The discovery of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was an important finding in Australian science, involving a self-educated field naturalist and a small team of plant pathologists who had to work in relative academic isolation and with inadequate glasshouse facilities. After its discovery in Melbourne in 1915, TSWV rapidly spread throughout Australia and by 1929, it posed an existential threat to the tomato industry. To address this problem, a joint project between the Waite Agricultural Research Institute and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research was initiated in 1926. This collaboration, led by University of Adelaide plant pathologist Geoffrey Samuel, was initially turbulent but ultimately highly productive. Within an eight-year period, significant advances were made in understanding the aetiology of the disease, particularly by establishing that it was caused by a thrips-transmitted virus. Aspects of the epidemiology and control of the virus were also elucidated such as investigating alternative hosts of the virus. This research was made possible through substantial improvements in mechanical inoculation techniques.

番茄斑萎病毒（TSWV）的发现是澳大利亚科学界的一项重要发现，涉及一位自学成才的田野博物学家和一小群植物病理学家，他们必须在相对孤立的学术环境和温室设施不足的情况下工作。1915 年在墨尔本发现后，TSWV 迅速蔓延到整个澳大利亚，到 1929 年，它对番茄产业构成了生存威胁。为了解决这个问题，韦特农业研究所和科学与工业研究委员会于 1926 年启动了一个联合项目。这项合作由阿德莱德大学植物病理学家杰弗里·塞缪尔 (Geoffrey Samuel) 领导，最初很混乱，但最终卓有成效。在八年的时间内，在了解该疾病的病因方面取得了重大进展，特别是确定它是由蓟马传播的病毒引起的。还阐明了病毒的流行病学和控制方面，例如调查病毒的替代宿主。这项研究是通过机械接种技术的重大改进而得以实现的。