First professional scientists

Some of the early naturalists and collectors remained in New Zealand, becoming part of the nation’s new breed of professional scientist. In the 1850s, the provincial governments began engaging geologists to survey the provinces for exploitable resources such as coal, gold and  silver. 

In the second half of the 19th century, with New Zealand now a British colony with a central government, national organisations emerged. In 1865, James Hector was appointed director of the New Zealand Geological Survey, Colonial Laboratory and Colonial Museum in Wellington, creating employment and granting professional status to scores of scientists. Other national organisations, including the meteorological service, the Colonial Botanic Gardens and the Colonial Observatory, followed and employment opportunities for scientists grew. 

New Zealand’s first university, the University of Otago, opened in 1871 and was followed by the University of New Zealand’s colleges at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The first universities established chairs in mathematics and natural science, with courses following in medicine and scientific disciplines such as geology, physics and chemistry. While most of the early professors were trained in Britain, the universities began the important role of educating a new generation of home-grown scientists, some of whom went on to become teachers themselves. 

Towards the end of the 19th century, in recognition of the country’s dependence on primary industry and the need for scientific expertise in these areas, new government  agencies emerged, focused on managing and exploiting the country’s natural resources – including its minerals, forests and agriculture.   

The material in this online exhibition was originally developed for the National Library Gallery exhibition 'Butterflies, Boffins & Black Smokers: Two Centuries of Science in New Zealand', curated by Veronika Meduna and Rebecca Priestly in 2006.