Priestley, Henry (1884 - 1961)

Summary

Henry Priestley was the foundation Professor of Biochemistry, University of Sydney 1938-1948. Earlier he had been bacteriologist at the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine, Townsville 1913-1918 and then had various appointments at the University of Sydney. His main research interests were in physiological chemistry and nutrition.

Details

In 1886 (circa) Henry Priestley migrated to Sydney, Australia with his parents. After completing his undergraduate education Priestley enrolled at the University of Sydney. First he studied arts (1902), then engineering (1903), science (1904) and finally medicine (1906). He graduated with first class honours in medicine and won the University medal. Priestley was awarded the Beit memorial Fellowship in 1910 and chose to study nutrition at London's Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine. He returned to Australia in 1913 to work as a bacteriologist at the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine, Queensland. His research covered haematological aspects of hookworm infestation, and studies on many disease including trachoma and typhoid fever.

In 1918 Henry Priestley returned to New South Wales to work at the University of Sydney. His tenures included lecturer and chief physiology demonstrator, associate professor of biochemistry (1921), acting professor of physiology (1928), Head of the newly formed Department of Biochemistry (1939), Dean of the Faculty of Science (1946) and Fellow of the University Senate (1948). His work at the University saw the establishment of a BSc degree in Medicine, and a research training program for medical students. Other outside appointments held by Priestley include foundation fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, member of the Linnean Society, and advisor to many committees of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Chronology

c. 1886

Life event - Migrated to Australia (Sydney)

1906

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Sydney

1909

Education - Bachelor of Medicine (MB) completed at the University of Sydney

1910

Career position - Resident at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney

1910

Education - Master of Surgery (ChM) completed at the University of Sydney

1911 - 1912

Career position - Clinician (funded by the Beit Memorial Fellowship) at the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine in London

9 July 1912

Life event - Married Katie Geraldine Gray Maitland in Worcestershire, UK

1913 - 1918

Career position - Bacteriologist at the Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine in Townsville, Queensland

1915

Education - Doctor of Medicine (MD) received from the University of Sydney

1918 - 1920

Career position - Lecturer and Chief Demonstrator in Physiology at the University of Sydney

1921 - 1928

Career position - Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Sydney

1928 - c. 1938

Career position - Acting Professor of Physiology at the University of Sydney

1936 - 1937

Career position - Member, Nutrition Advisory Council, Commonwealth Government

1938

Career position - Foundation McCaugherty Professor at the University of Sydney

1938 - 1961

Career position - Foundation Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP)

1939 -

Career position - Head of Biochemistry at the University of Sydney

1942 - 1943

Career position - President of the Royal Society of New South Wales

1943 - 1944

Career position - Member of the Nutrition Committee of the NHMRC

1946 - 1948

Career position - Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney

1948 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Gregory, Helen, Vivant Professores: Distinguished Members of the University of Queensland, 1910-1940 (St Lucia: University of Queensland Library, 1987), 180 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Young, J., 'Priestley, Henry (1884-1961), Biochemist' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Geoffrey Serle, ed., vol. 11 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988), pp. 294-295. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110301b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Priestley, Henry, 'Obituary: Anton Breinl', Australian Journal of Science, 7 (1) (1944), 18-9. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5727229. Details
• 'Priestley, Henry (1884-1961)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1467293. Details

See also

• Morison, Patricia, The Martin spirit: Charles Martin and the foundation of biological science in Australia (Canberra: Halstead Press, 2019), 296 pp. Details