Presentation of Awards

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 87, 1959, Page 19

Presentation of Awards At a meeting of the Wellington Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand held on August 26, 1959, the President of the Royal Society, Professor R. S. Allan, presented the Hector and Hutton Medals which had been awarded at the annual meeting of the Council to Professor H. B. Fell and Professor L. R. Richardson respectively. Hector Memorial Medal and Prize. In making these presentations the President said: The Hector Memorial Medal and Prize is the premier award in the custody of the Royal Society of New Zealand. James Hector was “the principal founder of the New Zealand Institute,” and we do well to honour his memory. On this occasion I am going to quote some sentences written by James Park, one of Hector's assistants, who knew him well. Park opened his memorial with these words: “James Hector, beribboned with the laurels won for his explorations and geological work in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, took up, in 1861, the newly created post of provincial geologist for Otago”. And he continued: “After completing his term with the Provincial Government of Otago, Hector, with his office staff, was transferred to Wellington, where he was appointed manager of the New Zealand Institute and director of the newly-constituted Geological Survey of New Zealand. “Sir James Hector's activities in the domain of scientific endeavour were astonishingly many and varied; but it must not be forgotten that he was first and foremost the geologist—the devoted follower of Lyell and Murchison. It was later, in his middle age, that he made a close study of palaeontology, biology, botany and meteorology, all of which he brought within his orbit not as academic accomplishments but as aids to the advancement of geologic science. His industry and powers of assimilation were prodigious. “Sir James proved himself a born leader and a brilliant geologist. His genius will, I am confident, remain as an inspiration to generations of scientists as yet unborn.” It is a fitting tribute from a personal friend and contemporary. It should serve to remind us of our obligation to a great pioneer and to one who, for nearly forty years (1867–1903) was our manager and editor. This year the Royal Society has awarded the Hector Memorial Medal and Prize to Professor Howard Barraclough Fell for outstanding researches in Echinoderm embryology and systematics. Since the death of one of our Honorary Members, Theodor Mortensen, Professor Fell is the leading echinoderm systematist in the world. His selection to revise the Cidaroida of the world for Moore's great Treatise of Invertebrate Palaeontology is a tribute to his brilliance. But he is much more than a systematist. His views on echinoderm embryology and the origin of the chordates have created wide interest. His investigations of the echinoderm fauna of New Zealand, and in particular of the deep-sea forms in this area, and of their Mesozoic and Tertiary precursors, have been thorough, sustained, and of the highest quality. Professor Fell, I am happy that it falls to my lot to make this presentation; this award is for the encouragement of scientific research in New Zealand. I hope that it will stimulate you to still greater and even more fruitful effort. In reply to the President, Professor Fell referred to his indebtedness to many members of the Society in the four main centres for their generous co-operation in providing material for study. Unrivalled material had also been contributed by Alexander McKay, a pioneer member of the Society, and one whose genius had first been recognized by Sir James Hector himself. The Hector Prize was being

used to purchase the last remaining set of Mortensen's great monograph on the Echinoidea, and he hoped it would always remain in New Zealand. Hutton Memorial Medal. The Royal Society has a second major award—viz., the Hutton Memorial Medal, presented every three years for scientific work of great merit bearing on New Zealand zoology, botany or geology. This medal is given in memory of Frederick Wollaston Hutton, first president of this Society, and a pioneer zoologist and geologist of great distinction. This year the Royal Society has decided to award the Hutton Memorial Medal to Professor L. R. Richardson for research on the zoology of Cook Strait. In making this award the Society puts its stamp on an achievement of some distinction. Professor Richardson's personal researches cover many branches of zoology; and of them I would note particularly his contributions to ichthyology and parasitology. But I venture to suggest that there are other and perhaps more cogent reasons for this award. I refer first to the fact that Professor Richardson has built up an active research school in his Department; no mean achievement this for any Professor. He has given valuable service to New Zealand zoology by training a group of young systematists; he has stimulated keen interest in marine systematics. Finally I must refer to the fact that Professor Richardson has been responsible for the initiation of deep-water investigations in the Cook Strait area. He has taken advantage of the unique situation in this part of the world, and has pioneered new techniques using long-lining and special types of nets and traps from small boats. The results have been spectacular. These are some of the reasons which weighed with the Society in making this award. This occasion must be unique in the annals of the Royal Society of New Zealand; the Hector Memorial Medal and the Hutton Memorial Medal go in one year to two members of the same University department. In accepting the award, Professor Richardson thanked the Society for this recognition, and said he experienced a deep sense of humility, but the occasion warranted more than an expression of his feelings. He considered it was worthy of note that the late Sir William Benham, who was the first recipient of the Hutton Medal, was, in terms of zoological hierarchy, his “zoological grandfather”. He drew attention to this to illustrate the seldom recognised small number of professional zoologists in the Commonwealth, and the degree to which there is integration in the group. Sir William Benham's background was Britain and New Zealand. Professor Richardson pointed out that his own background was divided between Australia, Canada and New Zealand. His link to Sir William Benham was established in Canada. A recently published statement gave as an estimate that there were less than 10,000 qualified zoologists in the Commonwealth. The number is disturbingly small when seen in relation to the large array of zoological researches which can contribute significantly to the biological and philosophical well-being of the human race. Professor Richardson stated that the award had been made at a black time in the Cook Strait Research Project. In May, it seemed certain that the work had come to an end. The award of the medal provided a stimulus to persevere. The prospects are still poor. He expressed his gratitude to those who had participated in the work at so much sacrifice of time and energy and with so much physical discomfort. In particular, he would pay tribute to Mr. J. A. F. Garrick, the deputy leader, and to Dr. R. Brundson, Mr. R. I. Close, Mr. J. C. Yaldwyn, and Mr. P. Castle. Without their enthusiastic support and the help of others, no amount of ingenuity would have made the research possible. Professor Richardson expressed the hope that the Society would establish other awards so that scientists could be granted recognition for the large number of researches which are in progress or yet to come.