrosion Scene in Australia
1970	Newcastle
1969	Perth
1968	Auckland
1967	Brisbane
1966	Sydney (Manly)
1964	Newcastle
1963	Adelaide
1962	Auckland
1961	Sydney
1960	Melbourne

P.F. Thompson Memorial Lecture – Rules and Guidelines

Percival Faraday Thompson (1885-1951) is recognized as Australasia’s pioneer in the science and technology of metallic corrosion and its mitigation. In recognition of this singular distinction the Australasian Corrosion Association inaugurated the P.F. Thompson Memorial Lecture in 1971.

The following Rules and Guidelines apply:

The P.F. Thompson Memorial Lecture is the Association’s premier dedicated Lecture and is delivered not more frequently than annually at an Australasian Conference of the Association.
The named dedication of the Lecture cannot he changed or amplified except by resolution of the Association’s governing body supported in writing by a majority of the Association’s Branches.
The P.F. Thompson Memorial Lecturer is selected by the Technical Committee with support and approval by the ACA Board.
The Lecturer is selected for his or her meritorious contributions to the science or technology of materials corrosion and its mitigation, preferably performed at least in part in Australasia.
Being wholly honorific the Lecture carries no monetary award, but the Lecturer is entitled to complimentary registration for the Conference at which the Lecture is delivered and, at the discretion of the Association (and of any specifically appointed sponsors), expenses may be fully or partly refunded to the Lecturer.
The Lecturer may speak on any topics relevant to the Association’s aims and interests, but is encouraged to mark P.F. Thompson’s distinction by referring to or emulating the academic and technical qualities for which Thompson became known, particularly his prowess with practical demonstration. The Lecturer may use assistance during the Lecture, but he or she is uniquely the named Lecturer.

1 Comment

P F Thompson – A Pioneer in Corrosion Research and Education | Australasian Corrosion Association
Monday, February 5, 2018 - 3:13 pm

[…] Percival Faraday Thompson (P F Thompson, PFT), (1885-1951) a metallurgist and chemical analyst, is widely considered as Australia’s pioneer in corrosion science and education. Each year at the annual ACA Conference, the P F Thompson Memorial Lecture is presented by a person who has made a most significant contribution to corrosion science and engineering in Australia. While each presenter usually gives a few details of the work of PFT for the benefit of Conference attendees, the entire body of his work and details about his life are not provided due to the limitations on the lecture duration. A review of Thompson’s life and some of his work is available in the ‘Australasian Corrosion Engineering’ publication which was the ACA publication in the early 70s, and is one of the precursors to the current ACA publication Corrosion & Materials (Potter, 1972). However this publication is not widely available to the ACA membership, and certainly not in electronic format. The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with some of the history of the PFT Lecture, and to acquaint readers of ‘Corrosion & Materials’ and the broader corrosion prevention community with the breadth of the scientific work of PFT and his enthusiasm for describing corrosion science through practical public demonstrations of experiments of the basic principles of corrosion. You can see more information on Lecturers who have given PF Thompson Lectures […]

Comments are closed.