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The Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering is one of four foundation schools of the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Australian National University. It was established by the ANU Act 1946 and commenced in 1947 under the direction of Sir Mark Oliphant. To celebrate the School's 50th anniversary in 1996, Trevor Ophel and John Jenkin were commissioned to write a illustrated history - Fire in the Belly. This book is available in hardcopy from the School, and also on-line below.

Contents page and pre intro

Introduction
- Genesis of a University and a School
- A Perspective
- Early Staffing - The ANU at Birmingham 1948-9
- The School moves to Acton - 1950
- The Later Years 1951-56
- The Early Buildings of the School

The Big Machine

A Changing School
- "Hatched, Matched and Dispatched"
- A Shifting Foundation
- New Schools
- New Reporting Units
- The Metamorphosis of Particle Physics

New Fabric and Facades
- The Next Two Decades 1957 - 1976
- The Final Decade

Applied Mathematics

Astronomy

The Underlying Strength
- An Appreciation
- Workshop Facilities
- The Electronics Unit

Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratory

Electronic Materials Engineering

An Essential Function
- Postgraduate Research Training
- Physics Summer Schools
- Undergraduate Involvement

Geophysics & Geochemistry

Laser Physics Centre

Accelerators of Nuclear Physics
- The Cockcroft - Waltons 1951-1967
- The Electron Synchrotron 1955 - 1962
- The EN Tandem Accelerator 1960 - 1980
- The 2MV AK Van de Graaff (1962 - present) and the
- Helium Ion Source
- The 26 MeV Cyclotron Injector 1972 - 1980
- The 14UD Pelletron Accelerator
- The Linac - A Super-Conducting Booster

Mathematics

Nuclear Physics

Some Telescopes of MSSSO
- The 74"
- The 50" - The Great Melbourne Telescope of 1868
- The 40"
- The 2.3m Advanced Technology Telescope

Optical Sciences Centre

Plasma Research Laboratory

Solid State Physics

The Human Face of the School
- Social Life of the Fifties
- School Activity
- Personalities of the School

Systems Engineering

Theoretical Physics

A Rogues Gallery
- Sir Mark Oliphant 1950 - 1963
- John Jaeger 1964 - 1965
- Sir Ernest Titterton 1966 - 1973
- Robert Street 1974 - 1978
- John Carver 1978 - 1992
- Erich Weigold 1992 -
- Ken Le Couteur 1956 - 1985

Epilogue
- An Environmental Impact Statement
- Appendix I Foundation Members of the School
- Appendix II School Structure - 1952
- Appendix III School PhD Graduates
- Appendix IV Summary of School Records
- Appendix V Photograph Sources