Person
Holmes, James Macdonald (1896 - 1966)
- Born
- 26 February 1896
Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland - Died
- 28 August 1966
Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Geographer
Summary
Macdonald Holmes was a leading Australian geographer and a pioneer in applied geography. He saw his discipline as the study of land in relation to people. His main fields of research included urban studies, regional planning and development, soil erosion and conservation. Such was his expertise that he was respected as an advisor to government on conservation and planning. In 1933 he participated in the Royal Commission into boundaries for Australian states. Among his most important publications were works on soil erosion; a text book for secondary school students; and a history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the New South Wales branch of which he was instrumental in establishing. For over 30 years Holmes held the chair of geography at the University of Sydney and was instrumental in building up his department and raising the profile of geography. He was noted as a mentor of students. He actively participated in the wider scientific community, serving terms as President of the Linnean and Geographical Societies of New South Wales. The Macdonald Holmes Memorial Medal has been awarded since 1977 by the Geogra[hical Society of New South Wales to recognise distinguished contributions in the field of geographical education in Australia.
Details
Chronology
- 1915 - 1919
- Career position - Served with the Royal Navy
- 1925
- Education - BSc, University of Glasgow, Scotland
- 1927 - 1929
- Career position - Lecturer, Armstrong College, Newcastle, United Kingdom
- 1927 - 1966
- Career position - Fellow, Royal Geographical Society, London
- 1930 - 1933
- Career position - President, Geographical Society of New South Wales
- 1930 - 1945
- Career position - Professor of Geography, University of Sydney
- 1935
- Career event - Helped found N.S.W. Branch, Royal Flying Doctor Service
- 1935
- Education - PhD, University of Glasgow, Scotland
- 1939 - 1940
- Career position - President, Linnean Society of New South Wales
- 1945 - 1961
- Career position - McCaughey Chair of Geography, University of Sydney
- 1947 - 1948
- Career position - Vice-President, Royal Flying Doctor Service
- 1949 - 1951
- Career position - President, Federal Council, Royal Flying Doctor Service
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Bilton, John, in association with Brunt, Joan and Holmes, J. Macdonald, The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia: its origin, growth and development (Sydney: Federal Council, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, 1961), 257 pp. Details
- Holmes, J. M. and Andrews, J. H., Descriptive geography for secondary schools, 2 vols (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1932-1943). Details
- Holmes, J. Macdonald, The geographical basis of government specially applied to New South Wales (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1944), 168 pp. Details
- Holmes, J. Macdonald, Soil erosion in Australia and New Zealand (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1946), 296 pp. Details
- Holmes, J. Macdonald, The Murray Valley: a reconnaissance of the Murray Valley and a new design for University of Technology Sydney regional organization (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1948), 280 pp. Details
- Holmes, J. Macdonald, Australia's open north: a study of northern Australia bearing on the urgency of the times (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1963), 505 pp. Details
Book Sections
- Walsh, G. P., 'Holmes, James MacDonald (1896-1966), Geographer' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, John Ritchie, ed., vol. 14 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1996), pp. 472-473. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140543b.htm. Details
Journal Articles
- Maze, W. H., 'Obituary: James Macdonald Holmes', Australian Journal of Science, 29 (4) (1967), 104-105. Details
- Powell, J. M., 'James Macdonald Holmes, 1896-1966', Geographers: Bibliographical Studies, 7 (1983), 51-55. Details
- Thorpe, E. W., 'James Macdonald Holmes 1896 - 1966', Australian geographical studies, 5 (1067), 85-6. Details
- Warner, R. F., 'An intimate history of leadership: Sydney University's Department of Geography, 1921 - 1997', Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 144 (2022), 255-70, https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/LIN/article/view/17116. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q24228074. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/94721923. Details
- 'Holmes, J Macdonald (1896-1966)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-629087. Details
McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 17 October 2023
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education