Biographical entry Chisholm, Alexander Hugh (Alec) (1890 - 1977)

Summary

Alexander Hugh (Alec) Chisholm published many books on Australia's flora and fauna over the years 1932-66 and edited a number of prominent Australian newspapers, magazines and books including the compilation of The Australian Encyclopaedia (1958). As a young man he joined the poet Mary Gilmore in a campaign against the slaughter of egrets for women's feather hats.

Details

Born Maryborough, Victoria, 28 March 1890. Died Sydney, 10 July 1977. OBE 1958. Left school at 12. Various jobs; contributed notes on bird life to the local press, then to newspapers in Melbourne; honorary nature teacher in Victorian high schools; reporter on the Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser 1911-15; Brisbane Mail 1915-22?; honorary adviser and Lecturer on Natural History for the Queensland government 1918-22; edited a number of metropolitan daily and weekly newspapers, including Argus (Melbourne), Australasian (Melbourne) and Sunday Pictorial (Sydney); editor Who's Who in Australia 1947; Editor-in-Chief, Australian Encyclopaedia 1958. First recipient, Australian Natural History Medallion 1939. President, Queensland Field Naturalists' Club; president, Queensland Gould League of Birdlovers 1919-22; president, Queensland Naturalists' Club 1920-22; honorary editor, Queensland Naturalist 1920-22; Corresponding Fellow, American Ornithologists' Union 1922; honorary editor, The Emu 1926-28; president, Victorian Field Naturalists' Club 1937-38; president, Victorian Bird Observers' Club 1937-38; president, Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union 1939-40; honorary editor, Victorian Naturalist 1939-48; Fellow, Royal Australian Historical Society; Fellow, Royal Historical Society of Queensland; Fellow, Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union 1941; Corresponding Member, British Ornithologists' Union.

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• Alexander Hugh (Alec) Chisholm - Records, 1870 - 1976, ML MSS 3540; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Alexander Hugh (Alec) Chisholm - Records, 1913 - 1939, MS 2225; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• Alexander Hugh (Alec) Chisholm - Oral History Recording, 1960, DeB 42; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details
• Alexander Hugh (Alec) Chisholm - Oral History Recording, June 1972, TRC 121/34; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Books

• Chisholm, A. H., The Incredible Year, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1940. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., The Story of Elizabeth Gould, Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1944. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., Strange New World: the Adventures of John Gilbert and Ludwig Leichardt, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1955. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., Ferdinand von Mueller, Great Australians, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1962. Details

Book Sections

• Chisholm, A. H., 'Bennett, George (1804-1893), medical practitioner and naturalist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 85-86. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010084b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Gilbert, John (1810?-1845), naturalist and explorer', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 441-442. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Gilbert, John (1810?-1845)', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 441-442. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010407b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Gould, Elizabeth (1804-1841), natural history artist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, p. 465. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010426b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Gould, John (1804-1881), zoologist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 465-467. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010427b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Calvert, James Snowden (1825-1884), explorer and botanist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, p. 333. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030308b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Broinowski, Gracius Joseph (1837-1913), artist and ornithologist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, p. 239. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030223b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Atkinson, Caroline Louisa Waring (1834-1872), naturalist and writer', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, pp. 59-60. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030060b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Coxen, Charles (1809-1876), naturalist and politician', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, pp. 487-488. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030453b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Elsey, Joseph Ravenscroft (1834-1857), surgeon, explorer and naturalist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 4, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1972, p. 139. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040141b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Helms, Richard (1842-1914), zoologist and botanist', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 4, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1972, p. 374. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040423b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Ramsay, Edward Pierson (1842-1916), ornithologist and zoologist', in Bede Nairn (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 6, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1976, pp. 3-4. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060004b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Wheelwright, Horace (Horatio) William (1815-1865)', in Bede Nairn (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 6, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1976, pp. 383-384. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060411b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Barrett, Charles Leslie (1879-1959), naturalist and journalist', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1979, p. 185. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070191b.htm. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Cayley, Neville William (1886-1950), ornithologist and artist', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1979, pp. 596-597. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070605b.htm. Details
• Kloot, Tess, 'Chisholm, Alexander Hugh (1890-1977), Journalist, Ornithologist and Encyclopaedist', in John Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1993, pp. 422-423. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130463b.htm. Details

Edited Books

• Chisholm, A. H. (ed.), Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales with Sixty-five Plates of New Descript Animals, Birds, Lizards, Serpents, Curious Cones of Trees and other Natural Productions by John White, Esq., Angus & Robertson for Royal Australian Historical Society, Sydney, 1962. Details

Journal Articles

• Balmford, Peter, 'Newspapers as a Source of Information about Natural History', Victorian Naturalist, vol. 102, no. 1, 1985, pp. 20-27. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'The Ornithological History of Queensland', Queensland Naturalist, vol. lii, 1922, pp. 66-79; 93-101; 115-123. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'John Gilbert. Some Letters to Gould', Emu, vol. 38, 1938. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Some Letters from George Grey to John Gould', Emu, vol. 38, 1938. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'The Story of John Gilbert.', Emu, vol. 39, 1940, pp. 156-176. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Mrs John Gould and her Relations', Emu, April, 1941. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'John Gould's Australian Prospectus', Emu, vol. 42, 1942, pp. 74-84. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Birds of the Gilbert Diary', Emu, vol. 44, 1944, pp. 131-150. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'An Explorer and His Birds. John Gilbert's Discoveries in 1844-5', 1945. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'The Diaries of S. W. Jackson', Emu, vol. 58, 1958, pp. 75-76. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'J. R. Elsey, Surgeon, Naturalist, Explorer', Queensland Naturalist, vol. 17, no. 3/4, 1964, pp. 60-70. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Some Early Letters in Australian Ornithology', Emu, vol. 63, 1964. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'J. R. Elsey, Explorer of the Never-Never', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. 52, 1966. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Dudley Dickison - Student of Birds and Books', Victorian Naturalist, vol. 84, no. 8, 1967, pp. 251-253. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Obituary. Gilbert Roscoe Gannon', Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, vol. 89, 1968, p. 12. Details
• Chisholm, A. H., 'Obituaries: Roy Percy Cooper', Emu, vol. 77, no. 2, 1977, p. 88. Details
• McGill, A. R., 'Alexander Hugh Chisholm', The Emu, vol. 77, 1977, pp. 232-235. Details
• Willis, J. H., 'Alexander Hugh Chisholm, OBE, CMZS., C.F.A.O.U. (1890-1977). An Appreciation', Victorian Naturalist, vol. 94, no. 5, 1977, pp. 188-190. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Chisholm, Alec H', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-459096. Details

See also

• Robin, Libby, The Flight of the Emu: a Hundred Years of Australian Ornithology 1901-2001, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 2001, 492 pp. Details