Alexander McKay (geologist)
New Zealand geologist and photographer (1841–1917)
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Career
Born in Carsphairn, McKay reached New Zealand in 1863 where he spent a number of years prospecting for gold.[3] A meeting with Julius von Haast saw a change of direction in which McKay, largely self-taught, undertook geological mapping and fossil collecting expeditions throughout the islands.
McKay harboured dreams of becoming a commercial photographer. In 1867, he was based on an isolated farm in South Canterbury and in 1868 spent several weeks in Christchurch undertaking training with Edward Wheeler & Co. on wet-plate photography.[3]
In 1872, James Hector appointed him to the Geological Survey of New Zealand.[4] During his geological work McKay took numerous photographs.[3][2] He invented a telephoto lens and also techniques for taking images of geological collections and fossils.[3]
McKay's greatest achievement was to free New Zealand sciences from the strictures of European-based thinking, developing new theories, of worldwide importance, on block faulting in the evolution of mountain systems.[4] The discipline of neotectonics is largely based upon McKay's observations and theories.[5]
