P000687 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 [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2025-12-16 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000687b.htm person Osborn Theodore George Bentley AACR2 2 October 1887 3 June 1973 Place of Birth Great Clacton, Essex, England Place of Death Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Botanist Ecologist Theodore Osborn, after several years lecturing in economic botany at the Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom, was appointed in 1912 as Professor of Botany, Vegetable Pathology and Parasitology at the University of Adelaide. His principal task was to establish the Department: in this he was notably successful. For part on his time in Adelaide he was also Consulting Botanist and Vegetable Pathologist to the South Australian Department of Agriculture. In 1926 Osborn was asked by CSIRO to report on the state of botanical research in Australia and on potential plant problems. In 1928 he declined a proffered position in CSIR and instead accepted the Chair of Botany at the University of Sydney. Many of his students from both universities went on to influential careers in Australia. During his 25 years in Australia, Osborn undertook significant research on arid zone ecology and the coastal ecology of New South Wales. He was active in local scientific societies, serving as President of the Royal Society of South Australia and the Linnean Society of New South Wales. Osborn became Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford in 1937. On retiring in 1953 he returned to Australia. 1908 1908 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom 1909 1912 Career position - Lecturer in Economic Botany, Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom 1911 1911 Education - Master of Science (MSc), Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom 1912 1928 Career Position - Professor of Botany, Vegetable Pathology and Parasitology, University of Adelaide 1915 1920 Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of South Australia 1919 1927 Career position - Member of the Board, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island 1920 1920 Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom c. 1920 c. 1926 Career position - Consulting Botanist and Vegetable Pathologist, South Australia Department Agriculture 1921 Career position - Foundation Councillor (Botany), Australian National Research Council 1922 1924 Career position - Member of Council, Royal Society of South Australia 1925 1926 Career Position - President, Royal Society of South Australia 1928 Award - Fellow, Linnean Society of New South Wales 1928 1928 Career position - President, Section M (Botany), Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1928 1937 Career Position - Professor of Botany, University of Sydney 1930 1933 Career position - Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney 1931 1937 Career position - Fellow of the Senate, University of Sydney 1932 1932 Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales 1937 1953 Career Position - Sherardian Professor of Botany and Fellow, Magdalen College, University of Oxford 1953 1953 Career position - Appointed Professor Emeritus, University of Oxford 1955 1973 Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of South Australia 1958 1958 Award - Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1962 1962 Career position - Appointed Professor Emeritus, University of Adelaide The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Professor of Botany 1928 - 1937; Dean, Faculty of Science 1930 - 1933; Fellow of the Senate 1931 - 1937

 The University of Adelaide (1874 - 2026)

Professor of Botany 1912 - 1928

 Royal Society of South Australia (1880 - )

President 1925 - 1926; Honorary Fellow 1955 - 1973

 Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales (1878 - )

Awarded the Medal 1958

 South Australian Department of Agriculture [III], State of South Australia (1908 - 1975)

Consulting Botanist and Vegetable Pathologist c.1920-6

 Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science (1888 - 1930)

President, Section M (Botany) 1928

 Linnean Society of New South Wales (1874 - )

President 1932

 Australian National Research Council (ANRC) (1919 - 1955)

Foundation Member (Botany) 1921 -

 Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Colony and State of South Australia (1855 - )

Botanical consultant 1912 - 1926

Wikidata

 Osborn, T G B (1887-1973)

Trove

 'Osborn, Theodore George Bentley', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Osborn, Theodore George Bentley Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Report: The work of the Division of Economic Botany for the year 1928-29 Dickson, B.T. The work of the Division of Economic Botany for the year 1928-29 Melbourne Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Australia) 1929 Journal Article: Obituary: Professor T. G. B. Osborn Obituary: Professor T. G. B. Osborn 1973 South Australian Naturalist 48 1 9 Journal Article: Obituary. Professor T.G.B. Osborn Robertson, R. N.; and White, N. H. Obituary. Professor T.G.B. Osborn 1973 Search 4 11/12 455 Journal Article: Robert Brown (1773-1858). Osborn, T. G. B. Robert Brown (1773-1858). 1958 Australian Journal of Science 21 127-130 Journal Article: Obituary: Theodore George Bentley Osborn, DSc, MA, FLS (2.10.1887 - 3.6.1973) Robertson, R. N.; and Eardley, C. M. Obituary: Theodore George Bentley Osborn, DSc, MA, FLS (2.10.1887 - 3.6.1973) 1973 Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 97 4 317-320 Book Section: Botany Robertson, E. L. Botany Adelaide Royal Society of South Australia 1986 Ideas and Endeavours - The Natural Sciences in South Australia C. R. Twidale; M. J. Tyler and M. Davies 101-49 Journal Article: James Arthur Prescott 1890-1987 Stephens, C.G.; and Quirk, J.P. James Arthur Prescott 1890-1987 1988 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 3 299-313 Theodore George Bentley Osborn - Records Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide Theodore George Bentley Osborn - Records MSS 0020 1908 - 1965 Personal documents and correspondence 1908-51, including material relating to Manchester University, University of Sydney, University of Adelaide, E.J. Benham, Adelaide Botanic Gardens, A.C.D. Rivett, CSIR/O, A.G. Tansley, M.B. Crone, J. Hutchinson, A.S. Watt, C.D. Darlington, N. Polunin, J.H. Burnett, B.N. Bowden, J.H. Chinner; reprints, research papers, reports and addresses 1909-61, including material on the Sydney Botanic Gardens, Oxford Botanical Gardens, J.G. Wood; laboratory, field and lecture notes, photographs and drawings 1912-68; papers of Edith May Osborn (Kershaw) 1909-27; overall dates 1908-68 [1 m, MSS 0020]. 1 m Artwork, Photographs