Herbert James Carter
Encyclopedia
Herbert James Carter was an English
-born Australia
n schoolmaster and entomologist.
, the son of James Carter, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Freeman. He was educated at Aldenham school, Hertfordshire
and at Jesus College, Cambridge
where he graduated B.A. in 1881. He was also a keen cricket
er.
, later becoming senior mathematics master. In 1902 he became principal of Ascham girls' school
until 1914. During World War I
, Carter became a founding member of the executive committee of the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society
.
Carter became interested in the study of the Coleoptera (beetles and weevils), he joined the Linnean Society of New South Wales
and was a member of its council from 1920–1939, and its president in 1925-6. He was joint editor of The Australian Encyclopaedia which was published in 1925-6. He was able to obtain the help of the leading scientists of Australia and their articles formed a large and valuable part of this publication. In his own work Carter gave much attention to matters of synonymy, and published a number of check-lists of the families. He died suddenly at his home at Wahroonga, Sydney
on 16 April 1940.
, Sydney, for some years. He disposed of one collection of Coleoptera to the National Museum, Melbourne
, and a later collection was given to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
at Canberra. One of Carter's sons Lieut.-Colonel Herbert Gordon Carter, D.S.O., (1885–1963), fought in World War I.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n schoolmaster and entomologist.
Early life
Carter was born at Marlborough, Wiltshire, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of James Carter, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Freeman. He was educated at Aldenham school, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and at Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
where he graduated B.A. in 1881. He was also a keen cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er.
Career
Migrating to Australia (arriving on the Potosi on 19 February 1882) Carter was made assistant mathematics master at Sydney Grammar SchoolSydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, later becoming senior mathematics master. In 1902 he became principal of Ascham girls' school
Ascham School
Ascham School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for girls', located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
until 1914. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Carter became a founding member of the executive committee of the Australian branch of the British Red Cross Society
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
.
Carter became interested in the study of the Coleoptera (beetles and weevils), he joined the Linnean Society of New South Wales
Linnean Society of New South Wales
The Linnean Society of New South Wales promotes the Cultivation and Study of the Science of Natural History in all its Branches and was founded in Sydney, New South Wales in 1874 and incorporated in 1884. It succeeded the Entomological Society of New South Wales, founded in 1862 and folded in...
and was a member of its council from 1920–1939, and its president in 1925-6. He was joint editor of The Australian Encyclopaedia which was published in 1925-6. He was able to obtain the help of the leading scientists of Australia and their articles formed a large and valuable part of this publication. In his own work Carter gave much attention to matters of synonymy, and published a number of check-lists of the families. He died suddenly at his home at Wahroonga, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 16 April 1940.
Legacy
Around fifty of his papers are listed in Musgrave's Bibliography of Australian Entomology 1775-1930, and Carter continued working almost up to the day of his death. He married Antoinette Charlotte Moore in 1882, who pre-deceased him, and was survived by two sons and two daughters. Carter was much esteemed by his scientific colleagues. Many of them are mentioned in his Gulliver in the Bush (1933), a record of his collecting trips in Australia. He was honorary entomologist to the Australian MuseumAustralian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
, Sydney, for some years. He disposed of one collection of Coleoptera to the National Museum, Melbourne
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent the Royal Exhibition Building.It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a venue of Museum Victoria, which also operates the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum.The museum has seven main...
, and a later collection was given to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
at Canberra. One of Carter's sons Lieut.-Colonel Herbert Gordon Carter, D.S.O., (1885–1963), fought in World War I.