1 Sept 1952

• Harry Messel appointed Professor and Head of School at age 30.
  
  

August 1953

• Senate approves the Constitution of the Nuclear Research Foundation, 1st in British Commonwealth.

1954

• £50,000 donated by Adolph Basser (the prize money of his 1951 Melbourne Cup winner, Delta) to build SILLIAC - second electronic computer in Australia.  
• Basser Computer Department established.
• Inaugural two-day meeting of the Science Foundation followed by inaugural dinner. £150,000 raised on the evening: £50,000 each from George B.S. Falkiner, and the State and Federal Governments.
• Cosmic ray research group named Falkiner Cosmic Ray Department.

1955

• Adolph Basser and George Falkiner given Hon DSc by the University.

1956

• SILLIAC officially opened and Adolph Basser donated another £50,000 for upgrade, Science Foundation funded all running costs.
• Idea to build a research reactor for the University dropped.

1958

• Summer School for Science Teachers.

1959

• £150,000 raised to fund new departments within the School: Daily Telegraph Theoretical Dept (later the Sir Frank Packer Theoretical Dept), Wills Thermonuclear Department (later Plasma) and Chatterton Astronomy Dept.
• 1 st formal postgraduate course in computing.
• 1 st PhD in Physics at the University of Sydney awarded to Dr Brian J. O'Brien.

1960

• Summer School first televised.
• Mills Cross radiotelescope announced - SF contributes £100,000.
• Dr Cecil and Mrs Ida Green donate US$250,000 to SF for second computer, the English Electric KDF9 purchased.

1961

• Summer School TV audience estimated at 100,000.

1962

• 1st Summer School for High School Students (to become the International Science School) from NSW and one from New Zealand (NZ).
• Harry Messel/Science Foundation secures US$846,000 for Mills Cross from USA National Science Foundation (later a further grant of US$107,500).
  
  

1963

• Science School attracts two from each State and NZ and rest from NSW.
• Narrabri Stellar Intensity Interferometer completed.
  
  

1964

• "The Blue Book", Science for High School Students integrating Biology, Chemistry, Geology and Physics in one compulsory four-year course for high school students.
• English Electric KDF9 officially opened. SILLIAC and KDF9 were extensively used by external business and government agencies from the very earliest period.
• Running cost of School of Physics by this time typically £700,000. University contributed about £250,000 and the SF the remaining £450,000.
  
  

1965

• Official opening of the Mills Cross.

1967

• Science Schools go international with 10 Lyndon B. Johnson's Australian Science Students.
• Nuclear Research Foundation becomes the Science Foundation for Physics within the University of Sydney.
  
  

1968

• Sydney University Great Airshower Rig (SUGAR) started operations.
• Japan and the UK join the International Science Schools (ISS).

1969

• Undergraduate courses in computer science established for 3rd and 4th years.

1971

• Radio telemetry and interrogation research group established - tested on crocodiles.
  
  

1973

• Solar energy research program established.
• The Harry Messel launched to facilitate the research on telemetry and crocodiles. Used in many joint projects with Biology, Geology and Anthropology in northern Australia.
  
  

1974

• Service section of computing moved out (precursor of the University's Information Technology Services).

1975

• ISS go biennial due to increasing difficulty in raising sufficient funds each year.

1976

• 1st solar selective surface patent.

1977

• >$1,000,000 from NSW Govt to SF over three years to support solar energy research.
• Announcement of $5,000,000 grant to SF to support potentially commercialisable solar energy research from His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz al Saud.
  
  

1978

• Mills Cross extensively modified to become the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope.

1979

• Basser Department of Computer Science no longer a part of Physics but formally established as independent entity within the University.
• ISS televised for the final time.
• Dr and Mrs Green donate US$250,000 to establish the Professor Harry Messel Research Fellowship.

1981

• Tokamak (TORTUS) for fusion research commissioned.
• Science Foundation for Physics Scholarships for undergraduate physics established.

1983

• Licensing agreement with Rheem for evacuated tubes using solar selective surfaces.
• Dr and Mrs Green donate a further US$250,000 for a second Professor Harry Messel Research Fellowship.

1987

• Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI) opened at Narrabri.
• 31 December Harry Messel retires.
  
  

1988

• SF establishes Messel Award for Excellence for staff and students within the School.

1989

• First evacuated glazing created, funded from the Nawaf grant.
• Physical Optics Department established.
  
  

1994

• Julius Sumner Miller Fellowship established and Dr Karl Kruszelniski appointed.
• Licensing agreement with Nippon Sheet Glass to manufacture evacuated glazing.
  
  

1998

• International Science School (ISS) renamed the Professor Harry Messel International Science School to honour their founder.

1999

• Messel Endowment established to secure the financial future of the ISS.
• China attends the ISS for first time, bring the number of countries now attending to nine.

2002

• Funding for teaching and research initiatives in Computational Science.

2003

• Funding for teaching and research initiatives in Biological Physics.
• ISS webcast for the first time.
  
  

2004

• Friday 5 March - 50 th Anniversary Dinner. $1 Million donation from Mulpha Australia to the Messel Endowment announced
• August - Minister for Education, Science and Training announces $1 Million contribution to the Messel Endowment
  
  
  
  

2005

• July - 33rd Professor Harry Messel International Science School, Waves of the Future.

2006

• Tuesday 12 September - SILLIAC Pioneers Reuinon celebrates 50th anniversary of the first high-performance, automatic, stored program digital computer in Australia.

2007

• July - 34th Professor Harry Messel International Science School, ecoscience.
• Primary Science Initiatives: Marty Pels Primary Physics Workshops and MyScience
• October - Music and the Cosmos staged with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music

2008

• Expansion of MyScience program
• June - Science Teachers Workshop