Robert Henry Anderson BScAgr (1899 - 1969)

Born 12 Mar 1899 in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Isabel (Tyler) Anderson — married 10 Mar 1923 in Manly, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Phyllis Zena May (Goddard) Anderson — married 1963 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 17 Aug 1969 at age 70 in Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Robert Anderson BScAgr is Notable.

Robert Henry Anderson BScAgr was a botanist who in 1945 became the first Australian-born director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney; a position he held until his retirement in 1964.

Robert Henry Anderson was born on 12th March 1899 at Cooma, New South Wales, Australia. He was the younger son of Rev'd William Anderson and Jane Corbett.^[1] He grew up in Cooma, Bowenfels, Liverpool and Arncliffe in New South Wales as his father moved from parish to parish. Educated at Fort Street Boys' High School, Robert attended the University of Sydney and won the Belmore scholarship (1917), graduating Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BScAgr) in 1921. Fair haired, blue eyed and 168 cm tall.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 6th June 1918 and embarked for Britain, but was recalled at Cape Town after the Armistice was signed.

Anderson married Isabel Tyler on 10th March 1923 in the Romanesque-style St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Manly, New South Wales.^[2]

Robert became botanical assistant at the National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens, Sydney. While largely occupied in routine identification and advice to farmers in the 1920s and 1930s, he published research papers on the saltbush family (Chenopodiaceae). Given his limited field-experience, his books, Tree Planting on the Farm (1931) and The Trees of New South Wales (1932), were skilful compilations and were later expanded and updated. As botanist and curator from 1936, Anderson ran the herbarium. In 1945 he became the first Australian-born director of the National Herbarium of New South Wales and Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. The Gardens, Domain and Centennial Park required constant defence against government incursions. Anderson lost a valiantly-fought battle when the Cahill Expressway (1959) sundered his territory, destroying historic Fig Tree Avenue. He was granted the composite title of director and chief botanist from 1960.

In addition to the directorship of the Gardens, Anderson held several other paid and voluntary positions in his community:

• lectured on forestry at the University of Sydney (1925-66)
• served on the council of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (president 1940-41, honorary secretary 1966-69)
• elected an honorary fellow (1966) of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
• president of the geranium section of the Royal Horticultural Society of New South Wales
• belonged to the Everglades garden committee of the National Trust of Australia
• member of Bonnie Doon Golf Club

Isabel's death in 1962 hurt very much and led to a degree of depression, but on 3rd October 1963 in the registrar-general's office, Sydney, he married his secretary, divorcee Phyllis Bell née Goddard.^[3]

Retiring in March 1964, he was garden editor of the Australian Women's Weekly until 1966. Robert passed away on 17th August 1969 at Chatswood, New South Wales.^[4] His ashes were buried in his beloved Botanic Gardens where the original National Herbarium, now named the Anderson Building, bears a plaque with his likeness. He was survived by his wife and by the daughter of his first marriage. His brother, Sir William Anderson, had pre-deceased him by one year.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #11290/1899
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #3574/1923
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #23168/1963
4. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #26917/1969

See also

• Johnson, L A S. Anderson, Robert Henry (1899–1969). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1993; accessed online 15 Dec 2018.