Jim McCaughan - best selling author

Apart from his definitive papers on the density spectrum, Jim has written some general articles on Physics - it's history and how it's taught.

I asked Jim: "Can you give me some references for the books you have had a hand in writing? Are they generally available?"  Jim replied:

Ever Reaping Something New

was published by the Science Faculty. There were many copies available until fairly recently from the Faculty Office, but there was a flood or at least dampness where they were stored and they had to be thrown out. There is a copy in Archives in Fisher and possibly in Fisher itself. There may be also a copy in Physics, but things get reorganised over time so wouldn't be confident about it. In my chapter on Physics, the section on Threlfall was the first in print about him. I gave talks on him at least on three occasions. Professor Rod Holme of Melbourne, the only Professor of HPS anywhere in Australia did an important scholarly work on him: First Physicist of Australia.

The Messel Era 

was published by Pergamon Press as part of HM's final Science School in his retirement year of '87. They were distributed to the participating schools free of charge. They were turfed out of the storeroom in Physics basement sometime in the nineties; I saved two boxes of them. If anyone is interested would be happy to give them a free copy. Pollock and Vonwiller appear in the Aust. Dict.Biog. MUP Vols 11 and 12 respectively.