Kinghorn, James Roy (1891 - 1983)

Summary

Roy Kinghorn was a naturalist who for nearly 50 years was employed at the Australian Museum, Sydney. Initially working of crustaceans, he was appointed Zoologist in charge of reptiles and amphibians in 1918 with the additional responsibility for birds added in 1921. He wrote extensively on taxonomy and biology of these animals and, despite his professed dislike of snakes, published the landmark books Snakes of Australia (1929), and The dangerous snakes of the South-West Pacific Area (1943) with Charles Halliley Kellaway. Throughout his career Kinghorn was a popular and prolific lecturer on zoological topics, particularly using the medium of radio broadcasts and later television. In retirement he worked on science programs for the Australian Broadcasting to Commission from 1961 to 1971. Kinghorn was twice President of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.

Details

Chronology

1907 - 1914

Career position - Cadet (later Zoologist’s Clerk), Australian Museum

1915 - 1918

Military service - First World War. Served with the Australian Imperial Forces

1918 - 1941?

Career position - Zoologist in charge of reptiles and amphibians, Australian Museum

1921 - 1941

Career position - Zoologist in charge of birds, Australian Museum

1923 - 1941

Career position - Corresponding Member, Zoological Society of London

1927 - 1928

Career position - President, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1928

Career event - Elected Associate Member (Zoology), Australian National Research Council

1929

Career event - Published book: Snakes of Australia

1935

Education - Diploma of the Museums’ Association of Great Britain

1937 - 1938

Award - Carnegie Corporation grant to visit museums in the UK and USA

1941 - 1956

Career position - Assistant to the Director, Australian Museum

1942 - 1945

Military service - Second World War. Lieutenant, Citizens Military Forces

1943

Career event - Published book: The dangerous snakes of the South-West Pacific Area with Charles Halliley Kellaway

1950 - 1956

Career position - President, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1951 - 1983

Award - Fellow, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1956

Life event - Retired

1961 - 1971

Career position - Broadcaster with Australian Broadcasting Commission

Related entries

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• James Roy Kinghorn - Records, 1928 - 1977, DeB 1000; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Docker, Rose, 'Kinghorn, James Roy (1891-1983), Zoologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 17: 1981 - 1990 A-K, Diane Langmore, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2007), p. 628. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kinghorn-james-roy-12742. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3161380. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/93523336. Details
• CA 2001 Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office, 'NAA: B2455, Kinghorn James Roy', B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=7372604. Details
• CA 2002, 2 Echelon, Army Headquarters; CA 46, Department of Defence [III], Central Office, 'NAA: B884, N447506', B884 Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, https://RecordSearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6160921. Details
• 'Kinghorn, J R (1891-1983)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-573151. Details

See also

• Williams, David, Wuester, Wolfgang and Fry, Bryan Grieg, 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Australian Snake Taxonomists and a history of the Taxonomy of Australia's Venomous Snakes ', Toxicon, 48 (7) (2009), 919-930 . Details