Roy Robinson, 1st Baron Robinson
Encyclopedia
Roy Lister Robinson, 1st Baron Robinson OBE
(8 March 1883-5 September 1952), known as Sir Roy Robinson between 1931 and 1947, was a British forester
and public servant.
, the son of William Robinson. He won an exhibition to the Collegiate School of St Peter
, Adelaide
, in 1896. He entered the School of Mines and Industries in 1900 to study mining engineering, and combined study for its fellowship diploma (passing eleven subjects with distinction in one year) with his course at the University of Adelaide
(B.Sc., 1905). He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship
in 1905 (the second from South Australia) to Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he graduated with a B.A. in 1908. He obtained first-class honours (1907) in natural science (geology) and the diploma (1908), with distinction, in forestry (under Professor Sir William Schlich), also representing the university in cricket
, athletics and lacrosse
.
in 1918, knighted
in 1931 and raised to the peerage as Baron Robinson, of Kielder Forest in the County of Northumberland and of Adelaide in the Commonwealth of Australia, in 1947.
Robinson was one of the founders of the Society of Foresters of Great Britain and first president and first recipient of its medal (1947) for eminent services to British forestry. He was an honorary member (1940) of the Society of American Foresters and the Institute of Foresters of Australia; corresponding member (1947) of the Académie d'Agriculture de France; and an honorary LL.D. of the University of Aberdeen
.
on 5 September 1952, aged 69. As his only son had predeceased him the barony died with him. His ashes were scattered in Kielder Forest.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(8 March 1883-5 September 1952), known as Sir Roy Robinson between 1931 and 1947, was a British forester
Forester
250px|thumb|right|Foresters of [[Southern University of Chile|UACh]] in the [[Valdivian forest]]s of San Pablo de Tregua, ChileA forester is a person who practices forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including timber...
and public servant.
Background and education
Robinson was born at Macclesfield, South AustraliaMacclesfield, South Australia
Macclesfield is a small town on the upper reaches of the River Angas in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Macclesfield had a population of 832....
, the son of William Robinson. He won an exhibition to the Collegiate School of St Peter
St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, in 1896. He entered the School of Mines and Industries in 1900 to study mining engineering, and combined study for its fellowship diploma (passing eleven subjects with distinction in one year) with his course at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
(B.Sc., 1905). He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1905 (the second from South Australia) to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he graduated with a B.A. in 1908. He obtained first-class honours (1907) in natural science (geology) and the diploma (1908), with distinction, in forestry (under Professor Sir William Schlich), also representing the university in 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...
, athletics and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
.
Career
In 1909 Robinson was appointed assistant inspector for forestry at the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, London, and laid the foundations of what was to become an unrivalled knowledge of the forests and forestry of Britain. He was largely responsible for the report which led to the establishment of the Forestry Commission in 1919 and his appointment as its technical commissioner. He became vice-chairman of the commission in 1929, and chairman in 1932, holding that office until he died. He was appointed an OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1918, knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1931 and raised to the peerage as Baron Robinson, of Kielder Forest in the County of Northumberland and of Adelaide in the Commonwealth of Australia, in 1947.
Robinson was one of the founders of the Society of Foresters of Great Britain and first president and first recipient of its medal (1947) for eminent services to British forestry. He was an honorary member (1940) of the Society of American Foresters and the Institute of Foresters of Australia; corresponding member (1947) of the Académie d'Agriculture de France; and an honorary LL.D. of the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
.
Family
Lord Robinson married married Charlotte Marion, daughter of Henry Cust Bradshaw, on 26 November 1910 at St James' Church, Marylebone, London. They had one son, Michael Lister Robinson, who was killed on active service in 1942, and two daughters. He died of pneumonia whilst attending a conference in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
on 5 September 1952, aged 69. As his only son had predeceased him the barony died with him. His ashes were scattered in Kielder Forest.