William James (William) Farrer
1845–1906
Australian wheat breeder. Born in Westmorland. BA, Cambridge (Pembroke College), 1868. Emigrated to Australia in 1870. Worked as a surveyor, 1875–86. From 1886, concentrated on crossbreeding wheat for disease resistance and drought tolerance, creating an experimental station for the purpose at his home at Lambrigg on the Murrumbidgee River. Originator of the ‘Federation’ strain of wheat.
Sources
Aust. dict. biog.
A. Russell 1949
Bibliography
Aust. dict. biog.: Australian dictionary of biography. Edited by Douglas Pike et al. 14 vols. [Melbourne]: Melbourne University Press. London and New York: Cambridge University Press. 1966–96.
Russell, Archer. 1949. William James Farrer: a biography. Melbourne and London: F. W. Cheshire.
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