Eric Underwood facts for kids

Eric John Underwood was an amazing Australian scientist. He was a pioneer in studying how to feed sheep better and how to grow more wool. He lived from 1905 to 1980.

About Eric's Life

Eric Underwood was born in Harlington, England, on September 7, 1905. He was the youngest of three children. When his mother passed away in 1907, Eric and his siblings were cared for by family. Their father, James, moved to Western Australia. In 1913, James arranged for a friend, Kate Taysom, to bring the children to Fremantle. James and Kate got married soon after they arrived.

On June 23, 1934, Eric married Erica Chandler, a school teacher. They had two daughters and two sons. Eric Underwood passed away in Royal Perth Hospital on August 19, 1980.

His School Days and Studies

The Underwood family lived in Mount Barker until 1920. Then, Eric's father bought a large farm near Coorow. Eric went to school in Perth, staying away from home. He attended North Perth State School and Perth Modern School. He would return to the farm during school holidays.

In 1924, Eric started training with the Department of Agriculture. He also studied Agriculture at The University of Western Australia. He earned his science degree with honors in 1928. His special project was about the plants and chemicals in Western Australian pastures. After this, he received a special scholarship to study at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in England. He earned his doctorate degree in 1931 and then came back to Western Australia.

In 1936, Eric received another scholarship. This one allowed him to study for two years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States. When he returned, he was asked to work with The University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture.

Important Research on Sheep

When Eric came back to Western Australia, he rejoined the Department of Agriculture. In 1933, he became the Animal Nutrition Officer. One of his first big research projects was about a sheep illness called Denmark wasting disease. People thought it was caused by not enough iron.

At the same time, another scientist, Hedley Marston, was studying the same disease. In 1935, Marston found that the disease was caused by a lack of a tiny element called cobalt. Eric Underwood published his own findings soon after, with similar results. Years later, scientists confirmed that a special vitamin, Vitamin B12, which contains cobalt, was the key to preventing this disease. Today, sheep in certain areas get B12 supplements to stay healthy.

Eric's next big project lasted for 30 years at Avondale Agricultural Research Station. He studied how sulfur affected how much wool sheep grew. He also looked into botulism in sheep. During the 1940s, he studied how healthy hay and pasture were for sheep. He published many reports on these studies.

Teaching and Leading

In 1946, Eric Underwood became the Dean of the faculty and director of The University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture. Under his leadership, the Institute grew a lot. He got help from the CSIRO's Wool research fund. He also presented a plan called New Deal for Agriculture, which helped get more money from the University. This extra money allowed them to hire more staff and offer more advanced studies for students. As a teacher, Eric was known for making even the most difficult information easy to understand.

Other Contributions

In 1940, Eric Underwood published a review that later became a famous book called Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition. He updated this book several times. In 1966, he also published another book, The Mineral Nutrition of Livestock.

From 1946 to 1959, Eric was the chairman of the Tuberculosis Association of Western Australia. He also served as the federal president of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis from 1956 to 1958. In 1966, he joined the executive team of CSIRO, where he wrote many papers and gave lectures. He retired from The University of Western Australia in 1970 but continued working with CSIRO until 1975.

Awards and Honors

Eric Underwood received many awards for his important work:

• 1954: Became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
• 1958: Became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
• 1962: A street in Shenton Park, Western Australia, Underwood Avenue, was named after him.
• 1963: Awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• 1967: Received the Farrer Medal
• 1967: Given an honorary degree from the University of New England
• 1969: Given an honorary degree from the University of Western Australia
• 1970: Became a Fellow of the Australian Society of Animal Production
• 1973: Awarded the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture from the Australian Academy of Science
• 1976: Awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia
• 1980: Given an honorary degree from the University of Wisconsin