A new ERA for he ARC and the National Innovation System
Presenter: Prof Margaret Sheil, CEO of the Australian Research Council
Pictured with the School's Prof Mary Garson (left) and Prof Sheil (fourth from left) are (left to right) grandson Peter Jones, great-granddaughter Alison Jones, grandson Michael Jones, great-granddaughters Meghan Jones, Katherine Jones and Gwyneth Jones, and great-grandson Lloyd Jones.
All of the family members pictured were, at the time, either UQ graduates or undergraduates, except Lloyd, who was a UQ Science Ambassador at his high school in 2008. Lloyd subsequently enrolled at UQ.
Michael reports that his grandfather married Vera Haines (UQ BSc graduate) in 1923. Their two children, David and Margot, graduated from UQ in medicine and physiotherapy respectively.
The annual lecture is a memorial to the late T.G. H. Jones who gave 50 years of service to UQ, including stints as Head of Chemistry, Dean of Science, President of the Professorial Board, and member of Senate. Prof Sheil spoke on research and innovation policy, including the proposed ERA scheme, new fellowship schemes, and the challenges facing chemistry as a discipline.
About T. G. H. Jones Memorial Lecture
This annual UQ public lecture is a memorial to the late Thomas Gilbert Henry Jones, who joined UQ as an assistant lecturer and demonstrator in 1915. Following service in WWI as a munitions and explosives producer, he returned to UQ as a lecturer in inorganic chemistry, being promoted to professor and Head of Department in 1940. During his 50 years of service to UQ, Professor Jones was a member of the Senate (from 1944 to 1968), Dean of the Faculty of Science (from 1942 to 1949 and again from 1960 to 1961) and President of the Professorial Board (from 1951 to 1956).
Professor Jones initiated a program of research into the chemistry of natural (plant) products. He held officer positions in the Royal Society of Queensland and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. He led a public meeting in City Hall in 1957 to protest against State Government legislation that threatened the University’s autonomy in making appointments. He was awarded a CBE in 1960 and received honorary doctorates from UQ and the University of Newcastle.
The lecture was not offered in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2022 it is offered every second year, alternating with the School's other chemistry public lecture, the Bertram Dillon Steele Lecture.
Read more about Professor Jones on our history page.