Biographical entry Pearson, Alfred Naylor (1856 - 1933)

Summary

Alfred Naylor Pearson was educated at the Royal School of Mines in London. He held a variety of professional positions in India including Professor of Biology at the University of Kutch; Curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Kutch, 1878) and shortly afterwards became resident engineer of an Indian mining company. In 1885 Pearson migrated to Australia where he worked as a chemist for government departments and was particularly active in experimental agriculture. He wrote "Manures and Manuring" in 1895 and many popular articles for newspapers. He set up a demonstration farm, Holton Grange, in 1907 but it was unsuccessful.

Details

Events

1877 - 1878

Career position - Worked on developing the mineral resources of Kutch, India

1878 - c. 1883

Career position - Professor of Biology at the University of Kutch and Curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kutch

1883 - c. 1885

Career position - Temporary Head of the meteorological department in West India

1885

Career position - University Examiner in Melbourne

1886 - 1902

Career position - Chemist for government departments

1888

Career position - Member of the royal commission on the introduction of contagious diseases amongst rabbits

1889

Career position - Search for Knowledge and Other Papers published

1890

Career position - Member of the Intercolonial Rust in Wheat Conference

1895 - 1896

Career position - Gave evidence to the inquiry into the butter industry in Victoria

1902 - 1907

Career position - Head of the Department of Agriculture in Natal, South Africa

Published resources

Book Sections

• Jewell, W. R., 'Pearson, Alfred Naylor (1856-1933), Chemist and Agriculturist', in Geoffrey Serle (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 11, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1988, pp. 186-187. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110189b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Pearson, A.N., 'Analyses of Soils', The Australasian Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 2, A.E. Massina, Melbourne, 1887, pp. 394-395. Details
• Pearson, A.N., 'Science and Farming.', The Journal of the National Agricultural Society of Victoria (March issue, 1889, pp. 11-12, No. 45, pp. 11-12. Details
• Pearson, A.N., 'A.N. Pearson', The Scientific Australian : a popular quarterly journal devoted to the arts and industries, vol. 2, Printed for Phillips, Ormonde and Co. by G.A. Green, Melbourne, 1897, p. 37. Details
• Pearson, A.N., 'Notes on Some Simple Laboratory Contrivances', Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 7, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1898, p. 339. Details
• Pearson, A.N., 'Note on the Correspondence Between the Results of the Chemical Analysis of a Soil and its Productiveness ', Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, vol. 7, Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Sydney, 1898, pp. 947-952. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Pearson, A N', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-639006. Details