McKee, Hugh Shaw (later MacKee) (1912 - 1995)

Born 1912, Clough, N. Ireland. Died: 14 Feb. 1995, Noumea, New Caledonia.

Botanist, educated at Campbell College, Belfast, and at Oxford University (Ph. D.); from 1936-38 employed by the South African Co-operative Deciduous Fruit Exchange in London.

From 1938-40 in the Queensland Agriculture Department; since 1940 employed by the Commonwealth Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO). In the later part of World War II he was seconded to the Tropical Scientific Section, Austr. Army for work in New Guinea; from 1954-56 seconded to the South Pacific Commission, with HQ at Noumea (New Caledonia), subsequently in the Botany Department of Sydney University, NSW. At that time CSIRO had many joint appointees and he was one of them.

In 1954-55 he made a trip to New Guinea in connection with food and nutrition problems.

Botanist/zoologist Dick Schodde remembered McKee from 1967:

"He was one of those odd people you meet in biology - he wore khaki shirts and shorts, and sandals with sox throughout the year, cold or hot, wet or dry . . . . He drove around New Caledonia in a funny little 3-wheel Citroen with pressed metal sides, and got sniffy about the bottle of wine I bought him for helping me with my collecting. He spoke French like a native."

He is remembered by legions of NSW university students as one author for the textbook: Australian and New Zealand botany by J.McLuckie and H.S.McKee, re-published several times from 1954-1965.

He also co-authored with Max Gray A list of vascular plants occurring on Black Mountain and environs : Canberra, A.C.T. published in 1969.

Note: the two names H.S. McKee and H.S. MacKee refer to the same plant collector. Hugh S. McKee changed the spelling of his family name to MacKee so that it would be easier for French-speakers to pronounce his name (K.L. Wilson, pers. comm., 30 Jan 2013).

Source: Extracted from: http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/FMCollectors/M/McKeeHS.htm
Schodde, Richard, pers comm email (21/12/2017)
Portrait Photo: Extracted from: http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/FMCollectors/M/McKeeHS.htm

Australian herbarium specimen records databased for AVH for 'McKee, H.S.' (15/09/2021)

4,005 specimens for spelling McKee, a further 4,642 for the spelling MacKee and 43 for Mackee, Hugh; Total = 8,690