Edgar, Grahame (1901 - 1985)

Summary

Grahame Edgar was a veterinarian whose research was principally on diseases of sheep and cattle. In particular he worked on black-disease, the control of liver flukes in sheep, diseases caused by anaerobic organisms (blackleg, entero-toxaemia and botulism) and toxaemic jaundice in sheep, identified as being caused by heliotrope ingestion and chronic copper poisoning. Edgar played a central role in the Commonwealth Government's pasture-improvement program which was based on rabbit control. This involved the release of a virulent strain of myxomatosis from the Glenfield Veterinary Research Station of which Edgar was Director of Veterinary Research. His research career ceased in 1959 when he became Assistant Under-Secretary (and later Director-General) of Agriculture for New South Wales.

Details

Chronology

1924

Education - BVSc, University of Sydney

1924 - 1942

Career position - Served with Australian Army Veterinary Corps (Militia)

1927 - 1947

Career position - Veterinary Research Officer, Glenfield Veterinary Research Station, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1929 - 1936

Career position - Senior Research Officer, Glenfield Veterinary Research Station, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1936 - 1947

Career position - Senior Veterinary Research Officer, Glenfield Veterinary Research Station, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1938

Career position - President, New South Wales Branch, Australian Veterinary Association

1947 - 1959

Career position - Director of Veterinary Research, Glenfield Veterinary Research Station, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1948 - 1949

Career position - President, Australian Veterinary Association

1948 - 1972

Career position - Member, Australian National Science Committee of UNESCO

1952 - 1985

Award - Fellow, Australian Veterinary Association

1957 - 1961

Career position - Chairman, Australian National Science Committee of UNESCO

1959 -

Career position - Director, McGarvie Smith Institute

1959 -

Career position - Member of Council, New South Wales Sheep Breeders' Association

1959 - 1961

Career position - Assistant Under Secretary, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1961 - 1966

Career position - Director-General, New South Wales Department of Agriculture

1961 - 1966

Career position - Chairman, Farrer Memorial Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney

1962

Award - DVSc, University of Sydney

1962 - 1963

Career position - President, New South Wales Branch, Australian Society for Animal Production

1962 - 1970

Career position - Member of Council, World Poultry Science Association

1963 - 1985

Career position - Honorary Associate, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London

1966

Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

1966

Life event - Retired

1966

Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust

1966 - 1978

Career position - Member of Senate, University of Sydney

1967

Award - Gilruth Prize for Meritorious Service to Veterinary Science, Australian Veterinary Association

1967 - 1985

Career position - Chairman, McGarvie Smith Institute

1971

Award - Fellow, Australian College of Veterinary Scientists

1973 - 1975

Career position - Director, Wellcome (Australasia) Ltd

1980 - 1985

Award - Life Governor, New South Wales Sheep Breeders' Association

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• Hale, Patricia, 'Edgar, Grahame (1901 - 1985), veterinarian and public servant' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Langmore, Di, ed., vol. 17 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2007), pp. 352-3. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/edgar-grahame-12452. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21538430. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/93796843. Details
• 'Edgar, Grahame (19010525-19850809)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-584578. Details