P006348 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Corporate Body created 2019-04-16 human Helen Cohn; Ken McInnes updated 2025-04-23 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P006348b.htm corporateBody Board of Science Colony of Victoria AACR2 15 February 1858 1860 Start Place Melbourne, Victoria, Australia The Board of Science was constituted by Commission of the Governor of Victoria, dated 15 February 1858, and formally Gazetted by the Chief Secretary on 3 June 1858 "to advise the Government on all matters wherein special scientific or technical knowledge is requisite". This during a period of rapidly expanding responsibilities for government in scientific and technical areas and followed several years in which the appointment of scientific government officers and the establishment of government scientific offices had been largely ad hoc. Chaired by Andrew Clarke, MLA, the members included all the Government scientists: Charles Pasley (Commissioner of Public Works), Frederick McCoy (Prof. Natural History, Director of the Museum), Charles W. Ligar (Surveyor General), George C. Darbyshire (Engineer of the Victorian Railways), Alfred Selwyn (Government Geologist), Ferdinand Mueller (Government Botanist), Thomas Skilling (Model Farm), John Humffray (later Commissioner of Mines) and R. Brough Smyth (Secretary). Most of the Board's activities centred on mining matters, and two Committees were formed to address the lack of mining information being gathered, and the standards of mining inspection. Two reports of the Board of Science were published in 1858-59 and 1859-60. Following changes to Government administration, on 26 November 1860, John B. Humffray, MLA, was appointed the first Commissioner of Mines, and shortly afterward he appointed the Secretary of the Board of Science, also as the Secretary of Mines. From 1861, with most activities of the Board of Science now being handled by the Offices of Mines, its activities appear to have ceased. Smyth, Robert Brough (1830 - 1889)

Secretary 1858 - 1860

 Ligar, Charles Whybrow (1811 - 1881)

Member 1858 - 1860

 Clarke, Andrew (1824 - 1902)

Member 1858

 Selwyn, Alfred Richard Cecil (1824 - 1902)

Member 1858 - 1860

 McCoy, Frederick (1817 - 1899)

Member 1858 - 1860

 Mueller, Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von (1825 - 1896)

Member 1858 - 1860

 Neumayer, Georg Balthasar von (1826 - 1909)

Member 1858 - 1860

 Tyers, Charles James (1806 - 1870)

Member 1859 -

 Hodgkinson, Clement (1818 - 1893)

Member 1858 -

 'Board of Science', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Board of Science Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Gazette Article: Secretary for Mines, etc. [Smyth, Robert Brough] Secretary for Mines, etc. [Smyth, Robert Brough] 1860 Victorian Government Gazette 170 2501 Thesis: Some Foundations of Science in Victoria in the Decade After Separation Cohn, Helen M. Some Foundations of Science in Victoria in the Decade After Separation Melbourne University of Melbourne 1990