Lamberton, John Andrew (JA)

Dr Lamberton began a Bachelor of Science with Teacher Training at the New England University College (Armidale) in 1942 but transferred to the University of Sydney for his third and fourth years, during which time he was awarded a Caird Scholarship (Organic and Applied Chemistry). He graduated in 1945 from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)). Lamberton was appointed as Demonstrator in Chemistry at the University of Queensland in 1946, however, moved to Melbourne the following year to work on his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Melbourne, which he completed in 1950. During his time in Melbourne (1947 to 1950), he also worked as a Senior Demonstrator at the University of Melbourne. In 1950-1951, Lamberton moved to the England to undertake post-doctoral studies at the University of Liverpool, but returned to Australia following an employment offer from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). He worked at the CSIRO as Organic Chemist from 1951 to 1986, when he retired. In 1969, Lamberton completed a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree at the University of Sydney. Studies in Plant Chemistry by Lamberton is a collection of papers submitted for the DSc in June 1968. His initial work at the CSIRO involved plant waxes, anacardiaceous exudates and isoflavones, and in 1965, he assumed responsibility for the alkaloid program that evolved from a survey of New Guinea flora until the program was terminated in the early 1970s. Lamberton died in 2002. The John A Lamberton Research Scholarship was founded in 2004 by the University of Sydney in his honour.