A SPRING FLOWER. MEMORIAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

A SPRING FLOWER. MEMORIAL

r-DAY at the Auckland War Memorial Museum the ninth Cheeseman Memorial Native Flower Show was opened. In this manner Aucklanders pay tribute to one of New Zealand's most distinguished botanists,. the late Thomas? Frederic Cheeseman, 1846-1923. Not only did Mr. Cheeseman earn a world-wide reputation as a botanist, but he also made many, scientific contributions in a wide variety of natural history and ethnographical subjects. Living most of his early life before this age of specialisation, Mr. Cheeseman found in his sole charge capacity of curator of the Auckland. Museum the necessity to delve into diverse: sciences in order to do justice to the poet which he so ably filled. '' ' Unfortunately he never saw the crowning success of his career—the materialisation of the War Memorial Museum on its present site as he had visualised. However, the fruits of his labours are to-day represented in the vast store of treasured exhibits and an important library of scientific literature now housed in the building of his dream. It "is fitting, therefore, that the name of Mr. Cheeseman should be perpetually honoured by association with annual spring flower show.

By A r W. B. Powell

t Although nominally an Englishman, through being born at Hull in 1846, Mr. Cheeaeman wa* in reality a New -Zealander, for he came to the infant colony at' the age .of eight. It is the more remarkable that -without previous training he developed his scientific inclinations and achieved such remarkable success without those facilities afforded his contemporaries, in the long established centres of learning in the Homeland and on the Continent. In fact Mr. Cfieeeeman had to build up these scientific facilities in step with his own researches, and so, with unflagging resolution, there emerged on the one hand a creditable scientific institution —on the other a botanist of international repute. In all Mr. Cheeseman published 101 papers and books, of which 22 deal with subjects other than botanical. All of these contributions were based upon - first-hand knowledge in the quest of which he travelled widely in-New Zealand -visiting little explored parts, outlying islands and even carrying his researches further afield by visits to the Cook Islands and the then little-known Kermadec group.

The fruits of this work were the finding and subsequent publication of 150 species new to science as well as a further 126 new varieties. Any attempt by his contemporaries to_ honour his name by designating a new genus as Cheesemania was modestly but resolutely objected to on the score that the name, was not euphonious. However the honour, although posthumous,' lias at last been made, and so Cheesemania is no\v the scientific name of a genus of Alpine plants. Appropriate, too, for it was amongst the Alpine flort that Mr. Cheeseman found his greatest interest. Absent-Minded' Profissots Weighted down by the mass of diverse knowledge required of the scientist of the days before specialisation, it was no wonder that many enthusiasts became so indifferent to trivialities that they came to be regarded as "absent-minded professors," taking their places in the comic papers alongside the poets and other abused people. However, it can be said of Mr. Cheeseman that the weight of his studies rested lightly .on his shoulders, and withal he preserved a subtle sense oi humour which, although not alway6 apparent in his official manner, was invariably present to amuse and delight his friends and colleagues. This sense of humour at times was evidenced in his scientific writings, and so we read in a paper in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute for 1907, in reference to the first occurrence of the Pacific sea snake in New Zealand: "It was discovered by some Maoris, who' were naturally afraid to touch it, but with Bome little trouble managed to guide it into a discarded Wellington boot. They then took it to Mr. Dashwood, the proprietor of the store at Poirt Waikato, who secured the specimen, sacrificing the better part of a bottle of whisky for its preservation." Largely through the efforts of Mr. Cheeseman, many fine specimens of native plants and others from the Kermadeos have become introduced into local gardens. One of the finest, the large , leaved Puka, Meryta Sinclairi, was discovered at the Three Kings Islands by Mr. Cheeseman, although its acquaintance as an _ introduction at -Whangaruru, probably"from the Hen and Chickens Islands, was first made by the veteran Colenso. Fortunately, just hefore his death in 1923 Mr. Cheeseman managed to complete his great task of revising his Manual of the New Zealand Flora, and in this great work alone his memory will endure.