Chemistry

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    Eucalyptus resinifera, Red Mahogany, detail of bark
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When surgeons Dennis Considen and John White of the First Fleet distilled eucalyptus oil in 1788 to treat their sick shipmates, they were the first European explorers to recognise the medicinal and antiseptic properties of the oil from the eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus distilling as an industry began in earnest when botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller and pharmacist John Bosisto established a distillery in the Dandenongs, Victoria, in 1854. The industry grew from the mid-nineteenth century to maturity by the turn of the century. Given the 'Australianness' of the product, it is ironic that the industry has increasingly been supplanted by overseas production (Pearson, M., 1993).

This list includes chemists, pharmacists and botanists, as well as chemical and pharmaceutical organisations with a significant role in the discovery and economic uses of eucalyptus oil in Australia.

Source

  • Pearson, Michael, 'The good oil: eucalyptus oil distilleries in Australia.', Australasian Historical Archaeology, vol. 11, 1993, pp. 99-107. Details

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