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Biodiversity Explorers >
Robertson, Hamish Gibson (1959-)
Currently Director of Natural History Collections
in Iziko Museums of Cape Town
(based at the South African Museum). He is an entomologist, specialising in ants.
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Sifting leaf litter on Maji Kununua, Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania, May 1995.
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Digging up Pachycondyla
hottentota ant nest on Koeberg Hill, just north of Cape Town. |
Research and publications
Chronology
| Date |
Age |
Events |
| 23 April 1959 |
0 |
Born in Claremont, Cape Town to
Marian Joy Sedgwick Robertson (née Spilhaus) and James MacIntosh
Robertson; the middle of three sons (eldest brother Ian Spilhaus Robertson
and youngest brother Graham Whiting Robertson). |
| 1965-71 |
5-12 |
Educated at Grove Primary
School, Claremont, Cape Peninsula. |
| 1970 |
11 |
Became a keen bird watcher.
Until the end of high school, spent many hours over the weekends and
holidays bird watching, the favourite haunt being the Strandfontein
Sewerage Works in the Cape Peninsula! |
| 1972-1976 |
12-17 |
Educated at Westerford High
School, Rondebosch, Cape Peninsula. |
| 1977-1979 |
17-20 |
Studied for B.Sc (majoring in
Zoology) at University of Cape Town. |
| 1980 |
20-21 |
Did Honours in Zoology at
University of Cape Town. During this year switched major interest from
birds to insects. |
| 1981-January 1985 |
21-25 |
Started M.Sc. converted to Ph.D.
in Entomology at Rhodes University (supervisor Professor V.C. Moran).
Title of thesis was: "The ecology of Cactoblastis cactorum
(Berg) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) in relation to its effectiveness as a
biological control agent of prickly pear and jointed cactus in South
Africa". Ants were important predators of the eggs and other life
stages of C. cactorum and their systematics, ecology and biology
became a major sphere of research after this. In 1981 and 1982 also did
the two undergraduate courses in Entomology. |
| 21 January 1984 |
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Married Rosalind ('Lindy') Nina
Burnham King, a social worker, in Cape Town. |
| 1985-1986 |
25-27 |
Temporary Junior Lecturer in
Entomology at Rhodes University. |
| 1987-1988 |
27-29 |
Took up two-year Post-doctoral
Fellowship at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. |
| 1989- |
29-34 |
Head of Entomology Department at
South African Museum. |
| 4 October 1989 |
30 |
Birth of son David Alexander
Robertson. |
| 1 Nov 1993-present. |
34- |
Appointed Head of Life Sciences
Division at South African (the Entomology, Marine Biology and Terrestrial
Vertebrate Departments were combined into this division). |
| 2 Nov 1993 |
34 |
Birth of son Duncan James
Robertson. |
| 2003-present |
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Director Natural History Collections, Iziko
Museums of Cape Town. |
Specimens collected
Almost all specimens are housed in the Iziko South African Museum.
Text by Hamish G. Robertson
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