Augustus Hamilton

Portrait of Augustus Hamilton

Augustus Hamilton[1] (1 March 1853 – 12 October 1913) was a New Zealand ethnologist, biologist and museum director. He was born in Poole, Dorset, England on 1 March 1853.[2] He wrote on the fishing and seafoods of the ancient Māori people.[3] He also wrote on the art and workmanship of the Maori in New Zealand with a series of illustrations (from photographs).[4]

Hamilton became the second director of the Colonial Museum in Wellington, following James Hector, in 1903.[5][6] He was one of the principal ethnologists in New Zealand at the time; he helped develop the Māori Antiquities Act in 1901 and was the main proponent for building a National Māori Museum.[6] Hamilton was President of the Royal Society of New Zealand between 1909 and 1911; preceded by G. M. Thomson and followed by Thomas Frederic Cheeseman.[7]

Hamilton's scientific specimens and other collection items are at Te Papa and other New Zealand institutions.[8][9]

  1. ^ McLintock, Alexander Hare; William John Phillipps, formerly Registrar and Ethnologist; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "HAMILTON, Augustus". An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. ^ Dell, R. K. "Augustus Hamilton". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  3. ^ Fishing and sea-foods of the ancient Maori. J. Mackay, govt. printer, 1908
  4. ^ The art workmanship of the Maori race in New Zealand: a series of illustrations from specially taken photographs, with descriptive notes and essays on the canoes, habitations, weapons, ornaments, and dress of the Maoris, together with lists of words in the Maori language used in relation to the subjects. Printed and published for the board of governors [of the New Zealand institute] by Fergusson & Mitchell, 1896. 438 pages.
  5. ^ "Augustus Hamilton - Biographical Note". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b Roger Blackley (2010). Te Mata: the ethnological portrait. Wellington: Adam Art Gallery. ISBN 978-0-86473-623-9. OCLC 588986997. OL 33418831W. Wikidata Q125854214.
  7. ^ "Royal Society Te Aparangi - Presidents". Royal Society of New Zealand. 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Augustus Hamilton". bionomia.net. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  9. ^ Melanie Ioane-Warren; Rodrigo B. Salvador; Karyne M. Rogers; Alan J. D. Tennyson (7 March 2023). "Augustus Hamilton's fossil collection at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". Tuhinga: Records of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. 34: 47–56. doi:10.3897/TUHINGA.34.97731. ISSN 1173-4337. Wikidata Q120261376.