Our modern School proudly traces its origins back to the Departments of Geophysics and of Geology founded, respectively, by the late Professors John Jaeger and David Brown. In 1951, Professor Jaeger was appointed to establish and lead a Department of Geophysics within the Research School of Physical Sciences – one of four foundation Schools in the brand new ANU. Jaeger’s background as an applied mathematician and physicist naturally resulted in a Department of Geophysics, later Geophysics and Geochemistry, with a distinctive research agenda that drew heavily on the enabling physical sciences. Jaeger’s department rapidly built a formidable international reputation in its chosen research fields, including palaeomagnetism, rock deformation, petrology, and trace-element and isotope geochemistry.

This growth in stature of the department and its ambitions for expansion, combined with a great deal of advocacy by Jaeger and the late Professor Ted Ringwood, ultimately led to the transformation of the department into a new stand-alone Research School of Earth Sciences. In 1973, Professor Anton Hales became the Foundation Director of the new School. Under Anton’s capable leadership during the period 1973-1978, the School embarked on several major new research directions with key appointments in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Environmental Geochemistry, Ore Genesis, and Geodesy.

Today, the Jaeger-Hales Lecture is a prestigious event on the School calendar.  The lecture is delivered by a highly distinguished scientist in the field of geosciences. An invited international guest will often spend more time at the School providing opportunities for students and staff to discuss their research work.