NWG Macintosh Centre for Quaternary Dating

The Macintosh centre for Quaternary dating was established in 1984 funded largely by a donation from Mrs. A. Macintosh, the widow of Professor N.W.G. Macintosh. The Centre was under the administrative control of the director of the Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) although its funding was independent of the EMU (this was in 1986). The EMU reported to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Dr. M. Barbetti was originally appointed as a Professional Officer within the Department of Chemistry and was transferred to the Macintosh centre when the radiocarbon dating laboratory, operating in the Department of Physical Chemistry since 1970, was incorporated into the new Centre.

Research of the laboratory has included the dating of aboriginal artefacts and related prehistoric sites; the determination of the value of marine mollusc shells as calibration material; the estimation of atmospheric carbon dioxide to 6000 B.C. and beyond from measurements of carbon-14 in Tasmanian trees; dating studies providing information on past changes in the earth's magnetic field.

By 2001 the Centre had been incorporated into the EMU. [EMU Annual Report 2001]