William Lowrie

William Lowrie (1857 to 1933) was an Australian agricultural educationist born near Galashiels in Scotland. Raised on the large farm Clarilaw in Roxburghshire, he graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. in 1883 and a B.Sc. in 1886 after studying agriculture, and lectured at Gordon's College, Aberdeen. In 1887 he became Professor at Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia after John D. Custance was sacked, continued research into fallowing and water-soluble phosphate fertilizers and toured the wheat districts urging farmers to adopt his methods. He left in 1901 to be principal of Lincoln Agricultural College in Canterbury, New Zealand, became Director of Agriculture in Western Australia in 1908 and returned to South Australia as Director of Agriculture in 1911, resigning in 1914. He then farmed at Battunga near Echunga and bred Border Leicester sheep, and a bust of him stands at Roseworthy.