About James Jamieson

James Jamieson (1840–1916) was born at Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland, and educated at an academy in Glasgow and the University of Glasgow.

Medical Career in Scotland and Australia

He worked as a ship’s doctor and general practitioner in Scotland before emigrating to Australia in 1868. Jamieson established a practice in Warrnambool, where he also served as the municipality’s health officer. In 1877 he moved to Melbourne, becoming honorary physician at Melbourne Hospital and joining the senior staff of the Alfred Hospital in 1884. He served as the health officer of the City of Melbourne from 1885 to 1912 and lectured at the University of Melbourne in obstetrics, diseases of women and children, and the theory and practice of medicine.

Contributions to Medical Science

A student of Joseph Lister in Glasgow, Jamieson was familiar with the ideas of Louis Pasteur. In Australia, he promoted germ theory as the cause of infectious diseases, influencing both professional and public opinion. He was a founding member of the Australian Health Society, contributing to its lectures and publications, and edited the Australian Medical Journal from 1883 to 1887. He also wrote regularly for leading Melbourne newspapers and journals.