The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.
See what distinguished Australians are saying about the ADB.
The ADB is produced by the National Centre of Biography at the Australian National University.
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New Project Launched!
Explore the ADB’s new project The Quest for Indigenous Recognition produced by the National Centre of Biography, ANU, and Professor Mark McKenna. Launched by the Hon. Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians, on 11 September 2023, it details 23 key historical events in the long journey to the 2023 Referendum on the Voice.
Born This Day
James Arthur Prescott (1890–1987)
James Arthur Prescott (1890-1987), agricultural chemist, was born on 7 October 1890 at Little Bolton, Lancashire, England, eldest of seven children of Joseph Arthur Prescott, machine-fitter, and his...