The geologist James Hector (1834-1907) was, by any measure, the most important and influential scientist in nineteenth century New Zealand. In the mid 1860s, he became the first Director of the New Zealand Geological Survey and the Colonial Museum. Thereafter he ran the Colonial Laboratory, set up the Meteorological Service and the Wellington Botanical Gardens and was responsible for the establishment of the New Zealand Institute, acting as its manager and editor of its Transactions and Proceedings for more than 30 years. This work explores the formative years of his career from his early years in Scotland, his experiences with the Palliser Expedition in Canada, and pivotally, his first four years in New Zealand as the first Otago Provincial Geologist.
By the time of James Hector�s entry as a medical student to Edinburgh University in 1852, he had already developed a strong interest in natural history, particularly geology. Although he graduated M.D. from Edinburgh in 1856, that course of study served only as a means of access to the natural sciences. Hector�s interest and training in geology developed at an opportune time, when there was increasing demand for geologists to explore the expanding industrial British Empire for coal and other mineral raw materials.
Hector�s reputation in geology in Edinburgh brought him to the attention of that most influential British geologist, Sir Roderick Murchison, whose recommendation led to his appointment to the British North American Expedition of 1857 (the Palliser Expedition). Hector was acknowledged, on several counts, as a major contributor to the success of the expedition. When the Otago Provincial Government in New Zealand requested advice on the appointment of a geologist for the province, Murchison predictably proposed Hector.
Having reviewed and assessed his work in North America, this thesis deals with the arrival of Hector as Otago Provincial Geologist in Dunedin during the prosperity of the gold rush of the early 1860s. For the first nine months he explored the central and eastern areas of the Province (Chapter 2) and the following year led the exploration of the West Coast, where there was potential for coal, gold and timber-and reputedly copper-and the prospect of providing a commercial route to Melbourne. The two month long expedition up the Matukituki Valley preceded the exploration by ship of the West Coast of the South Island as far north as Martins Bay. The latter became a major triumph on the strength of the contemporary perception of a route between Queenstown and Martins Bay potentially opening up a direct contact between Dunedin and Melbourne.
From mid-1864, Hector�s life was governed by the organisation of the International Exhibition, which opened in Dunedin in January 1865. In that context, he travelled to seek support and participation from the other provinces of New Zealand, a political and administrative commission which he combined with geological exploration.
After the closure of the successful Exhibition in May 1865 and subsequent to the conclusion of his appointment on 1st April 1865, Hector left Otago in August to take up the newly created post of Director of the New Zealand Geological Survey in Wellington. The parting was not administratively smooth and relations between Hector and the Otago Provincial Government were strained by the lack of a final, definitive, report on the Geology of Otago. An overview of Hector�s geology, specifically his interest in coal and gold, and the evolution of his views on the vexed question of the role of glaciers as geomorphologic agents is provided.
James Hector was a man of versatile ability and strong leadership. His scientific skills as a field geologist and the administrative abilities, developed during his explorations in British North America and southern New Zealand, led ultimately to his long and successful career as New Zealand�s chief scientist at a formative time in its history.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217822 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Hocken, A. G, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of Geology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright A. G Hocken |
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