Hedley Marston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hedley Marston
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Hedley Marston
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| Born |
Hedley Ralph Marston
26 August 1900 |
| Died | 25 August 1965 (aged 64) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | biochemistry |
| Institutions | CSIRO |
Hedley Ralph Marston (born August 26, 1900 – died August 25, 1965) was an important Australian scientist. He was a biochemist, which means he studied the chemistry of living things. Hedley Marston worked for a big science group called the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Hedley Marston was born in Bordertown, South Australia. He went to Unley District High School in Adelaide. There, he met another famous scientist, Mark Oliphant.
Marston later attended the University of Adelaide. However, he did not finish his degree. This was because he struggled with his Mathematics classes.
Marston's Scientific Career
In 1922, Hedley Marston met Professor Thorburn Robertson. This meeting led to Marston becoming a demonstrator at the university. A demonstrator helps students in science labs.
Joining CSIRO
On March 1, 1928, Marston joined Professor Robertson's team. They worked in the animal nutrition division of CSIRO in Adelaide. CSIRO is a major science organization in Australia.
Marston greatly impressed Professor Robertson with his work. When Robertson passed away in 1930, Marston became the acting chief of the division.
Solving Coast Disease
Marston did important experiments on a problem called "coast disease." This disease affected sheep living near the coast. His tests showed that a lack of cobalt caused the illness.
Cobalt is a tiny amount of a metal that animals need. After Marston's discovery, farmers started giving cobalt to their sheep. This successfully helped to prevent coast disease.
Studying Nuclear Fallout
In the 1950s, Marston researched something very serious: fallout from nuclear tests. The British government was doing nuclear tests at a place called Maralinga in Australia. Fallout is radioactive dust that spreads after a nuclear explosion.
Marston's research showed that these tests caused radiation dangers. He found that radioactive elements were spreading across Australia. He tracked this by studying sheep and cattle. He also used special devices to filter radioactive elements from the air.
His findings were very important. They showed that the nuclear tests had increased certain radioactive elements in the environment. This work helped people understand the impact of nuclear testing.
Awards and Recognition
Hedley Marston received many honors for his scientific work. In 1957, the Australian National University gave him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. This is a special award for great achievements.
He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. He also became a founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
