John Walter Osborne (20 February 1828 – 20 November 1902) was a chemist and engineer born in Ireland, who migrated to Victoria, Australia and in Melbourne pioneered the art of photo-lithography.
[1] In 1857 he was employed as an assistant to Professor George Neumayer at the Flagstaff Hill magnetic observatory, a project funded by the King of Bavaria.
It is likely that Osborne had photolithography in mind when he joined the Department, and it shows considerable faith in the project by its head Charles W. Ligar that Dallmeyer of London was commissioned to produce the large lens required, at a cost of £250.
Dr. Ligar, director of the Survey Office and Surveyor-General of Victoria, followed with an endorsement of the system, noting the immense saving of time in having new plans duplicated.
[5] Implementation of his invention was opposed by professional lithographers, as it threatened their livelihood,[6] and a Parliamentary Board was appointed to look into the advisability and applicability of the process.