Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill (b. 23 October 1911, Newcastles-upon-Tyne, England - d. 18 August 1963, Singapore) was the last British Director of the Raffles Museum in Singapore. He also made his mark as President (1956-1961) of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and as the Society's journal Editor (1948-1961). Through these highly regarded agencies, Gibson-Hill left his legacy - a remarkably wide field of published articles concerning Malaya, its natural, geographical and cultural history.
Early Life and Education
Early Life and Education
The only son of a middle-class English family, Gibson-Hill grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham where his father was employed as an engineer at W. T. Avery Ltd. From an early age, Gibson-Hill showed a precocious interest in the natural history of his own estate and an inclination towards the curatorial preservation of this history. Gibson-Hill would explore his neighbourhood of Warwickshire, studying its flora and fauna and taking rubbings off old churches. His first publication, written under the pseudonym John Lisle, was a compilation of these observations entitled Warwickshire (1936). As a teenager, Gibson-Hill also learnt carpentry from his father. With this skill, he began building display cases in the family attic to house his personal collection of natural objects. Despite his severe short-sightedness, Gibson-Hill also displayed a flair for photography, a skill which his father also taught him.
At the distinguished Malvern College, the inclement weather and the school's strict rules kept Gibson-Hill indoors. Restless and miserable, he directed his energy to drawing, bird-watching and butterfly collecting. These activities further increased his knowledge of nature. By the time he graduated, Gibson-Hill had garnered the Gale Prize for his knowledge in entomology and had won the Boldero Prize for natural history three times. Besides these, he was also appointed head prefect.
His academic excellence led him to Pembroke College, Cambridge where Gibson-Hill's writing skills were honed as he served as editor of the University paper, the Varsity News, and worked on his first publication Warwickshire (1936.) He graduated with a Second in Natural Science Tripos in 1933 and thereafter enrolled at the King's College Hospital Medical School.
Gibson-Hill pursued medicine only to please his parents but his heart was set on exploring the fauna around him, particularly of coastal birds and island wildlife. Before he began his term as a houseman, Gibson-Hill embarked on a walk across the length of the United Kingdom, which lasted almost three months. His journal and illustrations of this adventure, unfortunately, never went into print as the typescript was lost during the Japanese Occupation. At King's College, he met and married Margaret Halliday, a fellow houseman. After their April wedding in 1938, he soon departed for a posting as Resident Medical Officer on Christmas Island - the island adventure he had been looking forward to.
Christmas Island and Cocos-Keelings
At the distinguished Malvern College, the inclement weather and the school's strict rules kept Gibson-Hill indoors. Restless and miserable, he directed his energy to drawing, bird-watching and butterfly collecting. These activities further increased his knowledge of nature. By the time he graduated, Gibson-Hill had garnered the Gale Prize for his knowledge in entomology and had won the Boldero Prize for natural history three times. Besides these, he was also appointed head prefect.
His academic excellence led him to Pembroke College, Cambridge where Gibson-Hill's writing skills were honed as he served as editor of the University paper, the Varsity News, and worked on his first publication Warwickshire (1936.) He graduated with a Second in Natural Science Tripos in 1933 and thereafter enrolled at the King's College Hospital Medical School.
Gibson-Hill pursued medicine only to please his parents but his heart was set on exploring the fauna around him, particularly of coastal birds and island wildlife. Before he began his term as a houseman, Gibson-Hill embarked on a walk across the length of the United Kingdom, which lasted almost three months. His journal and illustrations of this adventure, unfortunately, never went into print as the typescript was lost during the Japanese Occupation. At King's College, he met and married Margaret Halliday, a fellow houseman. After their April wedding in 1938, he soon departed for a posting as Resident Medical Officer on Christmas Island - the island adventure he had been looking forward to.
Christmas Island and Cocos-Keelings
To reach Christmas Island, Gibson-Hill took an overland passage through Persia, Afghanistan, Cambodia before reaching Singapore. In Singapore, he met the Director of Raffles Museum, F. N. Chasen, who had instructed him to build upon the existing bird collection at the Museum with specimens from Christmas Island. After a stint from September 1938 to December 1940, Gibson-Hill had obtained 200 specimens of birds including six new species along with a detailed field study of bird breeding habits as well as data on terrestrial fauna.
After his term on Christmas Island, Gibson-Hill moved on to Cocos-Keeling Islands, beginning in early 1941 and remaining for another 10-and-a-half months. He was joined by his wife who had completed her medical studies. Residing at the Cable Station on Pulau Tikus (Direction Island), the couple sailed around the island during their leisure time to make a study of reef and terrestrial fauna of the main atoll, as well as the fishes in the surrounding lagoons. Gibson-Hill was made the acquaintance of J. S. Clunies-Ross, the owner of the Cocos-Keeling Islands, a meeting which gained him access to the unpublished documents of the Clunies-Ross. These manuscripts would later serve as foundational resources for his writings on the history of the islands.
World War II
With their posting completed, the pair came to Malaya toward the end of 1941 where Margaret had had a position at the Alor Star General Hospital while Gibson-Hill served in Singapore's Health Department as a Health Officer for the rural areas. Gibson-Hill arrived in Singapore only four days before Singapore's fall to Japan. Chasen, then Director of the Raffles Museum, had escaped the country on 13 February but perished at sea after his ship was sunk by enemy forces. While Margaret managed to escape Malaya, Gibson-Hill had remained in Singapore. He was made Assistant Curator of the Museum in the absence of the other curators, but was soon interned at the Changi gaol with the rest of the British staff.
While imprisoned, Gibson-Hill remained active, mentally reviewing the draft publication on his island postings. He also served as Secretary of the Leisure Hours Committee for the internees, and conducted lectures on Malaya along with other distinguished scholars who were also interned. An outcome of this period was Madoc's publication An introduction to Malayan birds, circulated in May 1943 during their internment with pen and ink illustrations by Gibson-Hill and Molesworth. Several articles on specific bird species published after the war were also based on notes that Gibson-Hill had kept during his internment, particularly at Sime Road Camp between 1944 and 1945. These include his studies of the Malayan Long-tailed Tailor-Bird and the Spotted Munia with accompanying drawings.
The war years did little to dampen Gibson-Hill's drive and enthusiasm. Only three months after being released from internment, Gibson-Hill set off on a whaler to South Georgia on an expedition to collect specimens for the Falkland Island Museum, and to capture photographs of Antarctic sea birds. In March 1946, he finally made his return journey to England on an oil tanker where he served as a health officer.
Fueled by his interest in ornithology and photography, he spent the subsequent years preparing his two books on British birds. The outcome of these post-war years was his first photographic publication, the British Sea Birds published in 1947, and the illustrated Birds of the Coast, published in 1948. These established his reputation as an untrained yet knowledgeable ornithologist, particularly in the area of coastal birds.
Although the war years had led to extensive losses of Gibson-Hill's research including detailed notes, the draft manuscript of a book on the Cocos-Keeling Islands, and some specimens, Gibson-Hill was still able to produce a significant number of articles on the natural life and history of Christmas Island and Cocos-Keelings, publishing them in the first post-war issues of the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum and the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Raffles Museum
After his term on Christmas Island, Gibson-Hill moved on to Cocos-Keeling Islands, beginning in early 1941 and remaining for another 10-and-a-half months. He was joined by his wife who had completed her medical studies. Residing at the Cable Station on Pulau Tikus (Direction Island), the couple sailed around the island during their leisure time to make a study of reef and terrestrial fauna of the main atoll, as well as the fishes in the surrounding lagoons. Gibson-Hill was made the acquaintance of J. S. Clunies-Ross, the owner of the Cocos-Keeling Islands, a meeting which gained him access to the unpublished documents of the Clunies-Ross. These manuscripts would later serve as foundational resources for his writings on the history of the islands.
World War II
With their posting completed, the pair came to Malaya toward the end of 1941 where Margaret had had a position at the Alor Star General Hospital while Gibson-Hill served in Singapore's Health Department as a Health Officer for the rural areas. Gibson-Hill arrived in Singapore only four days before Singapore's fall to Japan. Chasen, then Director of the Raffles Museum, had escaped the country on 13 February but perished at sea after his ship was sunk by enemy forces. While Margaret managed to escape Malaya, Gibson-Hill had remained in Singapore. He was made Assistant Curator of the Museum in the absence of the other curators, but was soon interned at the Changi gaol with the rest of the British staff.
While imprisoned, Gibson-Hill remained active, mentally reviewing the draft publication on his island postings. He also served as Secretary of the Leisure Hours Committee for the internees, and conducted lectures on Malaya along with other distinguished scholars who were also interned. An outcome of this period was Madoc's publication An introduction to Malayan birds, circulated in May 1943 during their internment with pen and ink illustrations by Gibson-Hill and Molesworth. Several articles on specific bird species published after the war were also based on notes that Gibson-Hill had kept during his internment, particularly at Sime Road Camp between 1944 and 1945. These include his studies of the Malayan Long-tailed Tailor-Bird and the Spotted Munia with accompanying drawings.
The war years did little to dampen Gibson-Hill's drive and enthusiasm. Only three months after being released from internment, Gibson-Hill set off on a whaler to South Georgia on an expedition to collect specimens for the Falkland Island Museum, and to capture photographs of Antarctic sea birds. In March 1946, he finally made his return journey to England on an oil tanker where he served as a health officer.
Fueled by his interest in ornithology and photography, he spent the subsequent years preparing his two books on British birds. The outcome of these post-war years was his first photographic publication, the British Sea Birds published in 1947, and the illustrated Birds of the Coast, published in 1948. These established his reputation as an untrained yet knowledgeable ornithologist, particularly in the area of coastal birds.
Although the war years had led to extensive losses of Gibson-Hill's research including detailed notes, the draft manuscript of a book on the Cocos-Keeling Islands, and some specimens, Gibson-Hill was still able to produce a significant number of articles on the natural life and history of Christmas Island and Cocos-Keelings, publishing them in the first post-war issues of the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum and the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Raffles Museum
Returning to Singapore in 1947, Gibson-Hill was made Assistant Curator of Zoology at the Raffles Museum. At the same time, he was also Acting Professor of Biology at the College of Medicine where he taught for two years. As Curator of Zoology, one of Gibson-Hill's key duties was to manage the bird specimen collections at the Raffles Museum. The bird collection had started as early as 1840, and was strengthened through the expeditions of Robinson, Kloss and Chasen between 1903 and the 1930s, with specimens from the Malay archipelago, Indo-China, and various islands in the region. Gibson-Hill continued the work with his pre-war studies on birds at Christmas Island and the Cocos-Keelings. Today, this collection of birds of Southeast Asia resides at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity of Research at the National University of Singapore. Gibson-Hill's bird specimens from Christmas Island and other parts of the region are tagged in his own handwriting.
An outcome of his studies of local birds include two checklists - An annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya (1949) and A checklist of birds of Singapore Island (1950) - along with several articles on birds in the region.
Gibson-Hill also developed an appreciation for local boats, and began studying them as early as 1940. This interest was probably sparked off during his sea ventures on local sampans and koleks whilst on his island postings. In addition, he was also responsible for managing the boat collection of the Raffles Museum. By the time the Boat Room was set up at the Museum in 1952, Gibson-Hill had written a number of articles on Malayan river crafts, Indonesian trading boats and Chinese vessels which were commonly sighted in Singapore waters during this period. Gibson-Hill extended his study of maritime history to include a chronology of steamers in Asian waters in the early 19th century (1954) and Master Attendants in Singapore between 1819 and 1867 (1960).
Gibson-Hill also was an accomplished photographer and was skilled sketcher. Although the Museum had its own in-house artist, Gibson-Hill was known to make his own drawings, often based on his photographs which he had developed in the Museum or at home. Many of these illustrations and photographs accompanied his articles on Malayan birds, fauna, boats and hats. Gibson-Hill published several camera studies of Singapore (1948) and Malaya (1949) but is most remembered for capturing colonial buildings of 1950s Singapore on film. These photographs were later exhibited and then published in Hancock's publication Architecture in Singapore (1954).
Another outcome of Gibson-Hill's passion for birds, arts and photography was the Singapore Photographic Society and the Singapore Arts Society which he helped founded. He served in these organisations in various capacities as President and competition judge.
In 1956, Gibson-Hill was made Director of the Raffles Museum when Michael W. F. Tweedie (1946 -1956) retired from service.
Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
An outcome of his studies of local birds include two checklists - An annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya (1949) and A checklist of birds of Singapore Island (1950) - along with several articles on birds in the region.
Gibson-Hill also developed an appreciation for local boats, and began studying them as early as 1940. This interest was probably sparked off during his sea ventures on local sampans and koleks whilst on his island postings. In addition, he was also responsible for managing the boat collection of the Raffles Museum. By the time the Boat Room was set up at the Museum in 1952, Gibson-Hill had written a number of articles on Malayan river crafts, Indonesian trading boats and Chinese vessels which were commonly sighted in Singapore waters during this period. Gibson-Hill extended his study of maritime history to include a chronology of steamers in Asian waters in the early 19th century (1954) and Master Attendants in Singapore between 1819 and 1867 (1960).
Gibson-Hill also was an accomplished photographer and was skilled sketcher. Although the Museum had its own in-house artist, Gibson-Hill was known to make his own drawings, often based on his photographs which he had developed in the Museum or at home. Many of these illustrations and photographs accompanied his articles on Malayan birds, fauna, boats and hats. Gibson-Hill published several camera studies of Singapore (1948) and Malaya (1949) but is most remembered for capturing colonial buildings of 1950s Singapore on film. These photographs were later exhibited and then published in Hancock's publication Architecture in Singapore (1954).
Another outcome of Gibson-Hill's passion for birds, arts and photography was the Singapore Photographic Society and the Singapore Arts Society which he helped founded. He served in these organisations in various capacities as President and competition judge.
In 1956, Gibson-Hill was made Director of the Raffles Museum when Michael W. F. Tweedie (1946 -1956) retired from service.
Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
The Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society was closely associated with the Museum ever since its founding, with the Museum Directors traditionally serving as the President of the Society.
Gibson-Hill had joined The Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society prior to the war in 1940. He assisted Tweedie as both Assistant Secretary as well as Editor in 1947 and 1948 respectively. The first post-war publication of the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society was possible, in no small part, due to Gibson-Hill's editorial contributions. One of his earliest task, as Editor, was to compile its first post-war index of Volumes 1- 20 (1922 - 1947) which was instrumental in increasing sales of the Journal's back issues and this generated a tidy sum for the newly reinstated Society.
Gibson-Hill had joined The Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society prior to the war in 1940. He assisted Tweedie as both Assistant Secretary as well as Editor in 1947 and 1948 respectively. The first post-war publication of the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society was possible, in no small part, due to Gibson-Hill's editorial contributions. One of his earliest task, as Editor, was to compile its first post-war index of Volumes 1- 20 (1922 - 1947) which was instrumental in increasing sales of the Journal's back issues and this generated a tidy sum for the newly reinstated Society.
Gibson-Hill set the "Shorts Notes" section as a regular feature, commencing with the 1950 volume of the Journal. Many of these Short Notes carried invaluable details and were more likely written or edited by Gibson-Hill. He proved the third most prolific contributor to the journal, producing a total of 49 articles on various topics related to the history of the region. He also served as an Editor (1948 - 1961) of the Journal, often enhancing articles with copious footnotes based on his own research.
In 1956, Gibson-Hill was made President of the Society when Tweedie retired in 1957.
Retirement and Sudden Death
In 1956, and Gibson-Hill was holding all key posts at the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, including President, Honorary Secretary and Editor whilst juggling his added duties as Director of the Museum. It was during this period that Gibson-Hill's health deteriorated. A known diabetic, he did little to manage his own poor health despite his medical training, and remained a heavy smoker throughout his life. Since 1956, he suffered from bouts of cerebral and general oedema, and was hospitalized several times right into the 1960s.
Meanwhile, the political and social landscape of Malaya was changing rapidly. The independence of Malaysia in 1959 and the subsequent exodus of expatriates were tangibly felt. In 1962, for the first time, the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society met in Kuala Lumpur and Tun Abdul Razak was elected President, the first local to head the Society. With the region heading towards self-government, and the move to put locals in senior government positions, Gibson-Hill's days as the expatriate Director of the Raffles Museum were numbered. Less than a month to his retirement, Gibson-Hill was found dead alone his home in August 1963, under uncertain circumstances.
Selected Publications
1936 : Warwickshire (Written under the pseudonym John Lisle)
1947 : British sea birds
1948 : Birds of the coast
1948 : Singapore, twenty-four camera studies
1948 : Index to Volumes 1 - 20 (1923 - 1947) of the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
1947 : British sea birds
1948 : Birds of the coast
1948 : Singapore, twenty-four camera studies
1948 : Index to Volumes 1 - 20 (1923 - 1947) of the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
1949 : The Malayan landscape; seventy camera studies
1950 : A working list of the scientific periodicals publications retained in the Raffles Museum and Library
1953 : Notes on the sea birds of the orders Procellariiformes and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors to the Ceylon coast
1950 : A working list of the scientific periodicals publications retained in the Raffles Museum and Library
1953 : Notes on the sea birds of the orders Procellariiformes and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors to the Ceylon coast
1953 : An exhibition of Eastern & Western musical instruments, British Council Centre, Sept. 12th to 20th, 1953
1954 : Architecture in Singapore
1956 : Singapore: Old Strait & New Harbour, 1300-1870
1976 : A guide to the birds of the coast (Revised edition)
1956 : Singapore: Old Strait & New Harbour, 1300-1870
1976 : A guide to the birds of the coast (Revised edition)
Family
Father : F. C. Gibson-Hill, engineer at W. T. Avery Ltd.
Sister :Mrs Bruce Campbell
Wife : Margaret Mary Helen Gibson-Hill, M.R.C.S (Eng), L. R. C. P. (London). She had worked in the General Hospital.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Education
1933 : Pembroke College, Cambridge B.A.,
1936 : Kings College Hospital Medical School M.R.C.S., L. R. C. P.
Medical Appointments
1938 - 1940 : Medical Officer, Christmas Island
1941 : Medical Officer, Cocos-Keeling Islands
1941- 1942 : Health Officer, Rural Areas, Singapore Island
March 1946 : Health Officer, oil tanker
12 July 1948 - 21 June 1950 : Acting Professor of Biology, College of Medicine
Raffles Museum
1942 - 1948 : Assistant Curator, Raffles Museum
1942 - 1945 : Internee, Singapore
1949 - 1956 : Curator of Zoology, Raffles Museum
1956 - 1963 : Director, Raffles Museum
Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society
1940 : Member, Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society
1947 - 1948 : Assistant Hononary Secretary & Treasurer, Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society
1950 - 1955 : Hononary Secretary, Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society
1948 - 1961 : Hononary Editor, Journal of the Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society
1956 - 1961 : President, Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society
Other Appointments
1936 : Member, Royal College of Surgeons and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians
1949 : Malayan representative, Colonial Insecticides Committee
1950 : Member, Committee of the Malayan Nature Society
1950 : Permanent member, Standing Committee on Distribution of Terrestrial Faunas in the Inner Pacific
1951 : Member, International Committee, International Ornithological Congress Corresponding Fellow, American Ornithologists Union
1952 : Vice-President, Singapore Camera Club
1953 : President, Singapore Photographic Society
1949 - 1953 : Chairman, Singapore Arts Society
Author
Bonny Tan
Author
Bonny Tan
References
Annual report of the Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society for 1948 - 1962. (1949 - 1963). Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 23-36.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS)
Clark, K. (1965). Carl Gibson-Hill. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 38(2), 17-21.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS)
The Gibson-Hill Catalogue. (forthcoming)
Hodgson, G. (1965). Memoir of C. A. Gibson-Hill. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 38(2), 1-15.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS)
Tiew, W. S. (1998, July). History of Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS) 1878-1997: An overview. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, 3(1), 43-60.
(Call no.: RSEA 025.52409595 MJLIS)
Tweedie, M. W. F. (1949 - 1955). Report of the Raffles Museum and Library for the year 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954. Singapore: Government Printers.
Tweedie, M. W. F. (1949 - 1955). Report of the Raffles Museum and Library for the year 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954. Singapore: Government Printers.
(Call no.: RCLOS 027.55957 RAF)
The information in this article is valid as at 2008 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic
