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

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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

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