Gilbert Edward Archey

Sir Gilbert Edward Archey, C.B.E. (b. 9 August 1890 in York, England; d. 20 October 1974) was a zoologist, ethnologist, World War I officer, and museum director from New Zealand. He wrote one of the major works on moas, based on his own field work and collection. During his life he published numerous articles and described many new species of animals.

Education and military posts

Coming to New Zealand in 1892 with his parents Thomas Archey and Sarah Triffitt, he graduated from Canterbury University College, Christchurch, with the degrees of M.A. and D.Sc.

From 1914 to 1923 he was Assistant Curator of the Canterbury Museum, then he was appointed to the Auckland Institute and Museum in 1924. In the First World War he served in the New Zealand Field Artillery, rising to a captaincy. After serving in World War I he worked at the Canterbury Museum where he studied and published papers on numerous New Zealand fauna. He then became director of the Auckland Institute and Museum in Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, Vol. 4 (1921-1940), updated 22 June 2007. Retrieved 2010-02-04. where he was personally responsible for getting funding from the . In the Second World War he was attached to the British Military Administration in Malaya with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Postwar career

He was on the New Zealand University Grants Committee, 1948–51, 1954–60, and on the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand, being president from...
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