John Macadam
| John Macadam | |
|---|---|
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| Born | May 1827 |
| Died | 2 September 1865 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Chemistry professor |
Dr. John Macadam (May 1827 – 2 September 1865), was a Scottish-Australian chemist, medical teacher and politician. The genus Macadamia was named after him in 1857 by his colleague Ferdinand von Mueller.
Life
Macadam was born in Northbank, near Glasgow, Scotland. He studied chemistry at the Andersonian University and the University of Edinburgh, later switching to medicine at Glasgow. In 1855, he went to Melbourne, where he had been appointed as a lecturer in chemistry and natural science at Scotch College. He later became the first lecturer to teach at the University of Melbourne School of Medicine and on 3 March 1862 he commenced lectures in chemistry. In 1858, he was appointed the Victorian Government Analytical Chemist.
Between 1857 and 1862, Macadam served as Honorary Secretary of The Philosophical Institute of Victoria which later became the Royal Society of Victoria, and was appointed Vice-President in 1863. He was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Victorian Parliament, representing Castlemaine. He was Postmaster-General of Victoria in 1861.[1]
Macadam died in 1865 after a shipboard accident.[1] His grave is in Melbourne General Cemetery and he is commemorated in an exhibition in the School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne.
Family
John was brother to Stevenson Macadam and uncle of William Ivison Macadam. He was great uncle to Ivison Macadam.
Australian rules football
On 7 August 1858, he officiated as one of two umpires at a game of football played between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar. This game was a predecessor to the modern game of Australian Rules Football and is commemorated by a statue depicting the game outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[2][3]
Burke and Wills expedition
Between 1857 and 1865, Macadam served as Honorary Secretary to the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria which organised the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition.
Notes
- 1 2 Hartog 1893.
- ↑ Scotch College Website. "The Cordner-Eggleston Cup". Retrieved 22 Nov 2009.
- ↑ AFL Website. "A Time Honoured Rivalry". Retrieved 22 Nov 2009.
References
Hartog, Philip Joseph (1893). "Macadam, John". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography 34. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
External links
- State Library of Victoria – The Late John Macadam, MD – portrait
- The Royal Society of Victoria
- Burke & Wills Web A comprehensive website containing many of the historical documents relating to the Burke & Wills Expedition.
- The Burke & Wills Historical Society The Burke & Wills Historical Society.
- History of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences at Melbourne – Macadam, John (1827–1865)
- History of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences at Melbourne – Melbourne Medical School (1862–)
- Burke & Wills Web – The Royal Society of Victoria
- Burke & Wills Web – 1860 Exploration Committee
- Scotch College: Great Scot – Professor Geoffrey Blainey entertains at Cordner-Eggleston pre-match luncheon
- Macadam and Macadam and McAdam
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