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:
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.
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Categories: Botanists | Australia, Authors | Australia, Voluntary Workers | Fort Street Boys High School, Petersham, New South Wales | University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales | St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Manly, New South Wales | Chatswood, New South Wales | Australia, Notables in the Public Service and Professions | Notables