Johannes Christian Brünnich
11 September 1861 — 3 July 1933
Johannes Christian Brünnich (4‑10‑32)
Johannes Brünnich was born on 11 September 1861 in Görz, Austria‑Hungary (now Gorizia, Italy), the son of a Lutheran minister and mathematician. He studied chemistry in Switzerland, worked in Bohemia, Russia and Georgia. He migrated to Queensland in 1885. Rev. Schirmeister officiated at his marriage to Catherine (Kate) Terry on 22 April 1886, the daughter of a Brisbane watchmaker.
After managing a sugar‑refinery and maltings at Bulimba and working in Darwin, he joined the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. in 1897 as a chemist. He became the government agricultural chemist in the new Queensland Department of Agriculture and was lecturer in chemistry at the agricultural college at Gatton. He wrote more than 60 papers on applied chemistry, soils, plant and animal nutrition.
He was the Captain commanding the Gatton Squadron of the Queensland Light Horse. He suffered government interference during WWI and in 1920 was still trying to secure his confiscated papers. He was foundation member and fellow of the (Royal) Australian Chemical Institute and fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain (now Royal Chemical Institute).
He died on 3 July 1933 aged 71. His wife, Catherine, survived him for nearly twenty years, dying on 7 May 1951 aged 91. Also here are his son Harold Oscar Brünnich, who died on 17 August 1939 aged 48 and daughter Pauline Brünnich, who died 18 October 1965 aged 76.