Russell Grimwade



Sir Wilfrid Russell Grimwade (15 October 1879 – 2 November 1955) was an Australian chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist. He was the son of Frederick Sheppard Grimwade and brother of Harold Grimwade.

He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and The University of Melbourne, where he earned a B.Sc. in science. He then joined the family pharmaceutical firm Felton Grimwade & Company in 1903.

Over his career, he was director of Drug Houses of Australia, Australian Glass Manufacturers, Cuming Smith & Company, and chaired the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research as well as the National Gallery of Victoria. He donated £50,000 for a purpose-built facility to house the School of Biochemistry at The University of Melbourne, which bore his name from its construction in 1956 until its demolition in 2008.

He was an honorary member of the British Medical Association, and served on the advisory council that established the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (now CSIRO), later sponsoring its forestry division. He also served on the advisory committee for the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and wrote An Anthology of the Eucalypts in 1920.

An endowment by Grimwade in 1929 was used to create the Russell Grimwade Prize, a scholarship for study of forestry. As of 2018, the annual prize value is $40,000. In 1934, he presented Cooks' Cottage to Victoria after purchasing it in England and shipping it to Australia.

He received a CBE in 1935 and was knighted in the 1950 King's Birthday Honours List.