Biographical entry Kitson, Albert Ernest (1868 - 1937)

Summary

(Sir) Albert Ernest Kitson joined the Victorian Public Service (VPS) as a clerk in 1886. From 1899 to 1904, although still employed as a clerk, he carried out geological field work for the VPS. This work inspired him to take up part-time studies in geology, mining and surveying at the Working Men's College (Melbourne) and at the University of Melbourne. In 1904 Kitson was promoted to senior field geologist and headed many more geological surveys and published widely. His two most noted surveys were in the Gold Coast where areas of manganese and diamonds were discovered, and in Nigeria where rich coal deposits were found. In 1930 he retired from the VPS and returned to England. There he immediately took up the position of geological advisor to the Colonial Office and later joined the boards of several mining companies. Kitson was a Fellow and Lyell medal recipient of the Geological Society of London and he was knighted (KBE) in 1927.

Details

Events

c. 1878

Life event - Migrated to Australia (Victoria) with family

1886 - 1889

Career position - Clerk at the Victorian Postmaster-General's Department

1889 - 1896

Career position - Clerk at the Victorian Department of Lands and Survey

1896 - 1904

Career position - Clerk at the Victorian Department of Mines and Water Supply

1897 -

Award - Fellow of the Geological Society of London (FGS)

1899 - 1904

Career position - Geological field work including the survey of Buchan Caves in East Gippsland (1900), Victoria

1904 - 1930

Career position - Senior Field Geologist in the Department of Mines and Water Supply

1906 - 1911

Career position - Principal Surveyor on the Mineral Survey of Southern Nigeria

1913

Career position - Director of the Gold Coast Geological Survey

1918

Award - Wollaston fund award received from the Geological Society of London

1918

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1922

Award - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

1927

Award - Lyell Medal received from the Geological Society of London

1927

Award - Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)

1929

Career position - President of the C (Geology) Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science

1930

Life event - Retired and returned to England

1930

Career position - Geological Advisor to the Colonial Office in England

1934 - 1936

Career position - President of the Geologist's Association

Published resources

Book Sections

• Farrall, Lyndsay, 'Kitson, Sir Albert Ernest (1868-1937), Geologist', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1983, pp. 617-618. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090619b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Kitson, Albert Ernest', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1476105. Details