P000751 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-02-02 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000751b.htm person Robertson Thorburn Brailsford AACR2 4 March 1884 18 January 1930 Place of Birth Edinburgh, Scotland Place of Death Glenelg, South Australia, Australia Biochemist Physiologist Brailsford Robertson was a pioneering biochemist whose research focused on the physical chemistry of proteins in relation to growth, and animal nutrition, in which field he gained international recognition. At the University of Adelaide where he was Professor in physiology and biochemistry from 1919 to 1930 he established the modern discipline of biochemistry and formed the Animal Products Research Foundation. Robertson played a pivotal role during the early 1920s in establishing insulin manufacture in Australia within a year of the discovery of its relationship to diabetes. He discovered the growth hormone tethelin, while his book The chemical basis of growth and senescence (1923) earned him the description of Australia's first gerontologist. With John Cleland and Frederick Wood Jones he founded both the Medical Sciences Club of South Australia and, in 1924, the Australian journal of experimental biology and medical science. In 1927 Robertson was appointed to Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to form what became the Division of Animal Nutrition. For a list of works produced as a result of employment by CSIRO or its predecessors go the CSIRO Research Publications Repository (1917-) and search or browse by name. 1892 1892 Life event - Migrated to Australia 1905 1905 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Adelaide 1906 1910 Career position - Assistant Lecturer, Department of Physiology, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 1907 1907 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 1908 1908 Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Adelaide 1910 1917 Career position - Associate Professor of Physiological Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 1917 1918 Career position - Professor of Physiological Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 1918 1919 Career position - Professor of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada 1919 1926 Career position - Professor of Physiology, University of Adelaide 1921 Career position - Foundation Councillor (Physiology), Australian National Research Council 1926 1926 Career position - Inaugural Member, Board of Anthropological Research 1926 1930 Award - Foreign Member, Reale Academia Nazionale, Italy 1926 1930 Career position - Professor of Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Adelaide 1928 1930 Career position - Director, animal nutrition laboratory, CSIR Robertson, David Stirling (1920 - 1999) CSIR Division of Animal Nutrition, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1927 - 1936)

Director 1928 - 1930

 Board of Anthropological Research (1926 - 1974)

Inaugural Member 1926

 Stirling, Edward Charles (Ted) (1848 - 1919)

Stirling was Robertson's father-in-law.

 The University of Adelaide (1874 - 2026)

Professor of Physiology 1919 - 1926; Professor of Biochemistry and Physiology 1926 - 1930

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

Foundation Member (Physiology) 1921 -

 CSIR Council, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1926 - 1949)

Member 1927-1928

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Robertson, T Brailsford (18840304-19300118)

Trove

 'Robertson, Thorburn Brailsford', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Robertson, Thorburn Brailsford Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Report: The work of the Division of Animal Nutrition for the year 1928-29 Robertson, T. Brailsford The work of the Division of Animal Nutrition for the year 1928-29 Melbourne Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Australia) 1929 Book: CSIRO research for Australia: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO CSIRO research for Australia: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Canberra Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation 1962 Journal Article: Two Letters of William Sutherland to T. Brailsford Robertson: Ideas on the Electrical Conductivity of Proteins Bolton, H. C.; Coller, B.A.W. Two Letters of William Sutherland to T. Brailsford Robertson: Ideas on the Electrical Conductivity of Proteins 1993 Historical Records of Australian Science 9 4 357-368 Journal Article: Environment, Economy and Australian Biology 1890-1939 Schedvin, C. B. Environment, Economy and Australian Biology 1890-1939 1984 Historical Studies 21 11-28 Journal Article: The work of Brailsford Robertson, a pioneer experimental gerontologist Everett, A. V. The work of Brailsford Robertson, a pioneer experimental gerontologist 1960 Gerontologia 4 60-75 Journal Article: Thorburn Brailsford Robertson (1884 - 1930) W., H. Thorburn Brailsford Robertson (1884 - 1930) 1930 Biochemical Journal 24 3 37-8 Journal Article: Thorburn Brailsford Robertson bibliography Dawbarn, M. C. Thorburn Brailsford Robertson bibliography 1932 Australian journal of experimental biology and medical science 9 1 7-21 Journal Article: Thorburn Brailsford Robertson Marston, Hedley, R. Thorburn Brailsford Robertson 1932 Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science 9 1 1-5 Journal Article: Thorburn Brailsford Robertson: brilliant scholar, innovator and Australia's first Professor of Biochemistry Rogers, George E. Thorburn Brailsford Robertson: brilliant scholar, innovator and Australia's first Professor of Biochemistry 2017 Historical Records of Australian Science 28 2 99-110 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: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 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 Journal Article: Lionel Bately Bull, 1889-1978 French, E. L.; and Stewart, D.F. Lionel Bately Bull, 1889-1978 1983 Historical Records of Australian Science 5 4 90-110 Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records S23,24,25 and others 1912 - 1930 Diary/field notebook 1927-28 [Series 23]. Correspondence, manuscripts and laboratory notes 1912-21 [Series 24]. Drafts, addresses and reports c1922-31 [Series 25]. Notes c1930-31 [Series 26]. Laboratory notebook 1921-27 [Series 617]. Letters to his wife (?) [Series 618]. Manuscripts 1920-22 [Series 619]. Reports on the work of field stations 1927-30 [Series 620]. Bibliographies, abstracts and translations of scientific papers 1925-27 [Series 621]. Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records Private hands (Robertson, D.S.) Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records 1902 - 1932 Letters, 1902-1932, major correspondents include G.R. Noyes, S. Ozaki, H.H. Woollard, R. Ross, E. Rutherford, G. Parker, J.G. Adami, A.B. Macallum, Lord Cromer, L. Soel, O. Folier, W.H. Bragg, J. Pavlov, W.B. Cannon, A.C.D. Rivett, S. Stonehaven, J. Robertson, J.W. Stirling; family photographs; certificates; various documents regarding 'Tethelin'; lecture notes 1903; Proceedings of the Scientific Society of the University of Adelaide, January 1905. Photographs Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records 574.19/B65a 1902 - 1922 Correspondence, notebooks and experimental data, typescript and manuscript lectures and essays 1902-4, 1909, 1919-22 and undated [10 cm, 574.19/B65a Strongroom]. 0.1 m Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana Thorburn Brailsford Robertson - Records PRG 136 1892 - 1957 Correspondence 1892-1927; diary 1895-?; encyclopaedic notes; essay entitled 'Guide to Collector' (written as a child); biographical notes concerning the life and work of T.B. Robertson; printed matter 1917-57; photographic prints 1891-?; Royal Academy of the Lynxes plaque 1927; notebook entitled 'History of people' (written as a child) and miscellaneous notes regarding the Science Encouragement Club (written as a child) [PRG 136].