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Brief Biography

I was born and raised in South Canterbury, New Zealand, studied at the University of Canterbury (BSc and MSc) in Christchurch and then at the Australian National University (PhD) in Canberra, before taking up an appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at McGill University in Montreal. In the 1970s I was seconded to the University of Nairobi for two years and later spent 12 months on sabbatical leave, as well as several shorter periods of research leave, at the University of Cape Town. I returned to Christchurch in late 1979 and spent 20 months there and a further 6 months in Cape Town before being appointed Professor of Geography at the University of Otago, where I remained until my formal retirement in 2004. Since then, I have taught modules in undergraduate classes, supervised research students, been active as an academic auditor and departmental reviewer, served as President of the New Zealand Geographical Society, and investigated relationships between European settlers and the land in southern New Zealand.