The Abbott Legacy: Two Generations Advancing Australia's Chemical Sciences with the RACI
Clifford Arthur Abbott
The Abbott RACI story begins with Clifford Arthur Abbott, who was born in Adelaide in 1892 and graduated from the SA School of Mines and Industries in 1912, and was granted Associateship in Metallurgy in 1914 after the required two years practical experience. He worked in the WA eastern gold fields at Norseman, Southern Cross, and Bullfinch. While at Bullfinch in 1916 he volunteered to join a contingent of chemists put together by the Australian Government to help the war effort in UK. Hence in 1917 he found himself at the munitions factory at Gretna Green in the acidulation section and was later involved at Avonmouth in mustard gas production.
He married his Scottish wife on Boxing Day in 1918, and they sailed for WA headed for Southern Cross. However, the Spanish Flu intervened, and they were not allowed ashore in Fremantle and were carried on to Adelaide. In the early 1920s, Clifford Arthur Abbott worked for some years on a gold mine on the island of Misima about 625 km east of Port Moresby. After that he worked for Cresco Fertilizers Limited as the first manager of the then new Wallaroo factory and following that at the Birkenhead S.A. plant. The company was very progressive at the time and produced phosphoric acid and high analysis superphosphate, surely the first commercial production in Australiah. It was also active in other areas of research, but such activity ceased with the advent of the Great Depression. He rose to be Technical Superintendent of Cresco Fertilizers Limited and retired in 1961.
He joined the RACI in 1919 and was elected Fellow of the RACI in 1952. Total 56 years of RACI membership.
Clifford Arthur Abbott (1936)
The Abbotts family portrait
Clifford Senior with James and Robert
Leonard Mackay Abbott
Second son of Clifford Arthur Abbott, born in Adelaide in 1922 where he completed his education. He was a volunteer in the Defence Force Corp from September 1941 to November 1944. In 1943 he graduated BE (Adel) with first class honours and Diploma of Metallurgy from the SA School of Mines and Industries. He planned to enlist in the armed services but under wartime labour regulations he was classified as an essential skill and drafted to work at the steel works at Port Kembla, where he arrived on his 21st birthday, September 1943. He continued to study while he worked, completing various management etc. certificates from Sydney Technical College. In 1946 Leonard was admitted to the Australian Chemical Institute. He worked for a short time in Whyalla in South Australia before returning to Port Kembla.
Leonard’s schooling journey was not yet complete. Being a young man away from family and friends, he made his way to St Michael’s Anglican Cathedral in Wollongong and expanded the focus of his studies. He completed the Preliminary Theology Certificate (1946) with First Class Honours and in 1956, aged 34, resigned from the steel works to study theology full time at Moore Theological College. He gained a Licentiate in Theology (1st class) in 1959 and Bachelor of Divinity (London) in 1960. He returned to Adelaide taking a position at St Matthew’s Kensington for two years. He then took up a position at Sydney Church of England Grammar School in North Sydney in 1961 as Chaplain and Teacher of Mathematics. He completed a Diploma of Education and married Dorothy in 1964.
In 1977 he went into Parish Ministry, first at Holy Trinity Peakhurst, then in 1980 moved to historic St Matthew’s Windsor. He retired form Parish work in 1988. However, Leonard and Dorothy travelled to Perth and fulfilled locum work there and in Port Hedland. Leonard always had an interest in science and history. Even into his 90’s he was keen to read Chemistry in Australia when it arrived.
Total 79 years of RACI membership.
Leonard when he first arrived back in Adelaide (about 1959)
Leonard Mackay Abbott
Clifford Alexander Abbott
Fourth son of Clifford Arthur Abbott, born in Adelaide in 1930. He commenced tertiary education at the University of Adelaide and SA School of Mines and Industries in 1948 and took vacation employment whenever available. He graduated B.Sc. from the University of Adelaide in 1952. In 1950 he joined Cresco Fertilizers Ltd. at its Birkenhead SA laboratory and there in addition to routine quality control duties he was involved in the elucidation of the auto-oxidation of Nairn SA iron pyrites concentrate.
In 1958 Cliff Jnr. was transferred to Cresco’s Geelong factory as Chemist in Charge of Laboratory, then in 1962 to Cresco’s Technical Department in Adelaide to which he was appointed Manager in 1965 as an expansion programme was commenced. During this programme two greenfield fertilizer plants were constructed and sundry upgrades of existing facilities undertaken.
Unfortunately, 1966 and 1967 were successive severe drought years in southern Australia. and the fertilizer market much depressed as the increased capacity came online and in 1970 Cresco Fertilizers was dismembered. During Cliff Jnr’s time with Cresco Technical Department three new sulphuric acid plants were built, one chamber process, one contact single catalysis process and one contact inter-absorption process, plus a nitric acid plant.
In 1970 Cliff joined BHS Ltd. at its Melbourne Head Office to work on the development of its NW Queensland phosphate deposits and continued with WMC in 1980 when it assumed control of the project. This continued until December 1990 when the development was put on hold pending the provision of natural gas to the Mt. Isa area and Cliff was retrenched. He reflects that his involvement in the phosphate project was very interesting with a spread of technology, as well as considerations related to geographic distance and other associated matters. He travelled to many parts of the world investigating phosphate rock production facilities, processing alternatives and providing support to marketing staff.
From 1991 to 1996 Cliff undertook some consulting briefs until he succumbed to the attraction of exploring Australia with his late wife, Jean. Cliff was elected Fellow of the RACI in 1972 and Honorary Life Member in 2000. Total 75 years of RACI membership and still counting.
Clifford Alexander Abbott Graduation (1952)
Sketch map of phosphate deposits Georgina Basin (Mataich P., 1969)
Mount Isa
Four brothers Len, Cliff, Bob and Jim (from left to right)
Images references
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Mr Cliff Abbott FRACI CChem (retired, 75 years Honorary Member of the RACI).
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