Our chemical cultural heritage Macadam and Kirkland (1862–85) PETRONELLA NEL
Macadam and Kirkland were two early figures in the history of Australian chemistry. They feature in an exhibition at the University of Melbourne.
n the November edition (p. 20), I provided an Macadam was appointed government analytical overview of the Chemistry Collection at the chemist in 1858 and health o"cer to the City of IUniversity of Melbourne, its signi!cance and Melbourne in 1860. He represented Castlemaine in various projects I have been involved with that aim to the Legislative Assembly between 1859 and 1864. make the collection available to the public. I hinted at Appointed secretary of the Royal Society of Victoria how many of the items in the collection are associated in 1860 and vice-president in 1863, he was also the with key !gures in the history of chemistry and science secretary of the exploration committee of the Burke not only at the University of Melbourne but also on and Wills expedition. When the Medical School of national and international levels. These early teachers the University of Melbourne opened in 1862, of chemistry are featured in an inaugural exhibition in Macadam was appointed lecturer in chemistry. Just the foyer of the Chemistry Building. Here I will focus 3 years later, at the age of 38, he died at sea while on on the early days, when chemistry was taught through the way to give evidence at a murder trial in New the Medical School and the two main chemistry Zealand. On the same voyage Macadam was accom- lecturers of this time: Macadam and Kirkland. panied by his assistant John Drummond Kirkland, a medical student (see below) (Russell 1974, Radford John Macadam 1978). (1827–65) Macadam was a Scottish- John Drummond born analytical chemist, Kirkland (c.1836–85) medical practitioner and Kirkland was born in Ireland, and politician. He arrived in trained as a chemical analyst Melbourne in 1855 to take through apprenticeship in a up an appointment as medical laboratory in Dublin, lecturer in chemistry and before migrating to Australia in Figure 1. John Macadam. Figure 2. John Image credit: State Library natural science at Scotch Drummond 1852 and moving to Melbourne in of Victoria. College, a position he held Kirkland. Image 1855. While still an undergraduate credit: School of until 1865. He was a friend of Ferdinand von Mueller, Chemistry. medical student at the University of who in 1857 named the macadamia nut after him. He Melbourne, he was appointed o"ciated as one of two umpires at one of the earliest lecturer in chemistry following the sudden death of recorded games of Australian Rules football, between John Macadam in 1865 (see above). Due to the enthusi- Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar in 1858. astic support of his fellow students, this temporary role
28 DECEMBER 2009 Figure 3. Induction coil, made by Cox Cavendish Electrical Co. Ltd, London (date unknown). Cat. no. 55, School of Chemistry Collection, University of Melbourne. Image credit: Petronella Figure 4. Professor Kirkland (seated front row, third from Nel. front left) and his chemistry class in about 1878, in the court yard of the old medical building. Image credit: Anglo Australasian Photographic Company. UMA/I/1235, University became a permanent appointment the following year. of Melbourne Archives. Kirkland continued his studies, graduating in medicine in 1873 and surgery in 1880. His son, John Booth Kirk- through the Medical School. However, chemistry land, was appointed as his assistant in 1878. In 1882, became part of the science degree in 1886, with the John Drummond Kirkland became the University’s !rst professorial appointment of David Orme Masson (to be professor of chemistry and metallurgy, continuing until featured in the February edition). his death in 1885. Today’s researchers use a high-perfor- mance computing facility named ‘Kirkland’ after the Acknowledgments !rst Professor of Chemistry at the University of The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Melbourne. Professor Ken Ghiggino (Chemistry), Associate Kirkland struggled to obtain university funding to Professor Michelle Gee (Chemistry), Michael Moylan buy new apparatus. To compensate, he bought much of (Chemistry), Dr Belinda Nemec (Cultural Collec- the analytical chemistry equipment from his personal tions), Denise Driver (Archives), Nick Nicola (Physics), funds. The induction coil (Fig. 3) was used in chemistry Professor Ian Rae (RACI), Ruth Leveson (Museum lecture demonstrations. It is very similar to an induction Victoria), Kate Stanway (Centre for Cultural Materials coil that featured in an 1878 photograph of John Conservation). A version of this article was !rst Drummond Kirkland and his chemistry class (Fig. 4). published in University of Melbourne Collections (Nel Induction coils draw from a 6–12 V battery and 2009). generate a spark of many thousands of volts in the gap Dr Petronella Nel MRACI CChem is a lecturer, researcher and objects between the points of the two metal rods. This model conservator at the Centre for Cultural Material Conservation (CCMC
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