P007816 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2025-08-07 human Helen Cohn updated 2025-10-21 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007816b.htm person Simons William Vazie AACR2 c. 1825 16 May 1897 Place of Birth Dublin, Ireland Place of Death Camberwell, United Kingdom Analytical chemist Vazie Simons was an analytical chemist who came to Victoria in 1853 and settled in the Sandhurst (Bendigo) area. He became involved in local community activities, including being Mayor of the local council. In 1860 he returned to the United Kingdom. While there he acquired at auction several 100 minerals from the collection of Thomas Thomson, Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow from 1818 to 1852. Simons brought this collection with him when he returned to Victoria in 1862. It was displayed at an exhibition of gems at the Royal Society of Victoria in 1865. The collection was subsequently acquired by the Victorian government for £100, initially for the museum of the Mining Department. It was transferred to the Industrial and Technological Museum, and ultimately to the National Museum of Victoria in 1899 and 1901. 1847 1847 Career event - Established paint manufacturing business in Glasgow 1853 1853 Life event - Arrived in Victoria 1856 1856 Career event - Elected to local council, Municipality of Sandhurst 1858 1858 Career position - Commissioner, Royal Commission to inquire into the best method of removing sludge from the goldfields 1858 1859 Career position - Chairman of council, Municipality of Sandhurst 1859 1859 Career position - Member, Provisional Committee, Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society March 1860 March 1860 Life event - Returned to United Kingdom 1861 1861 Career event - Elected Member, Chemical Society of London 1862 1862 Career event - Acquired mineralogical collection of Thomas Thomson December 1862 December 1862 Lecture - Returned to Victoria February 1863 October 1863 Career position - Manager, Royal Polytechnic Institute October 1863 Career position - Manager, Aerated Bread Company 1864 1868? Career position - Partner (later sole proprietor) in Alexander Fox & Co. photographers 1868 1868 Life event - Returned to the United Kingdom Industrial and Technological Museum, Colony and State of Victoria (1870 - 1945)

The Museum held the Thomas Thomson collection of minerals, purchased from Vazie Simons 1865

 'Simons, William Vazie (Vazie)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Simons, William Vazie (Vazie) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: A catalogue of foreign minerals in the possession of the Mining Department, Melbourne, Victoria Simons, W. Vazie A catalogue of foreign minerals in the possession of the Mining Department, Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne Government Printer 1866 Journal Article: The Thomas Thomson mineral collection: its fortuitous journey from Glasgow to Melbourne via London Birch, William D. and Darragh, Thomas A. The Thomas Thomson mineral collection: its fortuitous journey from Glasgow to Melbourne via London 2025 Australian journal of mineralogy 26 1 13-36