Herbert John (Jack) Taylor

The following details have kindly been provided by Jack's son, John Hugh Taylor. For more information, please see John's full publication of biographical notes on Herbert John (Jack) Taylor. 

Herbert John (Jack) Taylor was born in Nelson in 1926. He attended Bishop's School in Nelson and then Nelson Boys' College. He went on to study a Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Canterbury. 

In 1944 Jack was called up for military services and enlisted in the Armed Forces. After returning at the end of the war, he enrolled at Christchurch Teachers College, where he met his wife Myra. Jack worked as a teacher for a short period, but was more interested in returning to a career in science, and began work as a Metrological Observer at the Metrological Bureau in Wellington. After a few years, Jack took a science position with the Soil Research Bureau based at Rukuhia.

Jack's fieldwork for the Soil Research Bureau and his research into the path of nitrogen fixation in peatland was both original and ground breaking and his fieldwork brought him into contact with many local Māori.

Jack developed strong relationships with Māori and had many Māori friends. Jack made great effort to become a proficient Māori speaker and even sat the Official Interpreters Exam, then the highest qualification in Māori Language. As Jack became a fluent Māori speaker and conversant with custom and protocol, he made the acquaintance of many of the Māori leaders and was invited to attend formal functions at Turangawaewae and other marae throughout the North Island. 

Jack never ceased to read and to study and minutely research all matters of interest to him. He became a Member of the National Geographic Society in 1956, and in 1963 an Associate of the Institute of Science Technicians. He graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science Degree from Waikato University in 1982. Jack had a strong interest in Geology and Paleontology beginning in his high school years and especially in the context of his work at the Soil Research Bureau. He collected fossils and specimens from throughout the region, and especially Kawhia.

At Ruakura Research Centre Jack worked in Gas Chromatography, and was instrumental in analysis as part of Doctor Ron Henzel's team researching ways to combat the Grass-grub Beetle by other means than spraying with organophosphates. Their research into insect pheromones enabled the life cycle of the pest to be disrupted in a directly targeted manner. This had evolved from research into the environmental damage caused by organophosphates such as DDT, Dieldrin, DOE, and other chemical agents which not only caused long term poisoning but also left the deadly residue Dioxin in the bodies of farmers and contractors and livestock.

When his health began to suffer, Jack took an early retirement. Medical tests confirmed that through long exposure to the samples he had used, he now suffered from organophosphate poisoning. Jack died on 23 September 2003.