Clinton Coleridge Farr (22 May 1866 – 27 January 1943) was a New Zealand geophysicist, electrical engineer and university professor.

Early life and career

Farr was born the youngest son of (Anglican) Rev. George Henry Farr and Julia Warren Farr on 22 May 1866. George (later titled Canon Farr) was first headmaster of the Collegiate School of St Peter in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. Coleridge was educated at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

and the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

. Farr tutored at Sydney and then Adelaide from 1893 to 1896, when he was appointed lecturer in mathematics and physics at Lincoln Agricultural College near

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand. As Director of the Christchurch Magnetic Observatory (1899–1903), he organised a magnetic survey of New Zealand and was awarded the first science D.Sc. by the University of Adelaide. As lecturer in physics and surveying at

Canterbury College, Christchurch The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a Public university, public research university based in Christchurch, Ne ...

Farr was a member of the

1907 Sub-Antarctic Islands Scientific Expedition The Sub-Antarctic Islands Scientific Expedition of 1907 was organised by the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. The main aim of the expedition was to extend the magnetic survey of New Zealand by investigating Campbell Island and the Aucklan ...

. He was created Professor of Physics at Canterbury College in 1911. In 1919 he was elected as one of the inaugural fellows of the New Zealand Institute (the organisation has, since 2007, been known as

Royal Society Te Apārangi The Royal Society Te Apārangi (in full, Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi) is an independent, statutory not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities. History The R ...

), winning their

Hector Medal The Hector Medal, formerly known as the Hector Memorial Medal, is a science award given by the Royal Society Te Apārangi in memory of Sir James Hector to researchers working in New Zealand. It is awarded annually in rotation for different science ...

in 1922 and serving as their president from 1929 to May 1931 (when he was succeeded by Hugh Segar). In 1928 he was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of London Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics ...

Family and death

In 1903, he married Maud Ellen Haydon; they had one son. He retired in 1936 and died in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 27 January 1943.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farr, Clinton Coleridge 1866 births 1943 deaths Scientists from Adelaide University of Adelaide alumni Alumni of University College London Academic staff of Lincoln University (New Zealand) Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand New Zealand Fellows of the Royal Society 20th-century New Zealand scientists 19th-century New Zealand scientists 19th-century New Zealand engineers 20th-century New Zealand engineers Presidents of the Royal Society of New Zealand