The second of Central Otago’s Heritage Trust winter series covers the contribution to the history of the Alexandra district made by the scientist and academic John McCraw. 

John, a pedologist (soil scientist) was a member of a field party to the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica in 1959-1960, and a glacier in Antarctica was named after him by a University of Waikato geological party in 1978. 

Dunedin-born John devoted time after retiring from his position of emeritus professor at the university to study the gold mining, fruit growing and irrigation history of Central Otago.

John contributed greatly to the history of Alexandra and the wider Otago region, publishing a dozen books. 

He was also a member of the committee for the inaugural Blossom Festival in Alexandra in 1957.

His accolades include being appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to earth sciences and receiving a special award at the Central Otago Community Awards for preserving the history of Alexandra and surrounding districts. 

The presentation by Russell Garbutt is at Alexandra’s Central Stories Museum on Tuesday August 3, 6.30pm. Entry is by koha and the proceeds will go to the museum and art gallery. 

For more about the talk click here.