t  Â·  .  L

BY THE MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ND. 20 I I

' :  CHAIRMAN A.A.E.C. .  '

.  The Minister for National Development (Mr R.W. Swartz) announced today that Sir Philip Baxter would retire as .

Chairman of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission when his  current term expires on 15 April. He said the Government  had approved and recommended to the Executive "Council the appointÂ­ ment of Mr. R.W. Boswell, at present Deputy High Commissioner in

London, to succeed Sir Philip. . . .

Mr Swartz said; "Sir Philip Baxter may justly be  considered the architect of atomic energy in Australia. He ,  . has helped, materially to create the basis from which this  country will move forward to the development of nuclear

industries based on its natural resources and to the application  of nuclear power in the future." Â·  Ã¢ÂÂ   .. .

Sir Philip Baxter has worked in the field of Atomic  Energy for more than thirty years. He was a member of the  British teauwhich was invited to Oak Ridge, Tennessee within  the war-time Manhattan Project for the development of nuclear  weapons and after the war v/as appointed as a consultant to the

British Government in post war atomic research and development.

In 1950 he came to Australia as Foundation Professor of  Chemical Engineering at the N.S.W. University of Technology (now  University of N.S.W.). From 1953-67 he v/as Vice-Chancellor  of that University.

Sir Philip v/as a Member of a Committee which advised the  Commonwealih Government on atomic energy matters,  and this led  to the formation of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission in . 1955. He v/as Deputy Chairman of the Commission from 1953 to

1956, part-time Chairman from 1956 to 1970, and has been full time Chairman since July 1970. .  Ã¢ÂÂ

Sir Philip was the Australian Governor on the Board of  Governors of the I.A.E.A. at its inception in 1957; he v/as  Chairman of the Board of Governors in 1970. .

"Largely through the guidance,  leadership and enthusiasm  of Sir Philip Baxter the Australian Atomic Energy Commission hcS  built up its Research Establishment at Lucas Heights which now  has a world ranking reputation," said Mr Swartz. He was also '

largely involved in the development of uranium resources in  Australia, particularly at Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory'1'.

"The Government has placed a high value on Sir Philip’s  advice over the years on technical and policy aspects of atomic  energy."

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.  Mr Swartz said Mr Boswell has had a very distinguished  career in the Public Service notably as Director of the Weapons  Research Establishment and as Secretary of the Department of.  National Development. He served as a Commissioner on the Atomic

Energy Commission for a number of years until he went to  London in 1969. -  .  ,

Mr Boswell will undertake inspections and hold discussions  on atomic energy in the U.K. and the Continent before returning  to Australia.

CANBERRA

15 March 1972

