Henry Connor, New Zealand botanist, Died at 93

  Reseacher

Henry Eamonn Connor was born in 1922, and died on July 26, 2016.

He was a New Zealand botanist and science administrator.

Connor was an expert on New Zealand poisonous plants and the taxonomy and reproductive biology of New Zealand grasses and served as the director of the Botany Division of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

He served at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for 40 years, Connor rose to become director of the Botany Division.

Connor was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science by Lincoln College in 1978 on the basis of papers submitted.

When he retired from the DSIR in 1982, Connor continued working at the University of Canterbury as an honorary fellow.

Henry was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1983.

He served on various statutory authorities, including the North Canterbury Nasella Tussock Board, the North Canterbury Catchment Board and the Mount Cook National Park Board.

During 2000, he was awarded the Hutton Medal of the Royal Society of New Zealand jointly with Elizabeth Edgar for their contributions to the documentation and botanical classification of New Zealand flora.

They both authored the final volume, volume 5, of the series Flora of New Zealand devoted to grasses, which was published in 2000.

Henry was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2002 Queen’s Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours for services to botany.

He died in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Henry Connor passed away at 93 years old.