About Wilbur Norman Christiansen
Wilbur Norman "Chris" Christiansen (9 August 1913 – 26 April 2007) was a pioneer Australian radio astronomer and electrical engineer. == Family == The son of Wilhelm Christiansen (1883-1920), and Ilma Clarice Christiansen (1885-1983), née Jones, Wilbur Norman Christiansen was born in Elsternwick, Victoria on 9 August 1913. His father was a minister in the Congregational Church, and his mother a music teacher. In his adult life he was always known as "Chris". He married Elsie Mary Hill, at Chatswood, New South Wales in 1938. == Education == Educated at Caulfield Grammar School from 1921 to 1930, he entered the University of Melbourne in 1931, reading Science, and was associated as a non-resident student with Trinity College, where he won an Exhibition in 1932. He graduated Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (1934), Master of Science (M.Sc.) (1935) — winning the Professor Kernot Research Scholarship in Natural Philosophy. — and Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) (1953) from the University of Melbourne. Along with Ronald Drayton Brown, he was awarded the Syme Prize Medal for 1959. == Career == Christiansen built the first grating array for scanning the sun at the radio astronomy field station at Potts Hill, New South Wales.
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