Barrett, James William (1862 - 1945)

Summary

James Barrett was a prominent member of Melbourne's medical community whose special interest was in the eyes of animals, particularly mammals. He began this research while studying in London and continued after his return to Melbourne in 1886. His long association with Victoria's Eye and Ear Hospital began in 1888. In private practice from 1886, he also taught at the University of Melbourne, including 40 years as Lecturer in the physiology of the special senses. Barrett served with the Australian Imperial Force and the Royal Army Medical Corps during WWI, a period of some disharmony with his colleagues. From 1901 he was a member of the Council of the University of Melbourne. In this position he pursued one of his main interests (the promotion vocational training), recommending the University's affiliation with training colleges in teaching, veterinary studies and agriculture. Reforms he proposed for the University included revision of the medical curriculum and the establishment of clinical chairs. He was Vice-Chancellor from 1931 to 1934, and Chancellor from 1935 to 1939. Barrett was actively involved in a wide range of medical organisations. These included the Australian Red Cross and the founding in 1910 of the Bush Nursing Association with his sister Edith. He was the inaugural President of the Ophthalmological Society of Australia. In later life his interests were extensive, ranging from the National Parks Committee and the Town Planning Association to Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Details

Egyptian order during World War I (?Order of the Nile).

Chronology

1881

Education - MB, University of Melbourne

1882

Education - ChB, University of Melbourne

1882 - 1883

Career position - Resident Medical Officer, Melbourne Hospital

1883 - 1886

Life event - Research and teaching, London

1884

Education - MRCS, King's College, London

1886 - ?

Career position - In private practice in Melbourne

1887

Education - MD, University of Melbourne

1887

Education - FRCS, King's College, London

1887 - 1897?

Career position - Demonstrator (part-time) in physiology and histology, University of Melbourne

1888

Education - ChM, University of Melbourne

1897 - 1937

Career position - Lecturer in the physiology of the special senses, University of Melbourne

1901

Career event - Elected to University of Melbourne Council

1910

Career event - Founded the Bush Nursing Association with his sister Edith

1911

Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

1914 - 1915

Military service - Served with the Australian Imperial Force at the 1st Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt

1916 - 1919

Military service - Served with the Royal Army Medical Corps

1918

Award - Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)

1918?

Award - Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)

1927

Career event - Founding Fellow, College of Surgeons of Australasia

1931 - 1934

Career position - Vice-Chancellor, University of Melbourne

1934

Career position - Deputy Chancellor, University of Melbourne

1935 - 1936

Career position - President, British Medical Association

1935 - 1939

Career position - Chancellor, University of Melbourne

1937

Life event - Retired from teaching

1939

Career position - Inaugural President, Ophthalmological Society of Australia

Related entries

Archival resources

The University of Melbourne Archives

• James William Barrett - Records, 1882 - 1942; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• Collins, David, Chemistry in 19th Australia - Select Bibliography, An exhibition of the Encyclopedia circa 2005 with assistance from Ailie Smith and Gavan McCarthy., eScholarship Research Centre (original publisher), Melbourne, 2009, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/ciab/ciab_ALL.html. Details

Books

• Barrett, James W. and Deane, P. E., The Australian Army Medical Corps in Egypt : an illustrated and detailed account of the early organisation and work of the Australian medical units in Egypt in 1914-1915 London (London: J. K. Lewis, 1918), 259 pp. Details
• Booth, Angela, The prophylaxis of venereal disease: a reply to Sir James Barrett (Melbourne: Association to Combat the Social Evil, 1915?), 15 pp. Details
• Kenny, Patrick (Sir), The founders of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Melbourne, Victoria: The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 1984), 84 pp, https://www.surgeons.org/-/media/Project/RACS/surgeons-org/files/our-heritage-archives/founders.pdf. Details

Book Sections

• Murray-Smith, S., 'Barrett, Sir James William (1862-1945), ophthalmologist and publicist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 186-189. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070193b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Obituary: Sir James Barrett', British journal of ophthalmology, 29 (10) (1945), 545-5. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.29.10.545-a. Details
• Anon, 'James Barrett', Lancet, 245 (6346 (14 April)) (1945), 485. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(45)90356-4. Details
• Anon, 'Obituary: James William Barrett', Medical journal of Australia, 2 (2 (14 July)) (1945), 58-61. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1945.tb96426.x. Details
• Barrett, James W., 'Illustrations of the picric acid test for albumen and sugar in the urine', The Australian Medical Journal (See Medical Times and Gazette, March 24, 1883) (1883), 343-344. Details
• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, '150 Years, 150 Stories: James William Barrett', Uni News, 12 (12) (2003), 4. Details
• Medley, J. D. G., 'Obituary: Sir James Barrett', Australian Journal of Science, 7 (6) (1945), 169-170. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q15967189. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/19245645. Details
• CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office, 'NAA: B2455, Barrett J W', B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=3052620. Details
• 'Barrett, James (1862-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-631036. Details

See also

• Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter, 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne (Melbourne: Department of History, University of Melbourne, 2003), 168 pp. Details
• Howard, R. N., 'The founders of the College: Victoria', Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery, 51 (2) (1981), 227-38. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.1981.tb05948.x. Details
• Shaw, A. G. L., 'Argyle, Sir Stanley Seymour (1867 - 1940), premier and medical practitioner' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 7: 1891 - 1939 A-Ch, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1979), pp. 92-4. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/argyle-sir-stanley-seymour-5049. Details