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Julian Holland, centre, with National Museum curators Dr Mike Smith, left and Denis Shephard, and a circumferentor from the 1860s. Photo: Dean McNicoll.
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Julian Holland is a researcher and former museum curator who specialises in historic scientific instruments.
During his time at the Museum Julian undertook research on two aspects of Australian history in the mid-nineteenth century. The major project was a study of the context of the silver breastplate presented to the Aboriginal guide Jackey Jackey, who accompanied Edmund Kennedy on his fatal expedition to Cape York in 1848.
Julian also completed a study of the circumferentor, a surveying instrument patented by the mathematical instrument maker Angelo Tornaghi in 1863. This is part of a larger study of Tornaghi's career, most of which was spent in Sydney.
Julian has published numerous articles on historic scientific instruments and on aspects of natural history in the nineteenth century. He has contributed commissioned articles to several standard reference works including the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004), Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century British Scientists (2004), and Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers (2007).
From 2001 to 2005 Julian was co-convenor of the Australian Science History Club and he is currently senior vice-president of the Australian Society for History of Engineering and Technology. Julian is also the Australian representative for the Scientific Instrument Society, an Honorary Associate of the Unit for History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney, and an Associate of the Centre for Historical Research at the National Museum of Australia.
Some of his shorter publications are available on
Julian Holland's personal web page.
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