P000401 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy and Helen Cohn updated 2026-02-02 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000401b.htm person Farrer William James AACR2 3 April 1845 16 April 1906 Place of Birth Docker, Westmorland, England Place of Death Tharwa, New South Wales, Australia Agriculturalist Wheat propagator William Farrer was an experimental wheat breeder whose work was central to the success of wheat-growing in Australia. Through a series of cross-breeding experiments, he developed varieties which were disease-resistant, high-yielding, and hardy in Australian conditions. Throughout, he corresponded with wheat breeders overseas, and collaborated with colleagues Nathan Cobb and F. B. Guthrie, respectively pathologist and chemist with the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. Farrer's most notable achievement was the "Federation" wheat, released to farmers in 1903. This variety resulted in the extension of wheat-growing areas, especially in New South Wales, and Australia becoming a world leader in wheat exports. Between 1910 and 1925 "Federation" was the leading wheat variety in Australia; in 1914, of the 29 varieties recommended for growing in New South Wales, 22 had been developed by Farrer. His varieties were early-maturing, and so escaped the on-set of rust and smut diseases. Farrer advocated large-scale ringbarking of eucalypts, arguing it would quadruple the carrying capacity of undeveloped bushland. The Farrer Memorial Medal, awarded annually since 1936, recognises distinguished service to agricultural science in Australia in the fields of research, education or administration. The recipient is invited to deliver the Farrer Memorial Oration.

Farrer's grave behind his house at Lambrigg is marked with a granite column erected by the Commonwealth Government and there is a bronze bust of him at Queanbeyan, New South Wales. Commemorated by the Farrer Memorial medal for outstanding service to agricultural science in research, administration and education; the Farrer Memorial research scholarship awarded for postgraduate research in agriculture; currency; stamps; various schools; streets; a suburb of Canberra; a flour-mill; and several institutions.

1868 1868 Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), Pembroke College, University of Cambridge 1870 1870 Life event - Migrated to Australia 1870 1875 Career position - Tutor, George Campbell's sheep station, Duntroon (Canberra), New South Wales 1875 1875 Education - Qualified as surveyor 1875 1886 Career position - Surveyor, New South Wales Department of Lands, in the Dubbo, Nyngan, Cobar and Cooma districts 1886 1886 Life event - Settled at Lambrigg, a property belonging to his wife Henrietta, on the Murrumbidgee River, N.S.W. 1889 1889 Career event - Began conducting experiments on cross-breeding wheat 1898 Career position - Wheat experimentalist, New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture New South Wales Department of Mines and Agriculture, Colony and State of New South Wales (1891 - 1908)

Wheat experimentalist 1898 - ?

 New South Wales Department of Lands, Colony and State of New South Wales (1859 - 1981)

Surveyor 1875 - 1886

 Farrer Memorial Medal (1936 - )

The Medal has been awarded by the Farrer Memorial Trust since 1936

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Farrer, William (1845-1906)

Trove

 'Farrer, William James', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Farrer, William James Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book Section: William James Farrer, 1845-1906 Hou, Yong Kang William James Farrer, 1845-1906 Oxford Oxford University Press 2004 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Journal Article: The Great War brought us tragedy but it also birthed Australian science Spurling, Tom; Webb, John Mark The Great War brought us tragedy but it also birthed Australian science Australia The Conversation AU 2015 The Conversation Journal Article: William James Farrer Campbell, Walter S. William James Farrer 1933 Royal Australian Historical Society 19 269-285 Journal Article: William Farrer Guthrie, F. B. William Farrer 1960 Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales June 533-538 Journal Article: The Methods of the Late W. J. Farrer with Some Results of His Work Skelton, C. P. The Methods of the Late W. J. Farrer with Some Results of His Work 1925 Sydney Government Printer Journal Article: William Farrer. Australia's Greatest Benefactor Wenholz, W. William Farrer. Australia's Greatest Benefactor 1930 The Australian Quarterly 91-100 Journal Article: Respones to challenge: William Farrer and the making of wheat Evans, L. T. Respones to challenge: William Farrer and the making of wheat 1980 Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 46 1 3-13 Journal Article: William Farrer and the Australian Response to Mendelism Cawte, Mary William Farrer and the Australian Response to Mendelism 1984 Historical Records of Australian Science 6 1 45-58 Book: William James Farrer: a Biography Russell, Archer William James Farrer: a Biography Melbourne Cheshire 1949 Journal Article: The making and improvements of wheats for Australian conditions Farrer, W. The making and improvements of wheats for Australian conditions 1898 Agricultural gazette of New South Wales 9 131-68, 241-60 Journal Article: Federation variety of wheat Farrer, W. J. Federation variety of wheat 1903 Agricultural gazette of New South Wales 13 977 Book: Grass and sheep-farming: a paper, speculative and suggestive Farrer, William Grass and sheep-farming: a paper, speculative and suggestive Sydney William Maddock 1873 Journal Article: Stem rust of wheat in colonial Australia and the development of the plant pathology profession Ryley, Malcolm and Park, Robert F. Stem rust of wheat in colonial Australia and the development of the plant pathology profession 2024 Historical records of Australian science 35 2 83-97 Journal Article: W. J. Farrer and F. B. Guthrie: the Unique Breeder-Chemist Combination That Pioneered Quality Wheats for Australia Wrigley, C. W. W. J. Farrer and F. B. Guthrie: the Unique Breeder-Chemist Combination That Pioneered Quality Wheats for Australia 1979 Records of the Australian Academy of Science 4 1 7-25 Book Section: Farrer, William James (1845-1906), wheat breeder Wrigley, C. W. Farrer, William James (1845-1906), wheat breeder Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1981 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 8: 1891 - 1939 Cl-Gib Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 471-473 Book: William J. Farrer and the results of his work Guthrie, F. B. William J. Farrer and the results of his work Sydney Government Printer 1922 Book: Eucalypts: a Celebration Wrigley, J.; and Fagg, M. Eucalypts: a Celebration Crows Nest Australia Allen & Unwin 2010 Book: Scientists in Nineteenth Century Australia: a Documentary History Moyal, A. M. Scientists in Nineteenth Century Australia: a Documentary History Melbourne Cassell Australia 1976 Book: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 Journal Article: The genetics of wheat and wheat rusts since Farrer McIntosh, R. A. The genetics of wheat and wheat rusts since Farrer 1976 Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 42 203-16 Book: Australian inventions and innovations Ingpen, Robert Australian inventions and innovations Rigby Publishers Limited 1982 Journal Article: Wheat quality since Farrer: 1906 to 1975 Macindoe, S. L. Wheat quality since Farrer: 1906 to 1975 1976 Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 42 28-33 Book: National portraits Palmer, Vance National portraits 3rd, reprinted Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1960 Journal Article: From Farrer to the Australian cereal rust control program McIntosh, R. A. From Farrer to the Australian cereal rust control program 2007 Australian journal of agricultural research 58 6 550-57 Book: The Origins of CSIRO: Science and the Commonwealth Government, 1901-1926 Currie, George; Graham, John The Origins of CSIRO: Science and the Commonwealth Government, 1901-1926 Melbourne CSIRO 1966 Book Section: Wheat breeding in Australia Wrigley, C. W.; and Rathjen, A. Wheat breeding in Australia Sydney Academic Press 1981 Plants and Man in Australia Carr, D. J. and Carr, S. G. M. 96-135 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000 William James Farrer - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales William James Farrer - Records 1867 - 1906 Records 1867-1906 chiefly letters from agricultural bureaux abroad (transferred from the NSW Department of Agriculture). William James Farrer - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales William James Farrer - Records A2078 1894 - 1906 Letters to the US Department of Agriculture 1894-1906 describing experimental work in the breeding of wheat. William James Farrer - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection William James Farrer - Records MS 2856 1901 - 1902 Notebook used by Farrer on his property 'Lambrigg' showing his daily work in cross-breeding wheat shortly after he joined the NSW Department of Agriculture 1901-02. 1 item William James Farrer - Records State Records New South Wales, Sydney Reading Room William James Farrer - Records 5/3249.2 1885 - 1906 Correspondence with agricultural scientists and wheat growers in Australia and overseas including H. Vilmorin, a French grain merchant and experimentalist, M.A. Carleton and B.T. Gallowy of the US Department of Agriculture, Professor A.E. Blount of the State Agricultural College, Colorado and C.E. Sanders of the Canadian Department of Agriculture; overall dates 1885-1906. 0.045 m William James Farrer - Records State Records New South Wales, Sydney Reading Room William James Farrer - Records 5/3249.1 1885 - 1906 Correspondence with agricultural scientists and wheat growers in Australia and overseas including H. Vilmorin, a French grain merchant and experimentalist, M.A. Carleton and B.T. Gallowy of the US Department of Agriculture, Professor A.E. Blount of the State Agricultural College, Colorado and C.E. Sanders of the Canadian Department of Agriculture; overall dates 1885-1906. 0.045 m William James Farrer - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection William James Farrer - Records MS 33 1898 - 1905 Letterbook containing copies of 3 letters (one to the Under Secretary for Agriculture NSW concerning Farrer's experiments in soil-management); notes of experimental data 1898-1905. 2 items William James Farrer - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales William James Farrer - Records A3143 1891 - 1905 Letters to D. McAlpine and Professor McAlister 1891-1905 discussing experiments in wheat breeding, especially species resistant to rust. 108 pages Australian Botanists - Biographies Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science Australian Botanists - Biographies MS 064 Hunt Institute Biographies. Short biographies, averaging 2 pages, of Australian botanists, botanical collectors or artists. 0.24 m, 3 boxes