Walter Lawry Waterhouse

Walter Lawry Waterhouse MC (31 August 1887 – 9 December 1969) was an Australian agricultural scientist, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Clarke Medallist.^[1]

Early life

Walter Waterhouse was born in West Maitland, New South Wales, the son of educator John Waterhouse and the grandson of Wesleyan minister Jabez Waterhouse.^[2] He was educated at Sydney Boys' High School,^[3] where his father was headmaster, and later at Hawkesbury Agricultural College where he gained a diploma in 1907. Sometime during the period of 1906–10 Walter was headmaster at the Methodist Mission Boys High School at Daviulevu in Fiji.^[4] There is a photograph of him from this time at Australian Museum image "M. Whan, J.H.L. and W.L. Waterhouse, Davuilevu, Fiji" He enlisted in World War I, and was awarded the Military Cross.

Scientific career

In 1918 Waterhouse studied at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, and obtained its diploma in 1921. He developed varieties of wheat which resisted rust. He was awarded the Clarke Medal by the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1943. A full biography of W.L.W. can be found at AAS Biographical Memoirs. Further biographical particulars are available at Encyclopedia of Australian Science.

References