GIGO

Who Are Our Scientists?

There's something rather depressing about being a non-sports-lover in New Zealand. I miss out on all the excitement of endless cricket losses. I'm never up-to-date with the latest All Black surprise selections. I don't gasp with appreciation at yet more nominations for Sports Person of the Year or the Sports Hall of Fame.

Athletes are our national heroes. We have an ever-increasing number of honours, remembrances and prizes devoted to ensuring that their names are not forgotten. Me, I'm more interested in our athletes of the mind. They may not have the rugged constitution of a rugby player or the physical stamina of a marathon runner, but they fight the good fight too.

I've been asking friends lately to name three New Zealand scientists. Even amongst science-oriented people it's hard going. Most get as far as Rutherford and then dry up, and even our most famous scientific son is more commonly thought of as British. Prof Kerr's name is known by those interested in black holes. And then there's what's-her-name who did all the work in meteors, or was it star mapping...No-one really remembers.

Many of our early scientists are better known as explorers. They at least are commemorated in our landscape. Von Haast was the first director of the Canterbury Museum and gained honours overseas for his work on New Zealand geology. Naturalist Andreas Reischek tramped through some of the remotest parts of New Zealand, and has his name on a glacier, a stream and a saddle in the Southern Alps.

Few have achieved that immortality. Take Edward Tregear, who recorded much valuable material on Maori anthropology and language, founding the Polynesian Society in 1892. He's probably better known -- if at all -- as an important figure in the labour movement. James Thomson was our country's first Rhodes Scholar and a founder of the DSIR -- ever heard of him?

Many of us do know of Richard Pearse, New Zealand's erstwhile pioneer aviator. Few outside the country have. We've had a lot of good technologists and engineers who have made life easier or more interesting. Hamilton is one of the few well-known ones, with his jets selling worldwide. Then there's thingammy who did the electric fence, and what about the ear-tag guy...

Missing from this list are the many women who have contributed to New Zealand science over the years. Like women elsewhere, they have often been ignored as being merely assistants of male peers. The Women Into Science Education group is trying to redress this. Last year they produced a wonderful set of booklets on pioneer women scientists. Aimed at schools, the material has much to teach adults, particularly those who can reel off name after name of rugby players, cricket captains, squash champions and marathon marvels.

I eagerly await announcement of the Most Valued Scientist of the Year. It may be a long wait, but I live in hope.

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.