THE NEW CURATOR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 69, 28 April 1914, Page 11

THE NEW CURATOR.

CANTERBURY MUSEUM. MB B. SPEIGHT. The appointment of Mr E. Speight, M.D., M.'Sc., to the responsible position of curator of the Canterbury Museum was made yesterday by the Board of Governors of Canterbury College. Mr Speight had been assistant-curator under Mr Edgar E. Waite since 1909, and the news of his promotion, in succession to his very able predecessor, gave the liveliest satisfaction to those who take an interest in the welfare of this most popular institution. Though Mr Speight was born in Durham, England, he is practically a New Zealander, as he was only two years old when his parents migrated from the Old Land, and came to Canterbury. His father was one of Canterbury's bestlcnown school masters, whose final charge before he retired from the profession, was the St Albans school. The new curator was brought up in Christehurch, was an old High School boy, and a graduate of Canterbury College. Prior to his appointment as assistantcurator he held the position of lecturer on geology and palaeontology at the College. Mr Speight- has a fine record of scientific seryice in Canterbury and in other parts Of the Dominion, and his reputation is by no means a mere local one. Dr paid him the compliment of offering him the leadership of the scientific .party at the Macquarie Islands in connection with his recent expedition, but Mr Speight, for private reasons, had to decline. In his scientific work Mr Speight .paid special attention to physiography, and specially to the. origin of land features, and the effect of glacial action. • His researches in connection witli this subject have been very comprehensive, and his observations have oarried much weight witli those who pursue similar or allied avenues of studyMr Speight has been intimately associated with .various scientific organisations Christchurch and the Doniinion. was a member of the sub-Antarctic expedition which went to the Auckland Islands, and; he had charge of the geo J logical I worl£;thiefe. He is a member of piie Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute, and for two years held the position of joint editor of the Transactions of the Institute, to which he has been a valued contributor. He is a member of the various committees TVf the Australasian Association. Mr Speight's scientific interests naturally do not stop with his special interest in geological research, as he has an allround capacity which should .make him a very successful and able curator.

The selection of Mr Speight was made from over forty applicants, the final x selection being between Mr Speight and Mr Peter M'Nair, F.E.C.E., F.G.S., who is curator of natural history collections in Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow.