Andrew Arthur Abbie

Andrew Arthur Abbie, also known as A. A. Abbie (8 February 1905 – 22 July 1976)^[1] was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist.

Biography

Born in England, Abbie migrated to New South Wales, Australia during his youth and in 1924 enrolled at the University of Sydney, achieving qualifications in anatomy and anthropology (B.Sc., M.B., B.S., 1929). The university later awarded him an M.D. in anatomy in 1936 and, for two papers published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, a D.Sc. in 1941. He often traveled back to England, and worked under Grafton Elliot Smith at the University College, London. In 1934 he won the Johnston Symington prize of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He married Freida Ruth Heighway, a gynaecologist the same year, and later went on to publish works in the field of neuroanatomy, The Principles of Anatomy (1940) and Human Physiology (1941). In December 1941 Abbie was called up for full-time duty in the Australian Military Forces, selected for training at the Chemical Warfare Physiology School, University of Melbourne. He trained medical personnel in methods of treating chemical warfare casualties. In 1950, Abbie took an interest in the anatomical and phenotypic features of Australian Aborigines, leading expeditions across Australia to collect anthropomorphic data which formed the basis of his book, The Original Australians (1969). Abbie had been president of the Anthropological Society of South Australia (1948 and 1959) and published over 120 scientific papers. He retired in 1970.

References

1. http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001122b.htm

• Elmslie, Ronald, 'Abbie, Andrew Arthur (1905–1976)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
• Elmsie, Ronald; Nance, Susan, 'Abbie, Andrew Arthur (1905-1976), Anatomist and Anthropologist, and Frieda Ruth Heighway (1907-1963), Gynaecologist', in John Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1993, pp. 1–2.
• National Library of Australia, 'Abbie, A A', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009.