Person
Melville, James (Jim) (1908 - 1984)
CMG
- Born
- 10 July 1908
Lovells Flat, Otago, New Zealand - Died
- 8 October 1984
Daw Park, South Australia, Australia - Occupation
- Agricultural scientist
Summary
James Melville was Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute 1956-1973, having been Director of the Grasslands Division of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand. His research on plant nitrogen metabolism and protein chemistry led to improved understanding of impact of pasture growth and quality on animal production. As Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute he increased the number of departments and post-graduate students, and encouraged collaboration with the University of Adelaide, the South Australian Department of Agriculture, and CSIRO. Melville participated in executive roles in industry organisations, including as the Australian Universities representative on the Wool Research Committee 1958-1964 and a member of the Council of the Australian Wine Research Institute 1957-1970. He was President of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science in 1970.
Details
Chronology
- Career Position - Advisor, Rural Credits Development Fund of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
- 1929
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Otago, New Zealand
- 1930
- Education - Masters of Science (MSc), University of Otago, New Zealand
- 1934
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, England
- 1934 - 1936
- Education - Commonwealth Fund Fellow, Yale University, New Have, Connecticut, U.S.A.
- 1937 - 1939
- Career position - Assistant Chemist, Wheat Research Institute Christchurch, New Zealand
- 1939 - 1951
- Career position - Director, Plant Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), New Zealand
- 1940 - 1944
- Career position - Operational and Chemical Warfare Research, New Zealand Military Forces
- 1952 - 1956
- Career position - Director, Grassland Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), New Zealand
- 1956 - 1973
- Career position - Director, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide
- 1957 - 1963
- Career position - Committee Member, Wool Research Advisory Committee, Australia
- 1957 - 1970
- Career position - Council Member, Australian Wine Research Institute, Australia
- 1957 - 1984
- Award - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1958 - 1966
- Career position - Member (part-time) of the Executive, CSIRO
- 1958 - 1978
- Career position - Member of Council, University of Adelaide
- 1959 - 1977
- Career position - Chairman, Bushfire Research Committee of South Australia, Australia
- 1964 - 1966
- Career position - Chairman, Australian Wool Industry Conference, Australia
- 1964 - 1966
- Career position - Committee Member, Wool Production Advisory Committee, Australia
- 1966 - 1984
- Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Sciences (AIAS), Australia
- 1969
- Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), Britain
- 1969 - 1984
- Career position - Board member, Board of Management, Adelaide Children's Hospital, Australia
- 1970
- Career position - President, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (AIAS), Australia
- 1970
- Award - Farrer Memorial Medal, Farrer Memorial Trust, Australia
- 1972
- Award - Thomas Cawthorn Memorial Lecture, Nelson, New Zealand
- 1973
- Career position - Review of Agricultural Research in Spain, The World Bank
- 1973
- Life event - Retired
- May 1974 - November 1974
- Career position - Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor and occasionally Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Adelaide
- 1975 - 1976
- Career position - Member, Inquiry on Financing Rural Research, Industries Assistance Commission
- 1979
- Award - Honorary Doctoral Degree, University of Adelaide
Related entries
Archival resources
Waite Agricultural Research Institute
- James Melville - Records, 1959 - 1968; Waite Agricultural Research Institute. Details
Published resources
Books
- Melville, J., 'Agricultural Research.' in Introducing South Australia (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1958). Details
Book Sections
- Radcliffe, John C., 'Melville, James (1908-1984), Agricultural Scientist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z, Melanie Nolan, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2012), pp. 150-1. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/melville-james-14964. Details
Journal Articles
- Melville, J., 'Obituary: Robert Kerford Morton', Australian Journal of Science, 26 (9) (1964), 285-286. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q21539595. Details
- 'Melville, J (19080710-19841008)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-490318. Details
See also
- McIntyre, A. K., 'Walter Victor Macfarlane 1913-82', Historical Records of Australian Science, 6 (2) (1985), 247-265. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9850620247. Details
- 'Melville, James (Jim) (1908 - 1984)', Farrer Memorial Trust Medal recipients and orations, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Sydney, 2023, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/596110/farrer_oration_1970_dr_j_melville.pdf. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/interacting_2/farrer-memorial-trust/farrer-memorial-trust-medal-recipients-and-orations. Details
McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 9 October 2019
- Foundation Supporter - Committee to Review Australian Studies in Tertiary Education