Fonds F2019 - James Hector fonds

Sir James Hector, 1834-1907, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and educated at Edinburgh University. In 1857 he was appointed surgeon and geologist to the expedition headed by Captain John Palliser, which explored the Canadian West. He discovered the Kicking Horse Pass through the Rocky Mountains. He also studied the geology and ethnology of the areas explored. In 1861 he was appointed provincial geologist to the Province of Otago in New Zealand. In 1865 he became the Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. He established the Colonial Museum (now the National Museum), the Colonial Laboratory, and the Meteorological Service. In 1867 he became the first manager of the New Zealand Institute, and in 1868 he became first manager of the Botanic Garden in Wellington. He retired in 1903, and visited Canada and the Rockies once more in 1904. For further information see R.K. Dell's entry, "James Hector, 1834-1907 : Geologist, Explorer, Administrator", in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, vol. 1, 1990