Horace Newton Barber

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

FRS (26 May 1914 – 16 April 1971) was an Australian botanist and geneticist, Foundation Professor of Botany at the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first prop ...

(1947–1963) and Foundation Professor of Botany at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

(1964–1971). Barber, Horace Newton, (FAA, FRS) (1914–1971)
trove.nla.gov.au

Personal life

Barber was born on 26 May 1914 in Warburton, Cheshire, to Horace Maximilian Barber and Mary, née Newton. He was educated at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

(BA 1936; MA 1944; ScD 1963) and

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

(PhD 1942). His education was interrupted by war service where he served as a Scientific Officer at the

Telecommunications Research Establishment The Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force (RAF) ...

of the Ministry of Aircraft Production 1941–45, and Flight Lieutenant

RAFVR The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) ...

(Hon) with service in Mediterranean and Southeast Asia Commands 1943–45. Following the war he moved to Australia, taking a position as lecturer in botany at 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 ...

from March 1946. He married Nancy Patricia O'Grady, also a lecturer at the University of Sydney, on 20 April 1946 at

St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (colloquially, St Mary's Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, curre ...

. He died of a rare cancer (

sarcoma A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from transformed cells of mesenchymal ( connective tissue) origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or hematopoietic tissues, and sar ...

) on at his

Epping Epping may refer to: Places Australia * Epping, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Epping railway station, Sydney * Electoral district of Epping, the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly * Epping Forest, Kearns, a he ...

(Sydney) home and was buried in the Field of Mars cemetery. His son

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

AO FAA (born 1947) was an academicBarber, Michael Newton (1947–)
trove.nla.gov.au and subsequently Vice Chancellor of the

Flinders University of South Australia Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

from 2008 until 2014.

Recognition

*1958

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science The Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science is made up of about 500 Australian scientists. Scientists judged by their peers to have made an exceptional contribution to knowledge in their field may be elected to Fellowship of the Academy ...

(FAA) *1963

Fellow of the Royal Society 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 mathemat ...

(FRS) *1972 '' Eucalyptus barberi'' was named in his honour

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Horace 1914 births 1971 deaths 20th-century Australian botanists Australian geneticists Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Australian Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of the University of Cambridge Alumni of the University of London Academic staff of the University of Tasmania Academic staff of the University of New South Wales Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Air Force officers Deaths from cancer in New South Wales