Researching Arthur Hogg

He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, was educated at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and at the University of Melbourne where he earned his B.Sc. in 1923 and M.Sc. in 1925. In 1927 he began working at the Broken Hill Associated Smelters in Port Pirie, South Australia, becoming the assistant supervisor of research, and he remained there until 1929. He then joined the Mount Stromlo Observatory, then called the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, as an assistant and he remained associated with the observatory until his death in 1966.

At Mount Stromlo, he took up the study of electrical phenomena in the atmosphere, including ionization in the lower atmosphere. He then transitioned into the study of cosmic rays. In 1933 he was married to Irene Doris Tyson (known as Yandell). The couple had two sons, Robert Ernest Tremayne b 1936 and Garth Richard b. 1940 and a daughter, Elizabeth Irene born 1946.

Beginning in 1940, near the start of World War II, he worked as a physicist in the Chemical Defence Section at the Munitions Supply Laboratories in Maribyrnong. There his work was focused on the study of respirators. In 1944 he became secretary of the Physical and Meteorological Sub-Committee at the Lab.

After the war he returned to work at observatory. He was awarded his Ph.D. in 1950 from the University of Melbourne, based on his study of cosmic rays. He now began astronomical studies using photoelectric photometry and produced a series of papers on eclipsing variables, globular clusters in the galaxy, and the magellanic clouds.

He also became involved in the administration of the observatory and played a leading role in establishing the new telescope. Later he selected Siding Spring Mountain as the site of an telescope, located further from the encroaching growth near the older observatory. He was the deputy director of the Mount Stromlo Observatory from 1961 to 1966.

Hogg served in other positions of note, including as president of the Royal Society of Canberra in 1954; chairman of the Australian Institute of Physics, Australian Capital Territory branch, 1964; and the Commission 6 on Astronomical Telegrams of the International Astronomical Union from 1961 until 1964.

Hogg was born in Pentrich, the son of John Hogg, a coal miner and his wife Ann. He made his first appearance for Derbyshire during the 1905 season in a match against Lancashire when he scored a single run in his first innings of a drawn match. His next game was in the 1906 season against Surrey in July, when he scored a career-best of 4 in the second innings. His final game was later that season against Yorkshire when he did not score in either innings. Derbyshire lost both those matches. Hogg was a right-handed batsman and played 6 innings in 3 first-class matches with a total run count of 5.

Hogg died in Ripley at the age of 79.