W. W. Smith (1852-1942): “Second to None in the Dominion as a Field Naturalist”

Abstract

On his death in 1942, W. W. Smith was described in an obituary as “second to none in the Dominion as a field naturalist.” This phrase had been used some years earlier by scientist-politician George Malcolm Thomson. Today, Smith is largely recalled for his membership of the Scenery Preservation Commission (1904-1906) and work as the domain curator in Ashburton (1894-1904) and Pukekura Park in New Plymouth (1908-1920). This paper revisits Smith’s reputation as a naturalist. In so doing it considers the fields of knowledge he engaged with and identifies some of the scientific networks in which he was embedded.