Johannes Christian Brunnich

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Johannes Christian Brunnich (11 September 1861 – 3 July 1933) was an Australian agricultural chemist.

Brunnich was the son of Christian Christoph Brünnich, a Lutheran pastor and mathematician, he was born at Gorizia, then a part of Austria, now Italy. He was educated in Switzerland and obtained his knowledge of chemistry at the federal polytechnic school at Zurich. He travelled in Russia and for a period was chemist in a sugar-mill in Bohemia. Meeting Dr J. J. Mueller of Gayndah, Queensland, he decided to emigrate to Australia and arrived in Brisbane early in 1885. In 1887 he became chief chemist and mill manager for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company at Homebush, Mackay and early in 1897 was appointed chemist in the Queensland department of agriculture. For about 35 years he advised the department on a multiplicity of problems relating to agriculture in Queensland, and drafted many bills for the government relating among other things to fertilizers, stock foods, pure seeds and the destruction of pests. He also made scientific investigations into the prickly pear problem, the use of dipping fluids, and the provision of phosphatic licks for stock.

Brunnich did valuable pioneer work in his studies of pasture composition and set a high standard in the work of his department. Generally he was a strong influence in the development of applied chemistry during his time. He retired from the agriculture department in September 1931 and died on 3 July 1933. He married in 1886 Kate Terry, who survived him with two sons and three daughters. He was a foundation member and fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain in 1905.

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This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from
Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America.
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