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Joseph Crosby-Smith, 1853–1930.
Crosby-Smith was one of that honourable band of self-educated naturalists which has played a distinguished part in investigating the natural history of the British Empire. He was born at Keighley, Yorkshire, on July 18, 1853. At the age of nine—but only during part of the day—he was employed at the Dean Clough carpet mill. One of the partners, Mr Edward Crowley, had a private observatory which the boy was encouraged to visit, and there, under the stimulus of the astronomical observer, his latent taste for natural science seems to have been awakened.
At the age of twenty-three, accompanied by his wife, he emigrated to New Zealand, and settled down in Dunedin, where for 25 years he was employed as bookkeeper at the foundry of H. E. Shacklock. In 1879, Crosby-Smith became teacher of shorthand at the newly-
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established evening classes of the Caledonian Society, and proved a most successful teacher. During the years which followed, until he was elected a member of the Otago Institute in 1896 (President, 1926), very little is on record regarding his activities as a naturalist, but it is highly probable that he had earlier made the acquaintance of Messrs G. M. Thomson and D. Petrie, and so acquired an elementary knowledge of a good many species belonging to the local florula. Towards the close of the 'nineties—but it may have been earlier—Crosby-Smith became an active member of that excellent body, the Otago Field Naturalists' Club, and he devoted a good deal of his spare time to the study of seaweeds, much of his material being sent to Mr R. M. Laing for identification. He also extended considerably his knowledge of the ferns, the fern allies, and the seed plants.
Joseph Crosby-Smith, 1853.1930.
In 1902, having resigned has Dunedin position, he removed to Invercargill and established the ironmongery firm of Smith and Laing, residing in that city till 1925. During that period Crosby-Smith greatly broadened the scheme of his botanical work, especially in the direction of botanising unknown areas, of botanical photography, and eventually of publishing original papers. His most important botanical excursions were to the following places:—The Princess Ranges; the Takitimu Mountains (with D. Petrie); the
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Longwood Range (with myself); Mount Anglem, Stewart Island (with F. G. Gibbs, R. M. Laing, and myself); the Clinton Valley and McKinnon's Pass (with myself); Campbell Islands (as a member of the Sub-Antarctic Islands Expedition of 1927); and many but littlknown localities on the Southland Plains. His most important publications deal with the flora of the Lake Hauroko area (previously quite unknown, and entailing much hard physical work), a list of the phanerogams of Southland (most useful but rather premature), and a valuable short paper detailing the occurrence of high mountain species at sea-level in Southland. Apart from these technical publications, Crosby-Smith performed the eminently useful role of popularising his beloved science by means of newspaper articles, popular lectures (illustrated by his coloured lantern slides, which he presente to the New Zealand Institute), and instruction to those, not few in number, who sought his advice.
As a public man, apart from his invaluable influence as explained above, he was for many years a member of the Southland Education Board, and for some time its chairman. He also took part in all movements which were for the betterment and uplifting of the people.
I have had the privilege of Crosby-Smith's intimate acquaintance for about 26 years. Would that my tribute to his memory were more worthy. He was a delightful companion—his Yorkshire humour always to the fore—a true lover of Nature. Can I say much more in a man's honour—a loyal generous friend and a perfect Christian gentleman, full of loving kindness. Nor in speaking of the man must I neglect the devoted wife, his true comrade, to whom he owed so much.
In conclusion, let me say that during the past 44 years, though I have been closely connected with all the naturalists of this country, there is not one for whom I feel a deeper respect than my old friend, the subject of this brief notice, which it has been my sorrowful duty to contribute to those “Transactions” which he so highly valued.
L. C.