Frederick Bickell Guthrie
Encyclopedia
Frederick Bickell Guthrie (10 December 1861 – 7 February 1927). was an Australia
n agricultural chemist and a president of the Royal Society of New South Wales
.
, the son of Frederick Guthrie
, F.R.S. and Agnes Guthrie, née Bickell. Guthrie was educated at University College, London, and at the University of Marburg under Professor Zincke. He was assistant to the professor of chemistry at Queen's College, Cork, from 1882, and in 1888 became demonstrator in chemistry at the Royal College of Science
, London
under Sir Thomas Thorpe.
under Archibald Liversidge
. In 1892 he was made chemist to the New South Wales
department of agriculture. In this department he did much research in connexion with soil analysis, manures, and the milling qualities of wheat. He was also closely associated with William Farrer
and his work on wheat breeding; Guthrie devised methods to test small quantities of grain and assess their quality. For periods in 1896, 1904-5, and 1908-9 Guthrie was acting-professor of chemistry at the University of Sydney. In 1901 he was president of the chemical section of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1913 president of the agricultural section. He was elected president of the Royal Society of New South Wales
for 1903 and was one of the joint honorary secretaries from 1906 to 1910. Guthrie was also an original member of the Commonwealth advisory council of science and industry. He retired from the agricultural department of New South Wales in January 1924, and died of cancer at Sydney on 7 February 1927.
. He wrote many papers for scientific societies some of which were published as pamphlets. His work as an economic and agricultural chemist was of widespread benefit to primary production in Australia. The Guthrie medal, named in his honour, is awarded every three years by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
..
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n agricultural chemist and a president of the Royal Society of New South Wales
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
.
Early life
Guthrie was born in MauritiusMauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, the son of Frederick Guthrie
Frederick Guthrie
Frederick Guthrie was a British scientific writer and professor. He helped found the Physical Society of London in 1874 and was president of the society from 1884-1886. He believed that science should be based on experimentation rather than discussion...
, F.R.S. and Agnes Guthrie, née Bickell. Guthrie was educated at University College, London, and at the University of Marburg under Professor Zincke. He was assistant to the professor of chemistry at Queen's College, Cork, from 1882, and in 1888 became demonstrator in chemistry at the Royal College of Science
Royal College of Science
The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Alumni include H. G. Wells and Brian May and are distinguishable by the letters ARCS ...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
under Sir Thomas Thorpe.
Career in Australia
Guthrie came to Australia in 1890 and in the same year was appointed demonstrator in chemistry at the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
under Archibald Liversidge
Archibald Liversidge
Archibald Liversidge, FRS, was an English-born Australian chemist and founder of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.-Early life:...
. In 1892 he was made chemist to the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
department of agriculture. In this department he did much research in connexion with soil analysis, manures, and the milling qualities of wheat. He was also closely associated with William Farrer
William Farrer
William James Farrer was a leading Australian agronomist and plant breeder. Farrer is best remembered as the originator of the "Federation" strain of wheat, distributed in 1903...
and his work on wheat breeding; Guthrie devised methods to test small quantities of grain and assess their quality. For periods in 1896, 1904-5, and 1908-9 Guthrie was acting-professor of chemistry at the University of Sydney. In 1901 he was president of the chemical section of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1913 president of the agricultural section. He was elected president of the Royal Society of New South Wales
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
for 1903 and was one of the joint honorary secretaries from 1906 to 1910. Guthrie was also an original member of the Commonwealth advisory council of science and industry. He retired from the agricultural department of New South Wales in January 1924, and died of cancer at Sydney on 7 February 1927.
Legacy
Guthrie married Ada Adams, who survived him with a daughter. He lost his two sons in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He wrote many papers for scientific societies some of which were published as pamphlets. His work as an economic and agricultural chemist was of widespread benefit to primary production in Australia. The Guthrie medal, named in his honour, is awarded every three years by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
Royal Australian Chemical Institute
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Inc. is both the qualifying body in Australia for professional chemists and a learned society promoting the science and practice of chemistry in all its branches. The RACI hosts conferences, seminars and workshops...
..