Eric John Underwood AO, CBE (7 September 1905 – 19 August 1980) was an Australian scientist who pioneered research into sheep nutrition and wool production.
When Elizabeth died in 1907, Underwood and his siblings were placed in the care of family while James migrated to Western Australia and established himself at Mount Barker.
On 23 June 1934 Eric Underwood married school teacher Erica Chandler at St Andrews Church, Perth, and they had two daughters and two sons.
The family stayed in Mount Barker until 1920 when James took up a 1,850 acres (7.5 km2) property near Coorow in Western Australia's Mid West region.
Underwood the took up the Hackett research studentship to study at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge obtaining his Doctorate of Science in 1931 and returning to Western Australia.
Nowadays sheep receive B12 supplements in the poor-pasture areas of the south coastal strip to manage cobalt and selenium deficiencies.