Earth Sciences History Group (A Specialist Group of the Geological Society of Australia Inc.) Email Bulletin No. 58 3 April 2021
Tom Vallance Medal 2021 awarded to Barry Cooper By now, if you have read the latest edition of TAG, you will be aware that the Tom Vallance Medal for 2021 was awarded to Professor Barry Cooper of the University of South Australia. He was awarded the medal in an online ceremony at the recent virtual Australian Earth Sciences Convention. The article in TAG contains a detailed account of Barry’s career, concentrating particularly on his contributions to Earth Science History, and is reproduced here along with a list of Barry’s significant publications. Barry will be awarded his medal at a forthcoming meeting of the South Australian Division of GSA along with other South Australian medal winners. I am sure all ESHG members will join with the ESHG Committee in congratulating Barry on this well-deserved award. THE CONTRIBUTION OF BARRY COOPER TO STUDIES ON THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY Introduction Barry was born in 1948 and raised in Melbourne and has been interested in history and geology since he was a child. He was introduced to both subjects at school and his parents supported this interest. By Grade 4, Barry was fascinated by the voyages of explorers. By Year 9 he was being called “Mr History” by fellow students after achieving 100% in a history exam. By Year 9, his best friend also encouraged him to join the “Hawthorn Junior Field Naturalist Club” based in Melbourne’s suburb of Hawthorn. Within a short time, he was founding and editing the Club’s Newsletter “The Junior Naturalist” and writing articles on rocks and fossils. When the Club celebrated its 25th birthday in 1968, Barry wrote an article on its history and had it published in “The Victorian Naturalist”. Around the same time, Barry was appointed “Club Recorder” or Archivist. His historical records from this period are still kept today by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV). In Year 12 Barry took the opportunity of studying geology in his final year at school. He gained First Class Honours and entered the University of Melbourne in 1967 graduating BSc (Hons) with First Class Honours in 1970. On completing a Master’s Degree in palaeontology he travelled to the United States where he graduated PhD at “The Ohio State University” in 1974 with research dealing with fossil conodonts. On returning to Australia, he was appointed a palaeontologist with the Geological Survey of South Australia in 1975. He remained attached to the Geological Survey and in other various SA Government roles until retirement in 2009. Early years – South Australia In subsequent years, as well as geological investigations, Barry became active in professional Societies notably as Secretary of the Geological Society of Australia (SA Division), 1975-1978 as well as Secretary of the Royal Society of South Australia 1977-1978. His childhood experience in administration with the Hawthorn Junior Field Naturalists Club proved invaluable.
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