Harrison, James (1816-1893)

Field of activity
almanac/directory maker; inventor; local government councillor; Member of Lower House; Member of Upper House; newspaper editor; newspaper owner; printer; protectionist politician; refrigeration engineer; Inventor and journalist
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1463439

Biographies

HARRISON, JAMES (1816?-1893), journalist and inventor, was born at Bonhill near Renton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, the son of a fisherman. James was apprenticed to a printer at Glasgow where he managed to attend the Evening College founded by Professor John Anderson (Anderson's University) and later the Glasgow Mechanics' Institution, where he specialized in chemistry and won two prizes for his essays. He went to London in 1835 and worked as a compositor. Engaged by Tegg & Co., publishers and booksellers of Cheapside, he sailed for Sydney in 1837 with printing equipment for the Literary News to be edited by William a'Beckett. After five months with this journal, Harrison repaid his passage money and became foreman of the Sydney Monitor; he also contributed to it a refutation of Dr William Bland's specific against spontaneous combustion in wool, and worked for the Sydney Herald.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography

James Harrison worked as a journalist on various newspapers in Victoria from his arrival there in 1839 until his return to England about 1873. He was also a keen inventor, being a pioneer in all kinds of refrigeration and in 1873 he won a gold medal at the Melbourne Exhibition by proving that meat kept frozen for months remained perfectly edible.

Born Renton, near Ben Lomond, Scotland, April 1816?. Died Geelong, Victoria, 3 September 1893. Educated Evening College and Mechanics' Institute, Glasgow. Apprentice printer, Glasgow; compositor, London 1832-37; to Sydney with printing equipment for the Literary News 1837; foreman, Sydney Monitor and work for the Sydney Herald 1837-39; worked for the Port Phillip Patriot 1839-40; founder, Geelong Advertiser 1840, editor 1840-67, owner 1842-62; also founded Geelong Almanac and Intelligencer 1950; founder Geelong Register 1865-67; editor, Melbourne Age from 1867. Designed and built the plant for the first Australian manufacture of ice 1854; formed the Sydney Ice Company with P.N. Russell 1860; designed a revolutionary refrigerator 1860; work on the refrigeration of ships for the export of meat from 1870; in England ca 1873-92, working as a journalist on the Age under the name "Oedipus"; returned to Geelong 1892, continuing to write and making plans to produce soda from his block. His portrait is in the Geelong Art Gallery.

View the full record at Encyclopedia of Australian Science

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Resources for James Harrison

Selected resources (9)

Australian Dictionary of Biography

  1. 'Harrison, James (1816? - 1893)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, pp 520-521.
    L. G. Bruce-Wallace
    [1966]
    Published: Melbourne University Press

Encyclopedia of Australian Science

  1. Harrison, James (1816?-1893), journalist and inventorAustralian Dictionary of Biography Douglas Pike 1 520-521 : Harrison, James (1816?-1893), journalist and inventor
    Bruce-Wallace, L. G.
    [1966]
    Published: Melbourne University Press
  2. James Harrison, Pioneering Genius
    Lang, William Rawson
    [1982]
    Published: Neptune Press
  3. Back to the Future: the James Harrison Memorial OrationAIRAH Journal 45 3 9-12 : Back to the Future: the James Harrison Memorial Oration
    Young, Neville
    [1991]
  4. James Harrison - Pioneering GeniusAustralian Physicist 10 179 : James Harrison - Pioneering Genius
    Jones, L.
    [1983]
  5. Ice Making Machinery (Patent, 27 July, 1860)Specifications of Letters of Registration of Patents for Inventions - South Australia 1 8 : Ice Making Machinery (Patent, 27 July, 1860)
    Harrison, James
    [1848-68]
  6. James Harrison: Inventor and Science JournalistAustralasian Science 19 10 48 : James Harrison: Inventor and Science Journalist
    Morrison, Elizabeth
    [1998]
  7. Chemistry in Australia Bibliography
    Collins, David
    [2009]
    Published: eScholarship Research Centre
    Series: http://www.eoas.info/ciab.html
  8. Technology in Australia 1788-1988
    Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
    [2000]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/

Resources by James Harrison (2)

  1. Further strictures on the Wormbete scheme of water supply to Geelong / by James Harrison
    Harrison, James, 1816-1893
    [ Book : 1858 ]
    At State Library of NSW
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 5.1)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 5.1)

  2. Water supply to Geelong : strictures on the last report (20th February) of the engineer of the Geelong Water Commission
    Harrison, James, 1816-1893
    [ Book : 1857 ]
    At 2 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.467)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.467)

Resources about James Harrison (3)

  1. James Harrison, pioneering genius / W.R. (Roy) Lang
    Lang, W. R. (William Rawson)
    [ Book : 1982-2003 ]
    At 30 libraries
    James Harrison, pioneering genius / W.R. (Roy) Lang
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 21.003)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 21.003)

  2. The Geelong advertiser, 1840-1865 "the Harrison years" / T.T. Bracher
    Bracher, Timothy T
    [ Book : 1983 ]
    At Deakin Uni Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.279)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.279)

  3. The Geelong Advertiser, 1840-1865
    Bracher, Timothy T
    [ Unpublished : 1983 ]
    At State Library of VIC
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.192)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 4.192)

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  1. Harrison, James L.
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  2. Harrison, James E.
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  2. Peter James Powell
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  1. Website: Bright sparcs
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  2. Website: Monument Australia
    monumentaustralia.org.au
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  3. Website: James Franklin
    web.maths.unsw.edu.au
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    • CORRUPTING THE YOUTH: INDEX - 28/2/2008
    • ... Harris, Rolf 190 Harrison, G. 282 Harrison, P. 192, 415 Hart, K. 193, 354, 383 Harvester judgment 393...
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  1. Biographical notes on James Harrison
    Harrison, James, 1806-1893
    [ Unpublished : 1958 ]
    At State Library of VIC
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    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.208)

  2. [Biographical cuttings on James Harrison, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
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    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.183)

  3. [Biographical cuttings on James Harrison, sir, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
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    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.183)

  1. Chart of the east coast of New-Holland by James Cook 1770. W. Harrison sc
    Harrison, William
    [ Map : 1789 ]
    View online
    At National Library
    Chart of the east coast of New-Holland by James Cook 1770. W. Harrison sc
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.084)

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  2. An atlas of the birds of the western Palaearctic / Colin Harrison ; design and cartography by Crispin Fisher
    Harrison, Colin James Oliver, 1926-
    [ Book, Map : 1982 ]
    At 5 libraries
    An atlas of the birds of the western Palaearctic / Colin Harrison ; design and cartography by Crispin Fisher
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    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.074)

  3. The young people's atlas of the United States / James Harrison, Eleanor Van Zandt ; consultant, Jack Zevin
    Harrison, James
    [ Map, Book : 1992-1996 ]
    At 2 libraries
    The young people's atlas of the United States / James Harrison, Eleanor Van Zandt ; consultant, Jack Zevin
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    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.069)

  1. William, 1862 - the uncle of dear l...
    Harrison, James
    [ Photograph : 1862 ]
    William, 1862 - the uncle of dear little William James Neild / James Harrison
  2. James Harrison. (Ledis Flam Gallery...
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    James Harrison, per Rodney, taken at Port Arthur, 1874
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  6. Jim Harrison
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  1. Stolen / Jane Harrison
    Harrison, Jane, 1960-
    [ Book : 1998-2006 ]
    At 106 libraries
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    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.48)

  2. Molecular biology of the gene. James D. Watson ... [et al.]
    Watson, James D., 1928-
    [ Book : 1965-2014 ]
    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 88 libraries
    Molecular biology of the gene. James D. Watson ... [et al.]
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  3. James May's toy stories / James May with Ian Harrison
    May, James Daniel, 1963-
    [ Book : 2009 ]
    At 35 libraries
    James May's toy stories / James May with Ian Harrison
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  4. Much ado about nothing / William Shakespeare
    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
    Shakespeare Quarterly
    [ Book, Audio book, Article : 1600-2011 ]
    Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, [2 others]
    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 150 libraries
    Much ado about nothing / William Shakespeare
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    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
    Shakespeare Quarterly
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  2. The merchant of Venice / William Shakespeare
    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
    The Review of English Studies
    [ Book, Article, Audio book : 1623-2011 ]
    Languages: English, Arabic, Japanese, [11 others]
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    At 158 libraries
    The merchant of Venice / William Shakespeare
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  3. A midsummer night's dream / William Shakespeare
    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
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  4. Be an angel / Sarah Harrison
    Harrison, Sarah, 1946-
    [ Book, Audio book : 1993-2001 ]
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    Be an angel / Sarah Harrison
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    The Review of English Studies
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    Languages: English, Arabic, Japanese, [11 others]
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    At 158 libraries
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    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.284)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.284)

  3. A midsummer night's dream / William Shakespeare
    Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
    [ Book, Audio book, Article : 1600-2012 ]
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    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 143 libraries
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    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

  4. Hospitalisations due to falls in older people, Australia, 2003-04 / Clare Bradley and James E. Harrison
    Bradley, Clare, 1974-
    [ Book, Article : 2007 ]
    Possibly online
    At 31 libraries
    Hospitalisations due to falls in older people, Australia, 2003-04 / Clare Bradley and James E. Harrison
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  1. PRIVATE JAMES HARRISON.
    The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) Saturday 27 April 1918 Edition: DAILY. p 4 Article
    ... PRIVATE JAMES HARRISON. Mr and Mrs J. R. Harrisan, of Albert street, have been notified that their son. Pte James suffering ... 21 words
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  2. OBITUARY. MR. JAMES HARRISON.
    The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Saturday 3 February 1934 p 14 Article
    ... OBITUARY. MR. JAMES HARRISON. Mr. James Harrison, an old resident of the Carlingford district, died yesterday at his home in Willoughby-street, aged 92 years. Mr. Harrison spent all his life in the Car- lingford district, being a native of Pennant Hills. He was a farmer and horse dealer, and at ... 80 words
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  3. MR. JAMES HARRISON
    Narandera Argus and Riverina Advertiser (NSW : 1893 - 1953) Tuesday 17 May 1938 p 2 Article
    ... MR. JAMES HARRISON One of the oldest and best known residents of the Ariah Park district, Mr. James Harrison, aged-80 SO years, died at the residence of Mr. J. L. Vearing, Golden Hill?, Mirrool, ... is survived by four sons and two daughters, whose names are John (Melbourne), James George ... 162 words
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