Noel Burke-Gaffney | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev Noel Burke-Gaffney SJ Title: Rev First Name: Thomas Middle Names: Noel Preferred Name: Noel Surname: Burke-Gaffney Order: SJ Date of Birth: 26-Dec-1893 Place of Birth: Dublin Country of Birth: Ireland Date of Ordination: 31-Jul-1926 Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ireland Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 14-Sep-1958 Place of Death: Lewisham NSW Country of Death: Australia Date of Burial: 1958 Place of Burial: Gore Hill NSW Country of Burial: Australia Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/284317398 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Teacher at St Ignatius College, Riverview, astronomer and seismologist. --- Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/burkegaffney-thomas-noel-9632 --- Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Burke-Gaffney, Noel Teacher, scientist, astronomer; born Dublin, 26 December 1893; died Sydney, 14 September 1958, aged 64. Noel Burke-Gaffney was a student at Belvedere College, Dublin, before he entered the Society at Tullamore College, Ireland, 17 February 1913, and was a junior at the National University, 1915-16. He studied philosophy at Jersey and Milltown Park, 1916-19, and was sent to Australia in 1919 for regency. His first appointment for one year was at Xavier College, and for the next two at St Ignatius' College, Riverview, as assistant prefect of discipline and teacher. Theology studies followed at Milltown Park, and tertianship at St Beuno's, North Wales, 1927-28. He returned to Australia and St Ignatius' College, Riverview, where he was assistant minister, took care of the rowing, and was senior science master until 1946. In 1945 he was appointed assistant director of the observatory until 1950, when he was appointed director after Daniel O'Connell was appointed to the Vatican Observatory. He was particularly good at interpreting seismogram patterns, and picked up the Bikini atomic explosion, which was considered a security risk at the time when he informed the US authorities. He was also the author of numerous scientific papers, the best known of which is probably that on 'The seismological and related aspects of the 1954 hydrogen bomb explosion', which he wrote in conjunction with Professor K E Bullen, and published in the Australian Journal of Physics in 1957. He was a keen scientist. Teaching physics, he improvised brilliantly. He created the 'Gaffoscope', a device to illustrate the action of magnetic lines. His chief interest, however, lay probably in biology. He was very interested in wild life, especially snakes, which he dealt with fearlessly. But the most valuable part of his teaching was his devotion to truth that he instilled into his students and the appreciation he gave them by his own example of meticulous and untiring work. As spiritual father to the community Burke-Gaffney was remembered for his monthly talks. They were simple, practical, solid, and expressed in English of rare dignity and beauty; but more importantly their impact came from the fact that they were so clearly the principles that ruled his own austere life, the life of a man completely dedicated to God and to the truth. He was a reserved man, very faithful to his duties and was an exemplary religious. His observance of obedience was very strict, and he worked until just before his death. He was also a gentle man, considered too sensitive for the boys at Riverview, who did not treat him kindly. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Thomas

Middle Names:

Noel

Preferred Name:

Noel

Surname:

Burke-Gaffney

Order:

Date of Birth:

26-Dec-1893

Place of Birth:

Dublin

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

31-Jul-1926

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ireland

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

14-Sep-1958

Place of Death:

Lewisham NSW

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

1958

Place of Burial:

Gore Hill NSW

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/284317398

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

Teacher at St Ignatius College, Riverview, astronomer and seismologist.

---

Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/burkegaffney-thomas-noel-9632

---

Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Burke-Gaffney, Noel

Teacher, scientist, astronomer; born Dublin, 26 December 1893; died Sydney, 14 September 1958, aged 64.

Noel Burke-Gaffney was a student at Belvedere College, Dublin, before he entered the Society at Tullamore College, Ireland, 17 February 1913, and was a junior at the National University, 1915-16. He studied philosophy at Jersey and Milltown Park, 1916-19, and was sent to Australia in 1919 for regency. His first appointment for one year was at Xavier College, and for the next two at St Ignatius' College, Riverview, as assistant prefect of discipline and teacher. Theology studies followed at Milltown Park, and tertianship at St Beuno's, North Wales, 1927-28.

He returned to Australia and St Ignatius' College, Riverview, where he was assistant minister, took care of the rowing, and was senior science master until 1946. In 1945 he was appointed assistant director of the observatory until 1950, when he was appointed director after Daniel O'Connell was appointed to the Vatican Observatory.

He was particularly good at interpreting seismogram patterns, and picked up the Bikini atomic explosion, which was considered a security risk at the time when he informed the US authorities. He was also the author of numerous scientific papers, the best known of which is probably that on 'The seismological and related aspects of the 1954 hydrogen bomb explosion', which he wrote in conjunction with Professor K E Bullen, and published in the Australian Journal of Physics in 1957.

He was a keen scientist. Teaching physics, he improvised brilliantly. He created the 'Gaffoscope', a device to illustrate the action of magnetic lines. His chief interest, however, lay probably in biology. He was very interested in wild life, especially snakes, which he dealt with fearlessly. But the most valuable part of his teaching was his devotion to truth that he instilled into his students and the appreciation he gave them by his own example of meticulous and untiring work.

As spiritual father to the community Burke-Gaffney was remembered for his monthly talks. They were simple, practical, solid, and expressed in English of rare dignity and beauty; but more importantly their impact came from the fact that they were so clearly the principles that ruled his own austere life, the life of a man completely dedicated to God and to the truth. He was a reserved man, very faithful to his duties and was an exemplary religious. His observance of obedience was very strict, and he worked until just before his death. He was also a gentle man, considered too sensitive for the boys at Riverview, who did not treat him kindly.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev Noel Burke-Gaffney SJ

Biographical Notes