Fossil authority dead, aged 87

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 21

Fossil authority dead, aged 87

1 Dr John Marwick, one of ‘ New .Zealand’s best : known authorities on fossils, died in ; Hastings on August 16. He [ was 87. . : Dr Marwick was - born at Maheno, near Oarnaru, and ' he attended Waitaki Boys’ High School, where he became interested in local geology, and then Otago ’ University, where he gained . a master of arts degree and won the Ulrich Medal for outstanding work in geology. After teaching at Pleasant ; Point, Dr Marwick went overseas with the Medical Corps during World War I and served in Egypt and Palestine. He was awarded the Military Medal while attached to the Imperial Camel Corps. < On his return to New Zea- <■ land in 1920, Dr Marwick joined the D.S.I.R. Geologi- i cal Survey, and began a dis- t tinguished career as a pa- ] laeontologist, studying fossil < shells found in rock strata. 1 During the next 50 years, t Dr Marwick published 120 1 scientific works which gave i him an international reputa- I tion. His joint work with the i late Dr H. J. Finlay on the 1 subdivision and classification of New Zealand rock strata I by looking at fossils was <

considered an outstanding achievement. In 1924, Dr Marwick was made a doctor of science, and in 1935-he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. The society later awarded him the Hector Medal and the Hutton Medal, both for scientific research. He retired in 1952 but kept up research work for almost 20 years at his Lower Hutt home. Dr Marwick is survived by two daughters and two sons.