Edgeworth David
| Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David | |
|---|---|
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Portrait of Sir T.W. Edgeworth David in 1922
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
28 January 1858 St. Fagans, Wales |
| Died | 28 August 1934 (aged 76) Sydney, Australia |
| Cause of death | Lobar pneumonia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline (Cara) Martha Mallett, married 30 July 1885 |
| Children |
Margaret E. 1886–1948 Mary E. 1888–1987 William E. 1890– |
| Education | Magdalen College School, Oxford |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Geologist, academic, polar explorer, soldier, public figure |
| Known for | Discovery of Hunter Valley coalfields Funafuti drilling expeditions First ascent of Mount Erebus First team to reach the South Magnetic Pole |
| Civilian awards |
Bigsby Medal (1899) Fellow of the Royal Society (1900) Mueller Medal (1909) Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (1910) Wollaston Medal (1915) Clarke Medal (1917) Patron's Medal (1926) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Imperial Force |
| Years of service | 1915–19 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Australian Mining Corps |
| Battles/wars | |
| Military awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (2) |
Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David KBE, CMG, DSO, FRS (28 January 1858 – 28 August 1934), professionally known as Edgeworth David, was a Welsh Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter Valley coalfield in New South Wales and leading the first expedition to reach the South Magnetic Pole. He also served with distinction in World War I.
David was born on 28 January 1858, in St. Fagans near Cardiff, Wales, the eldest son of the Rev. William David, a fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, a classical scholar and naturalist and his wife Margaret Harriette (née Thomson). His mother's cousin, William A. E. Ussher of the Geological Survey, first interested David in what was to be his life work.
At the age of 12, David went to Magdalen College School, Oxford in 1870. In 1876 he gained a classical scholarship to New College, Oxford. While there he was lectured by the famous John Ruskin and William Spooner. In 1878 he suffered a health breakdown and travelled to Canada and Australia to recuperate. Returning to Oxford, he attended lectures on geology by Sir Joseph Prestwich which stimulated his interest in the subject. After graduating as a Bachelor of Arts without honours in 1880, he spent the following two years in field study of the geology of Wales. In November 1881 he read his first paper, Evidences of Glacial Action in the Neighbourhood of Cardiff before the Cardiff Naturalists' Society. In the following year he briefly studied at the Royal School of Mines, London, under Professor J.W. Judd before accepting the position of Assistant Geological Surveyor to the Government of New South Wales, Australia.
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