Biographical entry Baker, Richard Thomas (1854 - 1941)

Summary

Richard Thomas Baker was Assistant Curator of the Technological Museum, Sydney from 1888 to 1898 and Curator from 1898 to 1921. His principal interest was with oil-bearing plants, particularly Eucalyptus.

Details

Born Woolwich, Kent, England, 1 December 1854. Died Sydney, 14 July 1941. Educated Peterborough Training Institution, and science and art certificates from South Kensington Museum. Senior assistant-master, School Board for London 1875-79; science and art master and senior house-master, Newington College, Sydney 1880-88; assistant curator to J.H. Maiden (q.v.), Technological Museum, Sydney 1888-96; in charge of the museum from 1896; curator from 1898; economic botanist 1901-22; lectured in forestry, University of Sydney 1913-24. Mueller Medal, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1921, W.B. Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1922. Published several books, the major one being "Hardwoods of Australia and Their Economics" (1919).

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Richard Thomas Baker - Records, 1890 - 1941; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Powerhouse Museum

• Richard Thomas Baker - Records, 1891 - 1940, MRS 4, 16, 202, 109, 225; Powerhouse Museum. Details

Published resources

Books

• List of Original Publications and Papers by R.T. Baker, W.A. Gullick, Government Printer, Sydney, 1911. Details

Book Sections

• 'Baker, Richard Thomas (1854-1941)', in Chisholm, Alec H. (ed.), Australian Encyclopaedia, vol. 1, Grolier, Sydney, 1965, p. 393. Details
• Bogle, Michael, 'R.T. Baker', in Design in Australia, 1880-1970, Craftsman House, North Ryde, New South Wales, c1998, pp. 47-48, 52. Details
• Hall, Norman, 'Baker, Richard Thomas (1854-1941)', in Botanists of the Eucalypts, CSIRO, Melbourne, 1978, p. 12. Details
• Watson, Anne, 'The legacy of a vision: from Lucien Henry to R.T. Baker', in Stephen, Ann (ed.), Visions of a republic: the work of Lucien Henry, Paris, Noumea, Sydney, Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 2001, pp. 108-125. Details
• Willis, J. L., 'Baker, Richard Thomas (1854-1941), botanist and museum curator', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1979, pp. 154-155. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070154b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Obituary: Mr. R. T. Baker', Australian Journal of Science, vol. 4, no. 1, 1941, pp. 17-18. Details
• 'Obituary of R. T. Baker in presidential address by H. Priestley', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 76, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1943, p. 6. Details
• Baker, R. T., 'Note on the Cinnamomum, &c., in the Proposed Addendum (to the British Pharmacopoeia)', The Chemist and Druggist of Australasia, vol. 14, 1899, pp. 67-68. Details
• Baker, R.T. and Smith, Henry G., 'On the Presence of a True Manna on a "Blue Grass", Andropogon annulatus , Forsk.', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 30, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1896, pp. 291-308. Details
• Baker, R.T. and Smith, Henry G., 'On "Grey Gum", (Eucalyptus punctata, DC.,) particularly in Regard to its Essential Oil', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 31, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1897, pp. 259-280. Details
• Baker, R.T. and Smith, Henry G., 'On the Essential Oil and the Presence of a Solid Camphor or Stearoptene in the "Sydney Peppermint" Eucalyptus piperita, Sm', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 31, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1897, pp. 195-200. Details
• Baker, R.T. and Smith, Henry G., 'On the "Stringybark" Trees of N.S.Wales, Especially in Regard to their Essential Olis', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 32, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1898, pp. 104-119. Details
• Baker, R.T. and Smith, Henry G., 'On the Darwinias of Port Jackson and their Essential Oils', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 33, Acting Government Printer, Sydney, 1899, pp. 163-176. Details
• Mellor, D.P., 'Obituary: Richard Thomas Baker', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 76, 1942, p. 6. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Baker, Richard T', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-638648. Details