Battye, James Sykes (1871-1954), an Australian librarian and historian, helped establish the University of Western Australia. He was its prochancellor for five years, and its chancellor for six. Battye was born on Nov. 14, 1871, in Geelong, Victoria. As public librarian of Western Australia from 1894 to 1954, Battye carried out important work in preserving Western Australian archives. He died on July 15, 1954, in Perth, Western Australia.