Archibald Liversidge: Imperial Science Under the Southern Cross

Description

When Archibald Liversidge first arrived at Sydney University in 1872 as reader in Geology and Assistant in the Laboratory he had about ten students and two rooms in the main building. In 1874 he became professor of geology and mineralogy and by 1879 he had persuaded the senate to open a faculty of science. He became its first dean in 1882. In 1880 he visited Europe as a trustee of the Australian Museum and his report helped to establish the Industrial, Technological and Sanitary Museum which formed the basis of the present Powerhouse Museum's collection. Liversidge also played a major role in the setting up of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science which held its first congress in 1888. For anyone interested in Archibald Liversidge, his contribution to crystallography, mineral chemistry, chemical geology, strategic minerals policy and a wider field of colonial science.

Roy MacLeod is professor emeritus of (modern) history at the University of Sydney.

'Many reviewers have used the simile that the text they are called on to consider is like a vessel of greater or lesser proportion floating on a sea of footnotes. Under this literary device, Roy Macleod's ocean is deep and his vessel is a richly provisioned cruise ship in which the reader will find information and entertainment fit for a long voyage.' -- Ian D. Rae, University of Melbourne * Historical Records of Australian Science 21 * 'MacLeod has [written] an outstanding volume about the (or at the very least a) major founder of science education in New South Wales. ... what the book has to say about the history of science education in London, Cambridge, and Sydney, and the social history of colonial (or 'imperial') science, it has a great deal to recommend it. It is also a notable addition to our knowledge of Sydney University's history. It is admirably written, well illustrated, and exceedingly well documented.' -- David Oldroyd * Metascience * 'This book is essential reading for those interested in the development of science in colonial Australia, particularly the fields of crystallography, mineral chemistry, chemical geology and strategic minerals policy.' * Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales * 'The bulk of [this] impressive study is concerned with Liversidge's successes and frustrations in transforming the underendowed University of Sydney into a scientific and technical institution. It also provides a detailed analytical account of his many contributions to the public science of Sydney and NSW' -- W.H. Brock * The British Journal for the History of Science *