Hubert Whittell
Encyclopedia
Hubert Massey Whittell OBE
(24 March 1883 – 7 February 1954) was a British
army officer
, and later an Australia
n farmer and ornithologist
who compiled a history and bibliography
of ornithology in Australia from its origins until the mid 20th century.
in Essex
, England
, now part of Greater London
. His father, an engineer and naval architect was the Bombay representative of Lloyd's of London
, and Whittell grew up in both India
and England, as well as attending school for a year in Germany
in 1894. In 1899 he began studying medicine
at Edinburgh University. In 1899, Whittell donated to Edinburgh Museum a specimen of an Atlantic Puffin
(Fratercula arctica) taken in County Mayo
, Ireland. His address was then given as 53, Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh. In August 1901, he made an ornithological expedition to Orkney and collected a specimen of a Red-necked Phalarope
(Phalaropus hyperboreus) from Stromness
. However, in 1903 he gave up his medical studies in order to pursue a career in the British Army
.
(Channel Islands Militia), Whittell passed a competitive examination and in December was gazetted a Second Lieutenant
in the 1st Battalion the Royal Sussex Regiment
, with which he was posted to India in 1905. In November 1907 he was promoted Lieutenant
, and transferred to the Indian Army, joining the 56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force)
, being promoted to Captain in 1913. He studied Urdu
, Pushtu
and Persian
, collected old Indian coins, went big game hunting
and published papers on local history. He married Sydney Margaret O'Hara Hodgkins in 1911 in Bombay. Following the outbreak of World War I
he served in France, Belgium and Egypt for the duration of the war, after which he returned to India to serve in the Third Anglo-Afghan War
in 1919. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches and was promoted to Major
. In June 1921, while serving with the Supplies and Transport Corps of the Indian Army, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division). In 1926 he retired from the Indian Army and emigrated to Australia.
, 270 km south of Perth
, where he bought an orchard
and a dairy farm which he managed successfully, becoming a prosperous member of the local farming community. By 1929 he had revived a life-long interest in birds and was ornithologically active, joining the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
(RAOU) that year. He started building up a bird egg and skin collection, as well as establishing an ornithological library. He also made several collecting trips in the south-west and south-east of Western Australia
.
In 1939 Whittell became Convener of the RAOU’s Checklist Committee, serving also as President of the Union 1941-1943. A keen conservationist, from 1946 he served on the State Fauna Protection Advisory Committee. In 1943 he began a collaboration with Dominic Serventy on a regional handbook
, the Birds of Western Australia
, the first edition of which was published in 1948. From the mid 1930s he had been working on a comprehensive history and bibliography of Australian ornithology, The Literature of Australian Birds
, a monumental 900-page volume published in 1954 not long after his death.
Whittell was described by his friend and collaborator Dom Serventy as follows:
Whittell was awarded Life Memberships of the St John Ambulance Association
, the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia
, and the Western Australian Naturalists' Club
. He died in 1954 following long and painful complications from surgery carried out more than a year previously in December 1952. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren.
and other journals, notes and popular articles, book-length works authored or coauthored by Whittell include:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(24 March 1883 – 7 February 1954) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
army officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, and later an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n farmer and ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
who compiled a history and bibliography
Bibliography
Bibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
of ornithology in Australia from its origins until the mid 20th century.
Early days
Whittell was born at StratfordStratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, now part of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. His father, an engineer and naval architect was the Bombay representative of Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
, and Whittell grew up in both India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and England, as well as attending school for a year in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1894. In 1899 he began studying medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at Edinburgh University. In 1899, Whittell donated to Edinburgh Museum a specimen of an Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill...
(Fratercula arctica) taken in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland. His address was then given as 53, Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh. In August 1901, he made an ornithological expedition to Orkney and collected a specimen of a Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a wader, winters at sea on tropical oceans....
(Phalaropus hyperboreus) from Stromness
Stromness
Stromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
. However, in 1903 he gave up his medical studies in order to pursue a career in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Military career
In September 1904, after service with the 2nd Battalion the Royal Guernsey Light InfantryRoyal Guernsey Light Infantry
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry was a regiment in the British Army that was formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916 to serve in World War I. They fought as part of the British 29th Division...
(Channel Islands Militia), Whittell passed a competitive examination and in December was gazetted a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 1st Battalion the Royal Sussex Regiment
Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot...
, with which he was posted to India in 1905. In November 1907 he was promoted Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, and transferred to the Indian Army, joining the 56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force)
56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force)
The 56th Punjabi Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1849 as the 2nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 56th Punjabi Rifles in 1906 and became 2nd Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles in 1922...
, being promoted to Captain in 1913. He studied Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Pushtu
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, collected old Indian coins, went big game hunting
Big game hunting
Big game hunting is the hunting of large game. The term is historically associated with the hunting of Africa's Big Five game , and with tigers and rhinos on the Indian subcontinent. In North America, animals such as bears and bison were hunted...
and published papers on local history. He married Sydney Margaret O'Hara Hodgkins in 1911 in Bombay. Following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served in France, Belgium and Egypt for the duration of the war, after which he returned to India to serve in the Third Anglo-Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
in 1919. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches and was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In June 1921, while serving with the Supplies and Transport Corps of the Indian Army, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division). In 1926 he retired from the Indian Army and emigrated to Australia.
Ornithology
Whittell settled with his family at Bridgetown, Western AustraliaBridgetown, Western Australia
-Notable people:*Emily Barker, singer-songwriter*Jon Doust, author and comedian*Robyn McSweeney, politician*Tom O'Dwyer, cricketer*David Reid, politician*Deborah Robertson, novelist and poet-External links:* * * * * * * *...
, 270 km south of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, where he bought an orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
and a dairy farm which he managed successfully, becoming a prosperous member of the local farming community. By 1929 he had revived a life-long interest in birds and was ornithologically active, joining the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
(RAOU) that year. He started building up a bird egg and skin collection, as well as establishing an ornithological library. He also made several collecting trips in the south-west and south-east of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
In 1939 Whittell became Convener of the RAOU’s Checklist Committee, serving also as President of the Union 1941-1943. A keen conservationist, from 1946 he served on the State Fauna Protection Advisory Committee. In 1943 he began a collaboration with Dominic Serventy on a regional handbook
Handbook
A handbook is a type of reference work, or other collection of instructions, that is intended to provide ready reference .A handbook is sometimes referred to as a vade mecum or pocket reference that is intended to be carried at all times.Handbooks may deal with any topic, and are generally...
, the Birds of Western Australia
Birds of Western Australia
The Birds of Western Australia is a book first published in 1948 by Patersons Press Ltd in Perth, Western Australia. Its full title originally was A Handbook of the Birds of Western Australia , though with the publication of the 5th edition only the shorter form was used. It was authored by...
, the first edition of which was published in 1948. From the mid 1930s he had been working on a comprehensive history and bibliography of Australian ornithology, The Literature of Australian Birds
The Literature of Australian Birds
The Literature of Australian Birds is a book published in 1954 by Paterson Brokensha in Perth, Western Australia. Its full title is The Literature of Australian Birds: A History and a Bibliography of Australian Ornithology. It was authored by Hubert Massey Whittell...
, a monumental 900-page volume published in 1954 not long after his death.
Whittell was described by his friend and collaborator Dom Serventy as follows:
”Physically he was a slight man, of restless disposition, and his physiognomyPhysiognomyPhysiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face...
, with the keen face and the alert prominent blue-grey eyes, reminded one strikingly of some of the profile portraits of Frederick the Great. Personally he was of the highest integrity and he despised any adventitious aid to advancement, such as joining the ‘right’ social organizations or currying favour with persons supposed to have influence. He found it difficult to suffer fools gladly and this, combined with a somewhat choleric temperament at times, alienated some of his acquaintances. Others were never quite at their ease in his presence, never knowing whether to take his quips, uttered in a clipped English accent, as real reproaches or humorous chaffing. However, when acquaintance passed to friendship his ripe observations from an intelligent and well-stocked mind, on people, places and things, combined with his essential good nature and fair dealing, made him an agreeable and congenial companion.”
Whittell was awarded Life Memberships of the St John Ambulance Association
St. John Ambulance
St John Ambulance, branded as St John in some territories, is a common name used by a number of affiliated organisations in different countries dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services, all of which derive their origins from the St John...
, the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
, and the Western Australian Naturalists' Club
Western Australian Naturalists' Club
The Western Australian Naturalists' Club , founded in Perth, Western Australia, in 1924, is one of the oldest conservation groups in Australia...
. He died in 1954 following long and painful complications from surgery carried out more than a year previously in December 1952. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren.
Publications
As well as numerous papers in the The EmuEmu (journal)
Emu, subtitled Austral Ornithology, is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. The journal was established in 1901 and is the oldest ornithological journal published in Australia...
and other journals, notes and popular articles, book-length works authored or coauthored by Whittell include: