P000874 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 Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn updated 2026-01-15 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000874b.htm person Watson Irvine Armstrong FAA CBE AACR2 31 March 1914 1 March 1986 Place of Birth Parkes, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Agricultural scientist University Administrator Irvine Watson was a world leader in wheat research and a major contributor to the Australian wheat industry. His principal research was into stem rusts of wheat, leading to the development and release of no less than 16 new high quality rust-resistant wheats. In trials of wheat varieties he worked closely with his University of Sydney colleague, Walter L. Waterhouse. Watson also maintained fruitful collaborations with the farming community and the flour milling industry. Having joined the University of Sydney in 1938, he became Professor of Agricultural Botany (Plant Breeding) in 1962, retiring 15 years later. His research was recognised with a number of awards, including the James Cook Medal from the Royal Society of New South Wales, and the Farrer Memorial Medal. The Northwest Wheat Research Institute in Narrabri, N.S.W., was renamed the I. A. Watson Wheat Research Centre in 1977 in honour of his contribution to wheat improvement in Australia. 1938 1938 Education - BAgSc (hons), University of Sydney 1938 1938 Career position - Assistant Lecturer in Agriculture, University of Sydney 1939 1941 Career position - Thomas Lawrence Pawlett Scholarship, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. 1941 1941 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. 1941 1944 Career position - Assistant Lecturer in Agriculture, University of Sydney 1944 1946 Career position - Lecturer in agriculture, University of Sydney 1952 1965 Career position - Head, Section of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sydney 1955 1956 Career position - Research Associate, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. 1955 1962 Career position - Associate Professor in Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Sydney 1958 1958 Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust 1962 1977 Career position - Professor of Agricultural Botany (Plant Breeding), University of Sydney 1964 1986 Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 1966 1966 Award - Elvin Charles Stalkman Award, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. 1966 1967 Career position - Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sydney 1966 1976 Career position - Head, Department of Agricultural Botany, University of Sydney 1971 1971 Award - Commemorative Medal, International Wheat and Maize Improvement Centre, Mexico 1972 1986 Award - Foreign Member, Soviet Academy of Agricultural Science 1974 1977 Career position - Director of the Plant Breeding Institute and Head of the Department of Agricultural Botany, University of Sydney 1975 1986 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1975 1986 Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences 1977 1977 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 1977 1977 Award - James Cook Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales 1979 1979 Award - DSc (Agriculture), University of Sydney Waterhouse, Walter Lawry (1887 - 1969) James Cook Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales (1954 - )

Awarded the Medal 1977

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1975 - 1987)

Foundation Fellow 1975 - 1986

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Fellow 1975 - 1986

 Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (1935 - 1996)

Fellow 1964 - 1986

 The University of Sydney (1850 - )

Professor of Agriculture (Plant Breeding) 1962 - 1977; Head, Department of Agricultural Botany 1966 - 1976; Dean, Faculty of Agriculture 1966 - 1967; Director of the Plant Breeding Institute 1974 - 1977

 Farrer Memorial Medal (1936 - )

Awarded the Medal 1958

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Watson, I A (1914-1986)

Trove

 'Watson, Irvine Armstrong', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Watson, Irvine Armstrong Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Fellows of the Academy Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Academy 2024 Journal Article: Irvine Armstrong Watson 1914-1986 McIntosh, R. A.; and Smith-White, S. Irvine Armstrong Watson 1914-1986 1989 Historical Records of Australian Science 7 4 405-415 Book: Wheat rust control in Australia: national conferences and other developments and initiatives Watson, I. A. and Butler, F. C. Wheat rust control in Australia: national conferences and other developments and initiatives Sydney University of Sydney 1984 Journal Article: Walter Lawry Waterhouse, 1887 - 1969 (memorial series, no. 22) Watson, I. A. Walter Lawry Waterhouse, 1887 - 1969 (memorial series, no. 22) 1971 Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 95 3 260-3 Journal Article: Death of a distinguished plant pathologist McIntosh, R. A.; Mullins, M. G. C.; and Deverall, B. J. Death of a distinguished plant pathologist 1986 Australasian Plant Pathology 15 2 48-9 Resource: Farrer Memorial Trust Medal recipients and orations New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Farrer Memorial Trust Medal recipients and orations Sydney New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023 Edited Book: History of Microbiology in Australia Fenner, Frank History of Microbiology in Australia Melbourne Australian Society for Microbiology 1990 Journal Article: A century of agriculture in the University of Sydney Copeland, Les A century of agriculture in the University of Sydney 2020 Agricultural science 31 2 59-65 Irvine Armstrong Watson Irvine Armstrong Watson All rights reserved.

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