Sir Gilbert Edward Archey (4 August 1890 – 20 October 1974) was a New Zealand

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

ethnologist Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

officer, and museum director. He wrote one of the major works on the moa, based on his own field work and collection. He also published numerous articles and described many new animal species.

Early life and education

Archey was born to Thomas Archey and Sarah Triffitt in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England in 1890, and emigrated to New Zealand with his parents, at age two. He graduated from Canterbury University College, Christchurch, with the degree of M.A. with honours in

zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

in 1913.

Career

After a period teaching at

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand, a feat achieved in part thanks to its original inception as a private school. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it r ...

, Archey was Assistant Curator of the Canterbury Museum from 1914 to 1923, where he studied and published papers on numerous New Zealand fauna. He particularly worked on New Zealand moa, Dinornithiformes, extinct macrofauna birds. In 1924 he participated in the 1924 Chatham Islands Expedition. He was then appointed Director of the Auckland Institute and Museum in 1924, and was personally responsible for getting funding from the

Carnegie Corporation of New York The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Since its founding, the Carnegie Corporation has endowed or othe ...

in 1935. In the First World War, he served in the New Zealand Field Artillery, rising to the rank of captain. In the Second World War he was attached to the British Military Administration in Malaya with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was on the New Zealand University Grants Committee, 1948–51, 1954–60, and on the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand, being president from 1941 to 1942. He was a member of the Maori Purposes Fund Board, the Waitangi National Trust Board, and the Auckland branch of the Royal Society, and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. He retired from the Auckland Museum early in 1964. His publications, apart from contributions to learned journals, include ''The Moa, a Study of the Dinornithiformes'' (1941), ''South Sea Folk'' (1937 and 1949); ''Sculpture and Design, an Outline of Maori Art'' (1955); and ''Whaowhia: Maori art and its artists'' (1977).

Honours

He was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1919, for services in connection with military operations in France and Flanders, and promoted to

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

, and in 1953 he received the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

. He was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in the 1963 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Archey, Gilbert Edward 1890 births 1974 deaths British emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand ethnologists 20th-century New Zealand zoologists University of Canterbury alumni New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Presidents of the Royal Society of New Zealand New Zealand military personnel of World War I Nelson College faculty New Zealand Army officers New Zealand Knights Bachelor Directors of the Auckland War Memorial Museum People associated with the Auckland War Memorial Museum People from York New Zealand naturalists