Sir James Hector
March 16th 1834 - November 6th 1907

An award, a township, a mountain and, yes, even a dolphin bear testimony to the presence in this country of a most remarkable man. Sir James Hector, doctor, scientist, adventurer and entrepreneur was a man who, through his own desire to seek the unsought and discover the unknown, made an incredible and indelible footprint on New Zealand and the world.

Born into relative comfort in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 16th 1834, James was a man who would accept only one of the privileges his birthright afforded him. His education. He trained at the Edinburgh Academy and High School until he was fourteen years old then entering his fathers law office for some time. He continued his studies in art and also spent time in preparation for Edinburgh University which he entered in 1852. Here he studied medicine as this was the only outlet for his innate desire to undertake scientific studies. During his studies James devoted a large portion of his time to geological and botanical pursuits, developing a fascination or, more correctly, a passion that would focus his interests and endeavours for the rest of his life.

Having gained his M.D. degree in 1856, and at the youthful age of 23, James was selected the following year to accompany the Palliser Expedition as surgeon and geologist in its exploration of western Canada. During the four years of this expedition, James undertook the major portion of the scientific work making arduous journeys on foot to gain first-hand knowledge of the land. He also conducted forays into the Rocky Mountains where he discovered five passes. One of these, named by James "Kicking Horse Pass" and now the route of the trans-continental Canadian Pacific Railway, almost cost him his life. He was in his own words "...attempting to re-catch my own horse, which had strayed off..." when he was kicked in the chest and thought, by his companions, to be dead. They had prepared a grave for him when he regained consciousness, surprised, no doubt at having had such a close shave with a very uncomfortable death.

James triumphantly returned to England in 1860 by way of Panama and the West Indies, and was showered with awards including the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society for his successes in Canada. He was offered a choice of two further postings by Sir Roderick Murchison, the Director General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. One of these was as geologist to the Otago Provincial Government of New Zealand which James was encouraged to accept. So it was that on April 15th 1863 at the age of 28 he arrived in Dunedin.

On his arrival in Otago the Provincial Government made him its geologist and this post carried the obligation to make an exploratory survey of Otago's back country untrodden even by Maori. On a three year contract with an annual salary of �800, James James was to carry out a geological survey of the Province. During the winter of 1862 he visited much of its Eastern and Central regions, including the newly discovered goldfields. Early the following year, James extended his explorations towards the West.

In October of the previous year he had made a trip to the Matukituki Valley beyond Lake Wanaka and this journey had allowed him to spot a break in the Main Divide close to Mount Aspiring. This had given James the idea that he could traverse the South Island from East to West rather than from the Tasman Sea on the West Coast as he had originally planned. Besides, there had been a delay in obtaining a ship for the journey from Port Chalmers to the Jackson Bay area. His knowledge of the Matukituki Valley prompted him to select this route for his exploration.

In late January, James and five others commenced their journey westward from the shores of Lake Wanaka. Locating the break in the mountain range he had seen the previous year (and which was to become known as Hector Col), James and his party passed into Westland Province.Throughout February they challenged the terrain, the elements and themselves to come within eight miles of the western coastline of the South Island. At this point and within clear view of their goal, the Tasman Sea, they were forced to turn back due to poor weather, dwindling food supplies and exhaustion.

With James expert assistance they were able to make their way safely back over Hector Col and down the Matukituki Valley to the central camp which they reached on March 8th. Along the way they had been able to survive on small caches of food they had stored along the outward route. As it was, Hector Col was considered too high to become a regular route to Westland and, with the discovery of Haast Pass to the north, was all but forgotten.

James work in the Province was well known as he continued his surveys of Otago, Southland and Fiordland, but he came to Colonial prominence during 1864 when he was asked to organise the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition which was to open in Dunedin in 1865. His work back in December of 1862 arranging a very successful and popular public display of specimens collected during his travels gave rise to the decision to hold this national exhibition. James was appointed as one of the   commissioners of the exhibition and, with his usual energetic enthusiasm, threw himself into its organisation. He undertook a whirlwind tour of New Zealand securing support and specimens to put on display.

The exhibition opened in January 1865 and was such a resounding success that two significant things happened. Firstly the citizens of Dunedin decided to form a permanent display of James collection and the Otago Museum, built to house the display, was opened in September 1868. Secondly, the work, enthusiasm and dedication shown by Doctor James Hector during the organisation of the exhibition in 1864, caught the attention of the central Colonial Government who, in June of that year, offered him the position of Director of the Geological Survey. James accepted and in March of the following year the then Premier, Frederick Weld, confirmed his appointment at the annual salary of �800. 

Accompanied by some of his Otago staff, James moved to Wellington in August 1865. His first and most passionate priority was the establishment of a Colonial Museum. In this endeavour the Colonial Government was sympathetic with him and built a museum encompassing a laboratory behind Parliament Buildings in what would become Museum Street. It was opened to the public in December 1865.

Achievement may very well have been James middle name. Within his first year in the Capital he had established the New Zealand Geological Survey, the Colonial Museum and the Colonial Laboratory. In addition he assumed control of the Meteorological Stations, being personally interestd in gathering metorological statistics, and spent a large amount of his time and energy organising the creation of Wellington's striking and much vaunted Botanic Gardens. In this respect he had always been concerned with the introduction of plants which could be used for timber, shelter, food or as the basis for an industry. In his view the function of the botanic garden involved the acclimatisation of useful plants, their display to the public and their propogation. He was responsible for the introduction of species of pines and of the mulberry as the possible basis of a silk industry.

On December 30th 1868, James married Maria Georgina Monro at Nelson, She was the daughter of Sir David Monro the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Sir David was a well known and much respected J.P in Nelson and had arrived in the Colony in 1842. Together James and Maria had nine children: Barclay born October 25th 1869, Charles Monro born July 3rd 1871, Constance Margaret born February 13th 1873, David Carmichael born August 7th 1974, Philip Landale born October 22nd 1878, Douglas born ?, Lyell born July 29th 1882, Georgina born April 6th 1884 and Marjory born March 28th 1886.

During 1868 James was described as immensely popular and a man who was "looked to for information on every known subject, and is always kind and courteous to everyone no matter whom." It is not uncommon that those of this nature - experts in their field and willing, open and warmly able to share everything with their fellow men - are undermined, shunted aside and eventually completely de-railed from the important activities to which they have given their lives. Although James achievements and popularity continued to increase, he was unwittingly making enemies in political spheres. A close associate of successive Governments, he was nonetheless gaining opponents amongst the Liberal Party whose MP's were gaining in political power.

When the Liberal Party did come to power on January 24th 1891, Richard John Seddon was made Minister of Mines. As a "one-time prospector and practical man", Seddon had no appreciation of the importance and value of the work carried out by James and his Survey. James branch of research had been placed under the control of the Department of Mines and the inevitable happened. Gradually James control over his former acrivities was eroded and in 1903 he resigned from his position of Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, a position which he had held since 1885. Indeed Sir Robert Stout was later to say of James; "I do not know if his services were sufficiently appreciated either by the Government of the community."

In July of that year he returned with his son, Douglas, to North America to re-visit the scenes of his Canadian achievements. It was on this, the last of all of his journeys, that Douglas develloped pneumonia and died at Revelstoke in British Columbia. A broken man, James returned to New Zealand where, on Wednesday November 6th, he died at the age of 74. His obituary in the Evening Post of the following day aptly sums up the life of a distinguished man and a memorable career;