William James Farrer (April 3, 1845 - April 16, 1906) was a leading Australian agronomist and wheat breeder. April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Agricultural science (also called agronomy) is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic, and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... This article concerns Breeder, an occupation in agriculture, animal husbandry, or animal fancy. ...

William Farrer is remembered in Queanbeyan.

Farrer is best known for developing the "Federation" breed of wheat, distributed in 1903. His work led to significant increases in the Australian wheat crop for decades to come, and economic prosperity for the wheat industry. Image File history File links William_Farrer. ... Image File history File links William_Farrer. ... The town of Queanbeyan in New South Wales, Australia is overshadowed by its proximity to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra. ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

Early years

Farrer was born at Docker, Westmorland in the English north west (now Cumbria). He was awarded a scholarship to Christ's Hospital, London where he won honours for mathematics. After education at the University of Cambridge, finishing in 1868, he emigrated to Australia in 1870. He did this for health reasons - he had been diagnosed as having consumption. Australia's climate was more suited for his condition, and he had friends at Parramatta, in Sydney, with whom he could stay. Docker is a civil parish in Cumbria in England. ... Westmorland (formerly also spelt Westmoreland, an even older spelling is Westmerland) is an area of north west England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... Bluecoat School directs here. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Emigration is the action and the phenomenon of leaving ones native country to settle abroad. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Parramatta is a city, suburb and Local Government Area in Sydney, Australia, 25 kilometres west of the central business district (CBD) in Western Sydney. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4. ...

Initially, he lived with his friends but then moved to the country. After working as a tutor on George Campbell's sheep station at Duntroon, New South Wales (now part of Canberra), he qualified as a surveyor in 1875. Farrer worked for the Department of Lands in wheat growing districts of NSW from 1875-1886. During this period, in 1882, he married Nina de Salis, a member of one of the families that lived in what is now the Australian Capital Territory region. Robert Campbells property Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of New South Wales in the area that is now covered by the Australian Capital Territory. ... Capital Sydney Government Const. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Surveyor at work with a leveling instrument. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

Lambrigg experiments

In 1886 he bought a property on the Murrumbidgee River, Lambrigg station, near where Canberra now stands. Initially, he tried to grow grape vines on his land. However, these failed because the soil was unsuitable and he chose to try again with wheat. 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ...

There had recently been a series of heavy rains that which resulted in the loss of much of the wheat harvest due to rust. Accordingly, he chose to start developing wheat strains that were immune to this malady. This went on for the next 20 years, and consisted of long says of planting and developing wheat strains, and noting the results in his notebooks. He used Gregor Mendel's methods in his work. Gregor Johann Mendel (July 20[1], 1822 – January 6, 1884) was an Augustinian abbot who is often called the father of modern genetics for his study of the inheritance of traits in pea plants. ...

As a side project, he also worked on developing a strain of wheat that could resist bunt or smut-ball, another devastating enemy of wheat. His success here led Farrer to become a wheat experimentalist with the NSW Department of Agriculture in 1898. 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Success in developing a rust-resistant strain greeted him in 1900, when a satisfactory series of rust-resistant wheat was finally obtained - the Federation strain, named after the imminent Federation of Australia. He then developed a series of other strains such as Canberra, Firbank, Cleveland and Florence.

These wheat strains led to a major improvement to Australia's wheat industry within a few years. The Federation strain became openly available for farmers in 1903. Between 1900 and 1920, Australia's wheat harvest almost trebled because of this.

Death and aftermath

He died at Lambrigg in 1906 from the effects of a heart attack, and was buried on his property at dusk the next day. His grave was at the top of a rocky hill and had to be blasted out using explosives. 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ...

There was a long delay in organising a memorial for Farrer. A statue of him was erected in Queanbeyan by the Federal government in 1935 and another at Lambrigg in 1938. The town of Queanbeyan in New South Wales, Australia is overshadowed by its proximity to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra. ...

Since then a Canberra suburb and an Australian electoral division have been named after him. Farrer was also remembered on the reverse of the Australian two dollar banknote issued in 1966 (now withdrawn). A specialist agricultural high school (Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Tamworth NSW) was named in his honour and continues to provide specialist agricultural education. For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division, centred on the regional city of Albury, New South Wales. ... ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 3. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...