Adelaide 1959

Photograph: R.A. Fisher and Alf Cornish, the head of the CSIRO division of Mathematical Sciences, in front of the CSIRO building near Kintore Ave, Adelaide. Fisher Papers. Series 25.2: Album of official functions … etc 1945-62

On his return from Michigan in 1958, Fisher unsuccessfully explored opportunities to work in Great Britain.

Fisher had previously visited Australia in 1953 for three months at the invitation of Dr E.A. (Alf) Cornish, the head of the Division of Mathematical Sciences of the CSIRO and Professor of Statistics at the University of Adelaide. Following Fisher’s retirement, Cornish invited him to return for a six month stay from April to September 1959 with the opportunity to visit all the capital cities and many of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization centres. His daughter Joan accompanied him on this visit, staying at St Ann’s College while Fisher lodged nearby at St Mark’s.

During this visit the University of Adelaide awarded Fisher an honourable degree of Doctor of Science.

Home in Adelaide

Letter: Fisher to E.A. Cornish 30 November 1959 re Commonwealth visit, Fisher Papers. Series 1: Correspondence

Fisher so enjoyed his visit that he decided in July to make his home in Adelaide, and Cornish arranged to have his Senior Research Fellow appointment at CSIRO extended indefinitely. Fisher’s extensive files, correspondence and scientific papers were sent out from Cambridge.

Alf Cornish was a former student of Fisher’s at the Galton Laboratories. Henry Bennet, Professor of Genetics at Adelaide, was also a former student and research assistant in Cambridge in the 1950s, and a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. Cornish and Bennett, along with other friends throughout Australia, warmly welcomed Fisher into their homes and families. Fisher was particularly enjoyed spending time with their children, engaging them in conversations and leading them on long walks through the suburbs like a Pied Piper.

When he settled in Adelaide, he wished to live with a family instead of at St Mark’s. He was fortunate to secure lodgings with Mrs Eric Mayo, a war widow with two university aged sons: John (to become Professor of Latin American History at the University of the West Indies, Barbados) and Oliver (who was already planning to become a geneticist and later became chief of the CSIRO Division of Animal Production.)

Travels Abroad

Fisher found the intense summer heat of Australia uncomfortable. However, aside from trips to the United States, Europe, India, New Guinea and Japan, Fisher spent most of 1960 in Adelaide, working on articles and new editions of his books and consulting on statistical and genetical projects in Australia.

The early months of 1961 was spent largely abroad. In 1962 he spent some months with his good friends, Ranee and Prasanta Mahalanobis in Calcutta, then passed through the United States before an extended stay in England where he received an honorary Doctor of Science from Leeds University. He also travelled to Paris for the International Statistical Institute meeting and Rome for the International Congress of Human Genetics. While in Rome he was inducted into the Pontifical Academy of the Vatican, before returning in September to Australia.

• Photographs from album of travels to Japan 1960 and India 1962. Fisher Papers. Series 25.2: Album of official functions … etc 1945-62
• Photograph: Fisher inspecting the thigh bone of the dinosaur Barapasaurus tagorei, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, February 1961. Fisher Papers. Series 25.2: Album of official functions … etc 1945-62

Death

On his return to Adelaide, Fisher took up residence at St Mark’s College along with John and Oliver Mayo, and served as President of the Senior Common Room. He seemed to be in good health but at the end of July Fisher forgot he had made an appointment for an X-ray, and when questioned by Cornish admitted he was sure he had bowel cancer. Cornish and Bennett proved of great support when this was confirmed.

After further consultation, Fisher decided to have the operation done in Adelaide and at once. The operation was successfully performed on July 21 by Professor R.P. Jepson. The following week the wound became infected but was controlled by antibiotics and he seemed ‘well out of the woods.’ He was visited and cossetted by Alf Cornish and Henry Bennett and his wife Lilian, with whom he planned to spend his convalescence. Fisher suffered an unexpected embolism and died in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 29th 1962 at the age of 72.

Funeral

Photograph: R.A. Fisher plaque in St Peter’s Cathedral. Fisher Papers. Series 29.3

None of Fisher’s family was in Australia as he had not informed any of them about his illness. Nor had he left a will, so it was left to his friends and scientific colleagues in Adelaide to organise the funeral and his estate. The service was held at St Peter’s Cathedral, with the Master of St Mark’s as lector and six students from the Genetics Department, CSIRO and St Mark’s as pallbearers. He was cremated and his ashes interned in the Cathedral beside the pew dedicated to his name, said to have been Fisher’s regular Sunday seat. Fisher and his good friend Bishop Reed are the only two accorded the honour of having their ashes buried in this fashion.

While in Adelaide Fisher published fifteen papers and completed revised editions of three of his books. Altogether he published over 300 scientific papers. Fisher’s family donated his personal and scientific papers and part of the royalty rights of his books to the University of Adelaide.