George Handley Knibbs
Sir George Knibbs | |
|---|---|
 Caricature of George Knibbs by David Low, 1919 | |
| Born | George Handley Knibbs 13 June 1858 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 30 March 1929 (aged 70) Camberwell, Victoria, Australia |
| Known for | Australian Statistician |
| Spouse | Susan Keele James |
| Parent(s) | John Handley Knibbs, Ellen Curthoys |
Sir George Handley Knibbs CMG FRSN (13 June 1858 – 30 March 1929)[1] was an Australian scientist, the first Commonwealth Statistician and the first director of the Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry, predecessor to the CSIRO. He was nicknamed "the Knibb".
Early life
[edit]Knibbs was born in Frederick Place, Sydney,[2] son of John Handley Knibbs, foreman, and his wife Ellen née Curthoys.[1]
Career
[edit]Knibbs joined the New South Wales Land Survey Department in 1877 and in January 1878 was appointed a licensed surveyor.
First statistician
[edit]In 1906 the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics was created and Knibbs became its first director. He was the first Statistician for the commonwealth census in 1911.
Recognition
[edit]Knibbs was created a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1911 and was knighted in 1923.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Bambrick, S. 'Knibbs, Sir George Handley (1858 - 1929)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp. 620-621. Retrieved 24 August 2009
- ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XXXIX, no. 6248. New South Wales, Australia. 15 June 1858. p. 1. Retrieved 25 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Knibbs, George Handley". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
