Person
Hoffmann, George Christian (Christian) (1837 - 1917)
- Born
- 7 June 1837
London, England - Died
- 8 March 1917
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Occupation
- Analytical chemist
Summary
Christian Hoffmann was an analytical chemist who, having studied at the Royal School of Mines and Royal College of Chemistry in the United Kingdom, arrived in Melbourne in 1865. He found employment at the Melbourne Botanic Gardens in the phytochemical laboratory established by the Gardens's Director, Ferdinand Mueller. Experiments conducted by Hoffman included; the dry distillation of woods to extract volatiles such as tar, acetic acid and methanol; the use of indigenous plants to make paper; an examination of the chemical constituents of native plants; and the use of bark of particularly Acacia species to produce tannins for the local tanning industry. Hoffman left Melbourne in 1871, intending to study medicine in Europe, but moved to Canada where he had a distinguished career as an analytical chemist and ultimately Assistant Director with the Geological Survey of Canada.
Details
Chronology
- 1865
- Life event - Arrived in Melbourne
- 1865 - 1871
- Career position - Analytical chemist in the phytochemical laboratory, Melbourne Botanic Gardens
- 1872 - 1880
- Career position - Assistant Chemist and Mineralogist, Geological Survey of Canada
- 1879 - 1917
- Award - Fellow, Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland
- 1880 - 1883
- Career position - Chemist and Mineralogist, Geological Survey of Canada
- 1883 - 1907
- Career position - Assistant Director, Geological Survey of Canada
- 1888 - 1917
- Career position - Member, Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
- 1895
- Award - LLD honoris causa, Queens University , Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- 1907
- Career position - Retired
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Ami, H. M., 'George Christian Hoffmann', Science, 45 (1162) (1917), 330. Details
- Anon, 'George Christian Hoffmann', Proceedings of the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland, 40 (3) (1917), 16. Details
- Hoffmann, George Christian, Report on the Vegetable Products Exhibited in the International Exhibition, 1866-7, pp. 39,40, (Mueller) (1866-1867). Details
- Hoffmann, George Christian, Catalogue of the Victorian Exhibits in the Sydney Intercolonial Exhibition of 1870, p.54, (Mueller) (18667). Details
- Rae, Ian D.; and Maroske, Sara, 'Practising chemistry in the British Empire: George Christian Hoffmann (1837 - 1917) the Geological Survey of Canada', Scientia canadensis, 43 (1) (2021), 95-110. https://doi.org/10.7202/1078927ar. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 31 May 2022