John Law Farrands CB AO PhD (1921 - 1996)

Born 11 Mar 1921 in Armadale, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Jessica (Ferguson) Farrands — married 1946 in Victoria, Australia

Died 14 Jul 1996 at age 75 in Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia

Biography

John Law Farrands CB AO PhD DSc was born on 11th March 1921 in Armadale, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Harold Farrands and Hilda Bray. ^[1]

Whilst working as a newspaper copyboy and then a student school teacher, he studied part-time at the University of Melbourne for his Bachelor of Science, majoring in physics and mathematics. ^[2]

John Farrands CB AO PhD is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1942-1945
Australian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers

On 24th September 1942 John transferred from the Militia to the Second Australian Imperial Force, his nation's all-volunteer expeditionary force for the then ominous Second World War. He served in both Papua and New Guinea with the 1st Ausralian Radio Mtce Section, Australian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. He was demobilised on 24th August 1945. ^[3] After leaving the Army, as a research scientist, John joined the Materials Research Laboratory at Maribyrnong, Victoria, part of the minuscule defence science establishment which had developed during the war. ^[2]

John married Jessica Ferguson in 1946 in Victoria. ^[4] They have at least two children:

1. Peter Graham (c1959-81)
2. Don

In 1951 he gained a scholarship to the University of London. He attained the Diploma (DIC) at the Imperial College in London in 1952 and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 1953 at the University of London. For the next fifteen years he progressed steadily from Scientific Adviser for the Australian Military Board (1956-1961), Assistant Controller of Research and Development at the Department of Supply (1961-1964), Superintendent of Research at the Defence Science Laboratories (1964-1967) and Chief Superintendent of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory (1967-1971). ^[5]

From 1971 to 1977 he held the appointment of Chief Defence Scientist of Australia. ^[5] In an interview with The Canberra Times as he was standing down from the position he noted that ^[2]

"[The discipline of defence science's] primary role is to ensure the best use of the equipment we have — the best military use and the best maintenance use.

"Secondly, it studies the environment and that means the air, the land, the sea and under the sea in which our military forces operate.

"Thirdly, we closely study weapons and materials offered to us so that we know what we are buying.

"Fourthly, we develop weapons and systems, but only where this is absolutely necessary, because problems of scale always work against you where your requirements are small. The economics of scale affect the price and also there is a need for some form of standardisation wherever you can afford it.

"The sorts of equipment we develop here are particularly suited to the local environment where it differs from that for which overseas equipment is designed. Barra, a new submarine detection system, is a classic example of that. We have different water temperatures, salinity and the like ...

"Most of the things we develop are purely defensive. Any offensive capability they might have is secondary."

John completed his career from 1977 to 1982 as Head of the Commonwealth Department of Science and its successors, Department of Science and Environment and Department of Science and Technology. Upon 'retirement' John was appointed Chairman of the Australian Institute of Marine Science from 1982 to 1990. ^[5] In 1988, he co-authored Defence Science and Technology, which was included in R T Madigan's Technology in Australia 1788-1988: A Condensed History of Australian Technological Innovation and Adaptation During the First Two Hundred Years. ^[6]

John was appointed both Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year's Honours 1982 ^[7] and Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1990. ^[8] He received a Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of Melbourne in 1994. ^[5]

Aged 75 years, John passed away on 14th July 1996 in Glen Waverley, Victoria. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #209/1921
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) View title info Thu 6 Oct 1977 Page 8 'Eager beaver' went on to become science head; accessed 28 Dec 2022
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VX114048 (V155565) Captain John Law Farrands; accessed 26 Dec 2022
4. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #15267/1946
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Encyclopedia of Australian Science; accessed 28 Dec 2022
6. ↑ Farrands, J. L. and Wisdom, J. C., 'Defence Science and Technology', in R. T. Madigan (ed.), Technology in Australia 1788-1988: A Condensed History of Australian Technological Innovation and Adaptation During the First Two Hundred Years, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Melbourne, 1988.
7. ↑ Australian Honours CB; accessed 28 Dec 2022
8. ↑ AO; accessed 28 Dec 2022

See also

• Farrands, Don (son). The Glass Soldier. Big Sky Publishing, Newport NSW, 2017. ISBN 978-19255-20538.
• Wikipedia: John Farrands; accessed 28 Dec 2022.