Evan Graham Turbott (27 May 1914 – 12 December 2014) was a New Zealand ornithologist, zoologist, and museum administrator. He served as director of the
Auckland Institute and Museum
Auckland Institute and Museum, known as Auckland Museum Institute since 1996 and the Royal Society of New Zealand Auckland Branch, is a learned society in New Zealand.
History
Formed as the Auckland Philosophical Society on 6 November 1867, for ...
from 1964 to 1979.
Early life and family
Born at
Stanley Bay on Auckland's
North Shore, Turbott was the eldest of the three sons of Thomas Turbott, a primary school headmaster, and his wife Evangeline Alice Turbott (née Graham).
His brothers included the diplomat and businessman
Ian Turbott
Sir Ian Graham Turbott (9 March 1922 – 11 August 2016) was a New Zealand-Australian diplomat and university administrator.
Early life and education
Turbott was born in Whangārei, New Zealand, and attended Takapuna Grammar School. He later stud ...
. He was educated at
Takapuna Grammar School
Takapuna Grammar School is a state coeducational secondary school located in the suburb of Belmont on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 1927, the school mainly serves the eponymous suburb of Takapuna and the entire Devo ...
, and went on to study at
Auckland Teachers' Training College and
Auckland University College.
He graduated from the latter institution with a
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
in zoology in 1938.
His thesis was entitled ''Some observations on the distribution and anatomy of Leiopelma hochstetteri Fitzinger''.
On 7 September 1940, Turbott married the ethnologist
Olwyn Mary Rutherford at
All Saints' Church
All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to:
Albania
*All Saints' Church, Himarë
Australia
*All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
* All Saints Anglican Church, Henley Brook, Western Austr ...
, Howick.
Career

In 1937 Turbott was appointed as assistant zoologist at
Auckland War Memorial Museum. In 1944 he spent a year on coast-watching duties in the subantarctic
Auckland Islands as part of the
Cape Expedition, which also included
Charles Fleming and
Robert Falla
Sir Robert Alexander Falla (21 July 1901 – 23 February 1979) was a New Zealand museum administrator and ornithologist.
Early life
Falla was born in Palmerston North in 1901 to George Falla and his wife, Elizabeth Kirk. As his father was wor ...
, but he also found time to pursue his interest in natural history.
He later wrote about the experience in the book ''Year Away: Wartime coast watching on the Auckland Islands, 1944'', published in 2002.
Turbott returned and continued at Auckland Museum, until becoming assistant director of
Canterbury Museum, Christchurch in 1957. He returned in 1964 to take up the post of director of the Auckland Institute and Museum, succeeding Sir
Gilbert Archey
Sir Gilbert Edward Archey (4 August 1890 – 20 October 1974) was a New Zealand zoologist, ethnologist, World War I officer, and museum director. He wrote one of the major works on the moa, based on his own field work and collection. He also pub ...
. He remained there until he retired in August 1979,
when he was named as the museum's director emeritus.
Turbott wrote or co-authored several ornithological works, including ''New Zealand bird life'' (1947), ''Buller's birds of New Zealand'' (2nd updated edition, 1967, as editor), ''A field guide to the birds of New Zealand and outlying Islands'' (1970, with Robert Falla), ''The new guide to the birds of New Zealand and outlying islands'' (1979, with Falla), ''Collins guide to the birds of New Zealand and outlying islands'' (1981, with Falla), ''Birds of New Zealand'' (1990, with Falla), and ''Checklist of the birds of New Zealand and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica'' (1990).
A founding member of the
Ornithological Society of New Zealand
The Ornithological Society of New Zealand (OSNZ), also known as Birds New Zealand, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the study of birds and their habitats in the New Zealand region. Founded in 1940, it caters to a wide variety of people in ...
, Turbott served as its president from 1949 to 1952, North Island vice president from 1947 to 1949 and 1957 to 1958, and a councillor between 1953 and 1955.
Turbott died on 12 December 2014.
Honours and awards
In the
1978 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1978 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginn ...
, Turbott was appointed a
Companion of the Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order, established by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the pu ...
for public services, in recognition of his role as director of the
Auckland Institute and Museum
Auckland Institute and Museum, known as Auckland Museum Institute since 1996 and the Royal Society of New Zealand Auckland Branch, is a learned society in New Zealand.
History
Formed as the Auckland Philosophical Society on 6 November 1867, for ...
.
He was bestowed with the
Robert Falla Memorial Award
The Robert Falla Memorial Award (sometimes referred to as the Falla Award) is granted by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand to people "who have made a significant contribution to both the Ornithological Society of New Zealand and to New Zeal ...
by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand in 1988, and made a fellow of the same organisation in 1997.
In 2014, Turbott was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from Auckland Museum.
Honorific eponynyms
Almost 20 species, mostly invertebrates from New Zealand offshore islands,
that were collected by Turbott have been named in his honour, including:
* ''
Anagotus turbotti''
* ''
Xenosciomyza turbotti''
Lake Turbott, on
Adams Island in the Auckland Islands, was also named after Turbott.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turbott, Graham
1914 births
2014 deaths
People from Auckland
People educated at Takapuna Grammar School
University of Auckland alumni
New Zealand zoologists
Directors of museums in New Zealand
Companions of the Queen's Service Order
New Zealand centenarians
Men centenarians
People associated with the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Directors of the Auckland War Memorial Museum