2026 Ian Wark Lecture by Dr Tony Murphy

Join us at the Australian Museum in Sydney for the 2026 Ian Wark Lecture delivered by Dr Tony Murphy.
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Ian Wark Medal

About the lecture

From (very) hot gas to a cooler and safer planet: Plasmas protecting the ozone layer and reducing global warming

Plasmas (ionised gas) make up 99.9% of the visible universe. The sun and other stars are composed of plasma; lightning and sparks are everyday ‘down-to-earth’ examples.

Plasmas are also extremely useful. Since they were first used for street lighting in the late 19th century, their applications have multiplied to include welding and cutting of metals, etching of the semiconductors used in all electronic devices, deposition of a wide range of coatings, and purification of water – to name a few.

Plasmas can also be good for the environment. Dr Tony Murphy helped develop the PLASCON (now PyroplasTM) plasma process that was used to destroy stockpiles of ozone-depleting substances in Australia, the UK and the US, and is now being applied to potent global warming gases such as trifluoromethane. 

He has also contributed to the international effort to replace the sulfur hexafluoride (another strong global warming gas) used in high-voltage circuit breakers with more benign alternatives.

Dr Murphy will discuss his role in these projects, showing how a fundamental understanding of plasma physics and chemistry was essential to developing real solutions. 

He will also describe a new plasma process under development that aims to turn iron- and steelmaking – which are currently responsible for 7 to 9% of global carbon emissions – into an environmentally friendly process that would ensure the future of Australia’s huge iron ore deposits.

The lecture will begin at 7.30pm and will be preceded by a cocktail function in the Wild Planet gallery at 6.30pm.

 

About the speaker

Dr Tony Murphy, a Chief Research Scientist and Team Leader with CSIRO’s Manufacturing Research Unit, is the recipient of the 2026 Ian Wark Medal and Lecture. For most of his career, Dr Murphy has studied plasmas, with a particular emphasis on developing applications of high-temperature arc plasmas. As well as helping to develop the PLASCON process for destroying hazardous gases and liquids, he has led large projects funded by General Motors, Boeing, and China Rail and Rolling Stock Corporation on computational modelling of plasma processes and phenomena. The plasma properties he calculates are used by companies and research groups in more than 25 countries to develop new and improve existing plasma processes.

 

Event details

Date: Thursday 11 June 2026

Time: Cocktail function from 6.30pm, with the lecture commencing at 7.30pm AEST

Venue: Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Cost: Free

 

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About the award

The Ian Wark Medal and Lecture commemorates the contributions to Australian science and industry by the late Sir Ian William Wark CMG CBE FAA FTSE. The award recognises research that contributes to the prosperity of Australia where that prosperity is attained through the advancement of scientific knowledge or its application, or both.

For all event enquiries, please contact awards@science.org.au. 

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Award

Ian Wark Medal and Lecture

The Ian Wark Medal and Lecture recognises research that contributes to the prosperity of Australia where that prosperity is attained through the advancement of scientific knowledge or its application, or both.
Wark Medal