Alexander McKay (geologist)

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Alexander McKay (11 April 1841 – 8 July 1917) was a New Zealand geologist. He was born in Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland on 11 April 1841.[1]

McKay reached New Zealand in 1863 where he spent a number of years prospected for gold. A meeting with Julius von Haast saw a change of direction in which McKay, largely self-taught, undertook geological mapping and fossil collecting expeditions throughout the islands. In 1872 James Hector appointed him to the Geological Survey of New Zealand.[2] During his geological work McKay took numerous photographs.[3] He invented a telephoto lens and also techniques for taking images of geological collections and fossils.[3]

McKay's greatest achievement was to free New Zealand sciences from the strictures of European-based thinking, developing new theories, of worldwide importance, on block faulting in the evolution of mountain systems.[2] The discipline of neotectonics is largely based upon McKay's observations and theories.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Cooper, Roger. "Alexander McKay". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Cherry Lewis, Simon J. Knell (2009) "The Making of the Geological Society of London", pp350, Geological Society of London. ISBN 1862392773 Retrieved February 2015
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Nathan, Simon (2018). "Alexander McKay: New Zealand's first scientific photographer". Tuhinga. 29: 35–49 – via Te Papa Collections Online.
  4. ^ D.G. Bishop (2008) The Real McKay, Otago University Press, ISBN 1877372226 Retrieved February 2015

External links[]


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