Phillip Law

Dr. Phillip Garth Law AO CBE (b.21 April 1912) was an Australian scientist, explorer and became director of ANARE from 1949 to 1966.

He was born in Tallangatta, Victoria. After attending Hamilton High School he taught in secondary schools whilst studying part time at the University of Melbourne earning an MSc in 1941. He lectured in Physics at Melbourne University from 1943-1948.

He spent his first of many summers in Antarctica in 1947-48 as a senior research officer on the Australian National Antartic Expedition (ANARE). He soon became director due his strong belief in the value of management and educational techniques that saw that each individual had more than one identity. During his directorship he established three Antartic bases Mawson, Davis and Casey and led expeditions that explored more than 4500 kms of coastline.

After retiring from the directorship he chaired the Australian National Committee on Antarctic Research from 1966 to 1980.

References

A Man for Antarctica:The early life of PG Law.- by Kathleen Ralston (1993)