Leslie Hayward Darling (1924-2015)
Papers, notebooks, thesis 1937-1952

MSS 0197

Biographical Note

Leslie Hayward Darling, (B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc.) 18/05/1924-27/01/2015.

Leslie Hayward Darling obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) at the University of Adelaide in 1947 and completed a M.Sc. in 1948.  He started as a Cadet in the Department of Chemistry on the 26 January 1942, was then appointed Junior Demonstrator on the 1 January 1946 and was made Demonstrator on the 1 February 1947.  He resigned from this position on the 31 December 1948 and commenced work the following year with the Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited (I.C.I.A.N.Z.) at Deer Park, Victoria.  He gained further valuable factory production and development experience at their Yarraville site and, after another two years at the research laboratories at Deer Park, was made Superintendent of the Urea Formaldehyde plant.

In 1959, when PVC was in the early stages of production, Leslie was asked to join the development team at Botany, New South Wales.  By 1963 he was back in Melbourne, working on the technical side of PVC and five years later returned to Sydney as Superintendent of the Matraville PVC compounding plant.

Leslie retired in 1983 and returned to live in Adelaide in 1996.

During the 1920s the Darling family made substantial donations to the University in order to create new laboratory buildings at the Waite campus.  Today the Darling building on the University's North Terrace campus houses the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, whilst the Darling West laboratories are primarily used by science and engineering students.

 

Contents Listing

Series 1: Biographical
Photocopies of Darling’s Adelaide University student and staff records, 1942-1948. Includes a commemoration programme and circular for the Wednesday, March 30, 1949 ceremonies.

Series 2: Leaving Physics notes (0.5 cm)
35 typescript pages of “Leaving Physics” study notes with sheets of handwritten exercises in between, circa 1940.

Series 3: Student Notebooks, Lecture notes and Diaries (21 cm)
Diaries and note books, 1942-1944.

Maths (1939-1942)
Maths I and II exercise books.

Chemistry (1942-1944)
Chemistry exercise books, lecture notes and practicals.  Subjects include Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, Inorganic & Physical Chemistry II, Inorganic & Physical Chemistry III, and Organic Chemistry III.

Physics (1939)
Physics exercise books.

Geology (1942)
Geology I lecture notes, practicals and maps.

Series 4: Honours practical (1 cm)
Typescript honours practical report on hexahydro-m-toluic acid, with handwritten reference page.  Second typescript copy of report with “menthylamine” written on cover. 1946.

Series 5: Exams
University of Adelaide exam question papers and newspaper cuttings of university results, 1942-1946.

Pure mathematics IA and IB, first and second paper. November, 1942.  Chemistry I. Terminal examination, Wednesday, May 20, 1942.  Chemistry I, first and second paper Inorganic chemistry. November, 1942.  Physics I. Evening, June, 1942.  Physics I. November, 1942.  Geology I. November, 1942.  Applied mathematics I, first and second paper. November 1943.  Engineering mathematics II, first and second paper. November, 1943.  Inorganic and physical chemistry II, first and second paper. November, 1943.  Organic chemistry II, first and second paper. November, 1943.  Inorganic and physical chemistry III, first and second paper. November, 1944.  Inorganic chemistry III, practical examination. November, 1944.  Organic chemistry III, first and second paper. November, 1945.  Examination for the Honours Degree of B.Sc. November, 1946.

Series 6: Post-graduate work and M.Sc thesis (4 cm)
2 photographs of scientific equipment, handwritten reports on “Methods of reduction” and “Preparation on L Menthylamine”.  German language study notes and book review leaflets on plastics.  Handwritten draft and one bound copy of Darling’s thesis: 3-methyl-cyclohexane carboxylic acid and derived carbinol, 1948.  Typescript bound copy has a letter awarding the Degree of Master of Science.  Handwritten draft of thesis includes 6 black & white photographs of scientific equipment and summaries of references used. 1946-1948.

 

Series 7: Research (9 cm)
Reports and summaries of research by or collected by Leslie Darling.  Includes The development and chemotherapy of antimalarials, Synthetic antimalarials, Work carried out in Johnson Laboratories, Resolution of alcohols, Ponndorf reduction, Reactions of hydrogen, Steroids, Phthalocyanines, haemin & chlorophyll, Mechanism of organic reactions by H.J. Rodda.  Also, papers on phenanthrene, chlorophyll, morphine, polysaccharides, rotenone, menthone chemistry.  Mostly handwritten and with some typescript copies. Circa 1946-1948.

 

Series 8: Publications (5 cm)
Reprinted journal articles, 1937-1938.  University of Adelaide publications Leaving examination Mathematics I and II, 1940.  Manual of public examinations board, 1941.  Journal of the Adelaide University Science Association, vol. 1, no. 1 (1945)-v. 1, no. 4 (1948-49).

 

Series 9: Post university work (6 cm)
Handwritten journal, notebook, research reports and literature surveys written and collected during his time with the Imperial Chemical Industry of Australia and New Zealand Limited in Victoria.  1949-1952.

Development Department of Research monthly reports, 1949-1950 in typescript.  Literature surveys on wool-wax and aniline.  Handwritten journal on production of methoxone, 14 September 1950 – 27 February 1952.  Notebook includes a folded ‘Shift foreman’s report’ from the Benzene Hexachloride Plant, 1951.

 

Series 10: Test tube and funnel
1 Royal Worcester porcelain funnel and 1 glass test tube (7.5 cm long.)

Robert Franchini
23 August 2016