John Francis Filmer (born in

Tatura Tatura is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia, and is situated within the City of Greater Shepparton local government area, north of the state capital (Melbourne) and west of the regional centre of Shepparton, Victoria ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

on 16 September 1895 and died in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

on 19 July 1979) was an Australian-born

scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

who later emigrated to New Zealand to continue his scientific research career.

Early life

Filmer spent his early life in Western Australia and won a Government Exhibition Scholarship which took him to the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

from which he graduated B.V.Sc. in 1916. In the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Filmer served with the

Royal Army Veterinary Corps The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), known as the Army Veterinary Corps (AVC) until it gained the royal prefix on 27 November 1918, is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and c ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and

Salonika Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

Research success

On his return to Australia, Filmer commenced private practice in Katanning in Western Australia. In 1925, he joined the Department of Agriculture in

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

. Filmer worked on the problem of Denmark Disease or enzootic marasmus. During his period in Western Australia, Filmer, in collaboration with

E. J. Underwood E. J. Underwood (born August 4, 1983) is a former American football defensive back. Early life As a prep, Underwood attended Hamilton High School. His football abilities were so good that he received a 4-star prospect rating according to Rival ...

, achieved a major research success which was to prove of incalculable benefit to

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

in New Zealand and throughout the world. "

Bush sickness Cobalt is essential to the metabolism of all animals. It is a key constituent of cobalamin, also known as vitamin B, the primary biological reservoir of cobalt as an ultratrace element. Bacteria in the stomachs of ruminant animals convert cobalt ...

" had imposed severe restrictions on animal production in New Zealand. The use of iron compounds had resulted in a partial though precarious control of the disease. Filmer and Underwood showed that the beneficial effect of iron compounds resided in the minute amount of

cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. ...

present as an impurity. This meant that the way was open for complete control of bush sickness and allied wasting diseases. The two men suggested that the effect of cobalt on cattle and sheep might be mediated through "some growth factor for whose formation cobalt is necessary". This clearly foreshadowed the discovery of vitamin

B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. One of eight B vitamins, it serves as a vital cofactor in DNA synthesis and both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It plays an essential role in ...

and proof that the role of cobalt as an essential trace element is exerted through this vitamin.

Later career

Filmer moved to Victoria in 1936 and took up the position of Veterinary Research Officer with the Western Districts Research Association in Camperdown. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1938 where he soon became director of the Animal Research Division of the Department of Agriculture, a position he held until his retirement in September 1960. Soon afterwards, the University of Melbourne conferred on Filmer the degree of D.V.Sc. for a thesis on his work on cobalt deficiency. Filmer was Secretary to Section L of the

Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) is an organisation that was founded in 1888 as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science. It was modelled on the British ...

(ANZAAS) in 1926 and was president and life member of the New Zealand Animal Production Society. In 1954, Filmer was elected an honorary Associate of the

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, established in 1844 by royal charter. It is responsible for monitoring the educational, ethical and clinical standards of the ...

. He was President of the New Zealand Grasslands Association in 1955. In 1961, Filmer was awarded the

Fellowship of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

of New Zealand. In the same year, he was appointed a

Companion of the Imperial Service Order The Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a pe ...

in the

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dy ...

. Filmer was twice president of the

New Zealand Veterinary Association The New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA), formerly the New Zealand Veterinary Association, is a professional organisation in New Zealand. The association was established in 1923 to "assist in the development of the profess ...

and he was elected a life member in 1961. In 1968, Massey University conferred on Filmer the degree of

Honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

and in 1971 he was elected a Life Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists.

References

General references

* Australian Veterinary Journal. 1979, 55:453. * Whitten, L.K., ''Obituary: John Francis Filmer.'' New Zealand Veterinary Journal, September 1979, Vol. 27(9), p186. {{DEFAULTSORT:Filmer, Jack Australian veterinarians 1895 births 1979 deaths New Zealand Companions of the Imperial Service Order Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand People from Victoria (state) Australian emigrants to New Zealand University of Melbourne alumni Royal Army Veterinary Corps officers New Zealand veterinarians New Zealand scientists