Vale Alan Harding

Published in the Research School of Physics Event Horizon
Vol43 Issue77 9–13 July 2018

Dear All,

It is with sadness that we convey the news that Allan Harding passed away on Sunday afternoon after a fairly brief battle with cancer. Allan joined the School as an apprentice in 1967 and then started at Nuclear Physics in 1971.  He became one of our key technical staff, designing and building unique research apparatus, including the CUBE and the Hyperfine Spectrometer. He was a perfectionist and worked best when allowed to do the job to his own high standards. The result was equipment that was functional, beautiful and incorporated many of Allan’s clever ideas.

Allan's experience and commitment to best practice were essential in making the CUBE detectors the best of their type in the world. That design work has stood the test of time, the particle detectors are still giving world-leading results 25 years later, attracting international researchers to Australia to make measurements that cannot be done elsewhere in the world.

Outside of work (and also while at work for those ready to listen), Allan had a passion for Land Rovers, aircraft and flying. Allan was also a real character - not someone who blended into the background. He had strong opinions, and shared them! He will be remembered with affection in Nuclear Physics for his considerable technical contributions and his colourful personality.

Allan’s funeral service was held on Friday 6th July  at the Temora Aviation Museum in Temora, NSW.

Andrew

Professor Andrew Stuchbery
Head, Department of Nuclear Physics
Convenor, Master of Nuclear Science
Department of Nuclear Physics
Building 57
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Phone: + 61 2 6125 2097
Fax: +61 2 6125 0748