MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION


MS 043 – BAAS-BECKING, Laurens (1895-1963)

CONTENTS

Scope and contents note

Biographical note

Series list

  1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries

  2. Scientific files

  3. Drafts of Waterbook and other miscellaneous material

  4. Laboratory and field notebooks

  5. Photographs

  6. Correspondence

  7. Lectures, talks

Scope and contents note

Period ca 1920s -1963

Material 32" boxes containing over 150 files, notebooks (mostly undated and without headings) and correspondence

The collection is mostly scientific in content, being experimental observations, drafts of scientific papers, calculations and rough notes. There is much correspondence with other scientists, the drafts of literary and autobiographical works and a large number of unsorted photographs, most of them without annotations.

The bulk of the archives is concerned with Dr Baas-Becking’s time in Australia, during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Biographical Note

Laurens Gerhard Marinus Baas Becking was born in Veventer, The Netherlands, on 4 January 1895. After attending secondary school in Amerxfoort and technical college in Delft he entered the university of Utrecht where he eventually received his doctorate (on "Radiation and vital phenomena"). He married Robina Haverman in 1919.

Because of his asthma Baas Becking moved to California where, in 1924, he was appointed Professor of Biology at Hopkins Marine Station In 1930 he returned to the Netherlands where he was appointed professor of biology at Leiden University: a large and active school of research developed under his leadership.

In 1939 he was asked to reorganise the Botanical Garden at Bogor, Java, and in 1940 was appointed director. While he was winding up his affairs in Holland, he was caught by the German invasion and imprisoned for the duration of the war.

On liberation, Baas Becking moved to Java and began work on the Botanical Gardens. When Indonesia became independent he became director of the South Pacific Commission and stayed at the headquarters at Noumea.

Upon the death of his wife he moved to Australia where he worked throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, first at the CSIRO Fisheries Station at Cronulla, then at the Bureau of Mineral Resources. He died on 6 January 1963.

Baas Becking’s main field of interest was the relation between organism and environment and their mutual inter-dependence. He also did pioneering work in molecular biology, particularly with regard to the molecular arrangement of chlorophyll in the chloroplast.

He wrote some articles on historical problems and was an advocate of ecological restraint long before the movement became popular.

Series List

43/1

    Series 1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries

  1. Practicum Botanic - student work in Utrecht. Undated, ca 1917

  2. Notes on climate, radiation, etc. trip 1936

  3. Various statistics on biology, agriculture in South Pacific Region ca 1949

  4. E9 South Pacific Council - 2 papers and various letters, all in Dutch 1948

  5. AA selection - 1 paper and various letters, mostly in Dutch, apparently concerning South Pacific Commission 1948

  6. (Verdooin?) Hemeus Luper Went - apparently unrelated drawings, pages of equations and calculations 1954-59

  7. Miscellaneous drawings of landscapes; photographic negatives. Most undated, one dated 1961

43/2

    Series 1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries (cont’d)

  1. Graphs, "Respiration curves of SC". Undated

  2. Handwritten observations and reports
    Loose experimental statistics and observations of plants 1945

  3. Notes, material, general data on herbicides, starch content in plants, Department of Botany, University of Sydney, 1951

  4. Draft of paper, "Carbonic anhydrase activity in plants in relation to zinc content" by J G Wood and P M Sibly. 2nd draft, 3rd copy ca 1952

  5. Poetry (?) in Dutch; line drawings. ca 1955

  6. "Library books", probably a list of books in Baas Becking’s own study library ca 1961

43/3

Series 1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries (cont’d)

Cardboard box containing filing cards
List of books, arranged by author 1952

43/4

    Series 1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries (cont’d)

  1. Pen drawings of cities, landscapes (possibly connected with 15/3). Undated

  2. Publications, graphs, notes to do with oil and fuel 1950-62

  3. Two bundles of large rolled diagrams. Undated

  4. "Ervaring en Conceptie"; book by J M Burgers, 1956. Has letter from the author to Baas Becking pasted into it.


43/5

    1-5. Series 1. General; South Pacific Commission; obituaries (cont’d)

  1. About Baas Becking Academy Archives - obituary and letters; drafts of paper "Perchlorate: an important constituent of seawater"; printed paper, "The role of hydrogen and oxygen in the inorganic environment" 1957-63

  2. Obituary, Australian Journal of Science, vol. 26 (1), July 1963, p 15

  3. Biography by F W Went for Nature - photocopy of draft, 2 pp

  4. Letters of appreciation, etc. January-February 1963, with inside label "Posthumous correspondence of biological interest" - includes letters regarding acquisition of Baas-Becking papers by Academy of Science

  5. Obituaries and press cuttings in Dutch and English, posthumous correspondence of colleagues, publications list 1927-47

    6-8. Series 2. Scientific files

  6. Filing system - index to Bass-Becking’s folders of scientific files ca 1960

  7. Index to research files - book with references to research material. Undated

  8. Algae - statistics, graphs, part of report 1953-54

43/6

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Algae and bacteria - notes ca 1939-52

  2. Antarctic botany: "Macquarie Island - autoecological notes", by B W Taylor. Undated, ca 1949

  3. Atolls - botany of atolls 1949

  4. Autotrophs - draft of lecture, "The autotrophic bacteria", by Baas Becking 1954

  5. Artificial FeS - large quantity of notes, graphs, photos and experimental observations ca 1949

  6. Blue compound - notes, graphs, experimental observations 1955

  7. "A study on the geothermal environment of New Britain"; report by Baas Becking, G A Taylor and W Thomas, published in Bulletin Vulcanologique 1960, and tables of figures

43/7

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Biogenic ferric oxides. ca 1959-61

  2. Carbonic anhydrase - rough drafts of papers with loose sheets of notes Draft of paper "Activity of oat plants in relation to zinc control" ca 1951

  3. Carbonic anhydrase and chromatogram - draft of paper "Electrophoresis of protein in filter paper" 1950 Scientific notes, specimen filter papers

  4. Cocos palm - handwritten notes ca 1946

  5. Economic geology. "Biogenic sulfides" by Baas Becking and D. Moore. BMR Record 1960/64.

  6. Economic plants - handwritten notes on pages and filing cards 1950

  7. Enteromorpha II - laboratory statistics and graphs 1954

43/8

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Enteromorpha IV - notes, laboratory statistics and graphs 1955-56

  2. Enteromorpha V - notes, laboratory statistics and graphs 1957

  3. Estuarine phosphate - mainly graphs, laboratory statistics, brief typed report 1953-54

43/9

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Falk, Dr J - correspondence 1948-61

  2. Fiji Pastoral Co. - statistics, graphs concerning production 1948

  3. Fisher, Dr N - correspondence 1956-62

  4. Fishponds Fiji - rough notes, diagrams, 42 page draft report, with bibliography 1948-50

  5. Flora of Australia - draft of paper, "Flora of Australia" and various letters 1948

  6. FAO article - 26 page draft of article, correspondence 1956-57

  7. GeoBiological Group - draft of annual report from the geobiology committee, 1961

  8. Geochemistry, by the late U M Goldschmidt, edited by Alex Muir - draft of paper, review by Baas-Becking, rough notes and tables 1954

  9. Geothermal data - statistics, notes, maps, drawings, diagrams, notebook "New Britain geothermal environment August-September 1959" 1954-59


43/10

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Gunnera plant - notes and letters on plant, mainly in Dutch, and samples of seeds in packets 1953-54

  2. Human behaviour towards plant life - draft of paper, probably by Baas-Becking, on devastation of wild plant life by humans, ca 1961

  3. Iron compounds. Hydrocarbon 1953-54 - notes, letters, calculations, graphs, laboratory notes

  4. Iron compounds. Oxides - notes, letters, calculations, graphs, laboratory notes Biogenic ferric oxides - rough typed draft of paper ca 1961

  5. Iron oxidation - notes, calculations, graphs, laboratory notes Biological factors in anaerobic concentration of metals in a marine environment - 2 rough typed drafts of paper dated 18 January 1955

  6. Lake Eyre I - notes, photographs, diagrams, draft of report "Origin of sulphur nodules on Lake Eyre" 1954-55

43/11

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Lake Eyre II - notes, diagrams, graphs, statistics, brief draft report "Geomorphology of sulphur regions" 1954-55

  2. Lake Macquarie, 10 February 1952 - notes, draft of report

  3. Report on a visit to certain lakes in Southern New South Wales and in Victoria 9-19 March 1953 - rough notes, photographs, graphs, statistics, maps, draft of report

  4. Library - acquisition notices of library, Geological Branch, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra 1960-61

  5. The limits of the natural environment, by Baas-Becking, I R Kaplan and D Moore - 5 drafts of paper ca 1960

43/12

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Methods Lab - notes on laboratory techniques. Mainly 1950, one item dated 1956

  2. Mineral assemblages I - notes, formulae, calculations. Undated, ca mid 1950s

  3. Mineral assemblages II - diagrams. Undated

  4. N-metabolism - synopsis of lectures on nitrogen metabolism ca 1946

  5. Perchlorate - diagrams, photos 1958

  6. Perchlorate - notes, diagrams, statistics, correspondence, reprint of paper "Perchlorate, an important constituent of sea water", by Baas Becking, A D Haldane and D Izard, draft of paper "Biological processes in the estuarine environment", draft of paper "Importance of perchlorate in plant life", sections of drafts of various papers 1956-58

43/13

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Perchlorate - draft of "Perchlorate in nature" ca 1958 Rough notes, graphs, diagrams; draft of "The influence of perchlorate on the oxidation of inorganic substances" ca 1958

  2. Perchlorate in nature - notes, draft of paper ca 1958

  3. Perchlorate in nature - a theory of photosynthesis - four draft copies ca 1958

  4. Pernatty Lagoon - map, papers concerning mining at the Lagoon 1950, 1958

  5. Photosynthesis, efficiency of - notes, statistics. Undated

43/14

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Plates discarded - diagrams on cardboard, covering a wide variety of subjects 1936

  2. Point Systems (Hicks) - exercise book containing photographs, calculations, loose graphs, diagrams, 1952

  3. Prime numbers - loose pages of graphs, statistics, comments 1950

  4. Pyrite: biological oxidation of iron compounds - notes, diagrams, photographs ca 1959

  5. Pyrite - diagrams. Draft of paper, "Pyrite: biological oxidation of iron compounds" ca 1958

43/15

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Pyrite - draft of paper, "Chemical and biological oxidation of iron compounds" ca 1958

  2. Pyrite - notes. Notes and calculations ca 1958

  3. Raw materials. Notes, diagrams, graphs, calculations, draft of paper "On the fixation of metal sulphides by sulphate reducing bacteria", by Baas-Becking and G. Moore, draft of paper "Fixation of rare materials during sulphate reduction" 1958-59

  4. Reducing environment - diagrams, formulae, statistics 1957

  5. Reprints of reports which Baas-Becking wrote or participated in 1934-60

  6. Seawater - laboratory notes and graphs 1957

43/16

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Somnus Plantarium - papers of sulphur and organic compounds 1954-56

  2. South coast - maps, diagrams, graphs, sample 1953-57

  3. Stanton, R L - rough notes, drafts of paper on ore formation 1961-62

  4. Straub, J - printed pages (in Dutch) and handwritten notes 1951

  5. Sulphate reduction, general - graphs, pages of calculations, part of draft of paper 1951-52

  6. Sulphides sedimentary (sulphides, sulphofication and biogenic ferric oxides) by Baas Becking and Stanton - notes, photographs, printed pages 1953-61

  7. Sulphur from gypsum. ca 1957

  8. Symbiosis - draft of paper "A system of the symbiotic rotations", pp 1-9 ca 1951

  9. Symbiosis - 2 drafts of paper, involving pages 11-62 of 29/1 ca 1951

43/17

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Tasmania - notes on plankton, fishing in Tasmanian freshwater bodies 1955

  2. Terrestrial waters I - rough drafts of papers, some with title pages missing; several copies of "Biogenic sulphides" ca 1959-61

  3. Terrestrial waters II - notes, tables, statistics, graphs, all concerning microbiology of inland waters 1952-59

  4. Terrestrial waters III - handwritten draft of paper, "Meteoric waters" and typewritten portions of various papers and book chapters ca 1960

  5. Thermodynamics iron system 1952-55

  6. Thiobacteria Bondi Sewer 1957

43/18

    Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Volcanic waters, New Britain - graphs, diagrams, draft of paper "A study of the geothermal environment of New Britain" by Baas-Becking, G A Taylor and W Thomas ca 1960

  2. Water productivity - notes, diagrams, articles 1952-54

  3. Water and mud analysis - mainly completed water anlysis sample forms 1949-56

  4. Water and mud analysis - samples taken in South Australia, pages of statistics, graphs. Undated

  5. Zinc - 1946 - draft of paper, "Nature of carbonic anhydrase from plant sources", by P M Sibly and J G Wood, and related loose papers

  6. Zinc paper - handwritten draft of scientific paper, with loose papers on zinc in plants ca 1949

43/19

    1. Scientific files (cont’d)

  1. Zinc - drafts of paper, "The distribution of zinc in oat plants", by J G Wood and P M Sibly, and related loose papers and photographs ca 1949

    2-8. Series 3. Drafts of Waterbook and other miscellaneous material

  2. The Doctor’s House - short autobiographical story by Baas Becking: draft copies. Undated

  3. Early autobiographical essay "Grandfather’s House" - 10 pages, complete, hand drawn picture. Undated

  4. Draft of "The Observer". ca 1964

  5. Zero minus five - draft of novel 1954

  6. Water book contents ca 1950

  7. Water book diagram charts, including loose pages of writing and calculation ca 1950

  8. Plates for "Waterbook"

43/20

    Series 3. Drafts of Waterbook and other miscellaneous material (cont’d)

  1. Water Book correspondence with publisher, Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, Massachusetts 1951-54

  2. Water book correspondence with publisher, Elsevier 1961-62 and University of Chicago 1954-56

  3. Water Book correspondence with Ian Kaplan and Derek Moore 1959-62

  4. Water Book. Chapter V. Formation and breakdown of water ca 1960

  5. Water Book - drafts of chapters I-XI ca 1960

43/21

    1. Series 3. Drafts of Waterbook and other miscellaneous material (cont’d)

  1. The realm of water plates chapter III - assorted diagrams ca 1960

    2-3. Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks

  2. T R Kaplan general lab book 30 September 1953 - 21 June 1954

  3. T R Kaplan polarobraphic work and electro (?) measurements September 1953 - November 1954

43/22

    Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Lab. notes III, 1957-58
    Loose notes

  2. LGM Baas-Becking lab. notes IV 1958

43/23

    Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Lab. book VI (marked ‘please return to Bureau of Mineral Resources’), with large quantity of loose notes 1958-59

  2. University of Sydney, Botany Department - laboratory notebook, large quantity of loose notes, dried leaves 1950-52

43/24

    Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Small book of rough notes. Undated

  2. Pocket ring binder with various types of scientific data 1936

  3. Notebook, in Dutch, apparently on biology, with loose graphs, diagrams 1932-34

  4. Estuarine environment Log # 1 - notebook containing laboratory notes and observations 1952-53

43/25

    Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Estuarine environment Log # 2 - notebook containing laboratory notes and observations 1953

  2. Field book, Lake Eyre August 21 - September 8, 1954

  3. Oxidising substances in seawater I, February-March 1957 - notebook containing laboratory notes, observations, samples of filter paper

43/26

    Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Oxidising substances in seawater II, March 1957 - notebook containing calculations, laboratory notes, samples of filter paper

  2. Notebook of graphs and diagrams 1946

  3. Botany - notebook (with University of St. Andrews crest) of records kept by Dr Blackler "Petalonia filiformis barr" November 1948 – February 1955

43/27

    1-3. Series 4. Laboratory and field notebooks (cont’d)

  1. Botany - notebook (with University of St. Andrews crest) of records kept by Dr Blackler "Petalonia filiformis barr" December 1954 – April 1955

  2. Table of chemicals, handwritten. Undated

  3. Notebook of diagrams and calculations 1961

    4-6. Series 5. Photographs

  4. Portrait photograph of Baas Becking, 5 loose photographs of groups which include Baas Becking. All undated, ca 1950

  5. Portrait photograph of Baas-Becking and snapshot of him standing in front of Dutch plane, 195-?

  6. Indonesia - envelope containing photographs. One batch has an accompanying list, in Dutch. 1947-49


43/28

    Series 5. Photographs (cont’d)

  1. Photographs, scientific and miscellaneous 1948, 1952 (most undated)

  2. Various areas in the South Pacific, including Java - 12 coloured slides in plastic pockets 1948-53

  3. Photographs, South Pacific Commission 1950

  4. Small envelope containing photographs of vegetation, most with notes on back, in envelope marked "Fiji". ca 1954

  5. Large quantity of photographs of many subjects, most undated, one dated 1909, several dated 1948


43/29

    1. Series 5. Photographs (cont’d)

  1. Large quantity of photographs of many subjects 1909-58 (mainly around 1948-50)

    2-4. Series 6. Correspondence

  2. Correspondence re passport and related travel matters 1932, 1949

  3. Mixed correspondence (letters, addresses, lectures) 1948-56

  4. Scientific letters of historical interest - correspondence with colleagues 1950-59


43/30

    Series 6. Correspondence (cont’d)

  1. Business, scientific referee for posts - personal letters, business letters, applications, etc. 1960-61

  2. CSIRO and BMR - various letters 1959-60

  3. Hürlimann, Dr Hans- private correspondence 1959-61, mainly regarding Baas Becking’s participation in Pacific Science Congress, Honolulu, 21 August - 6 September 1961

  4. King, Haddon - private correspondence 1960-61

  5. References, reprints of scientific reports - correspondence with other scientists regarding requests for reprints of Baas-Becking’s scientific reports 1959-62

  6. Scientific correspondence and reports 1959-62


43/31

    Series 7. Lectures, talks

  1. The general physiology of the cell - notebook for lectures to be delivered at Utrecht University 1927-28

  2. Growth lectures - 28 page handwritten lecture / report on organic growth ca 1943

  3. Miscellaneous lectures, publications lists and correspondence 1942-60

  4. Projected lectures - typed list and handwritten list. Undated

  5. Death, nature of death - draft of lecture 1953

  6. Radio talk, "The case for geobiology" - 4 typescript pages, 1954

  7. Origin of life - drafts of paper for Royal Society of Victoria Centenary Symposium, 7-11 December 1959

43/32

  1. Scientific file on jungle trees. 1924-1948

  2. Miscellaneous handwritten material, including a letter dated 10 December 1937

     

250cm