Alexander Hugh Chisholm

Alexander Hugh Chisholm (1890-1977) was a noted Australian journalist, newspaper editor, author and amateur ornithologist. He was a member of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU), President of the RAOU 1939-1940, and Editor of its journal the Emu 1926-1928. He was elected a Fellow of the RAOU in 1941. He was the first recipient of the Australian Natural History Medallion in 1940.

Chisholm was a prolific writer of articles and books.

Some of his published books

• (1922). Mateship with Birds. Whitcombe & Tombs Ltd: Melbourne.
• (1929). Birds and Green Places. A book of Australian nature gossip. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd: London.
• (1932). Nature Fantasy in Australia. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd: London.
• (1944). The Incredible Year. An Australian sees Europe in Adolf Hitler Weather. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
• (1944). The Story of Elizabeth Gould". Published by Alec Chisholm in 1944. Little was known about her until 1938 when a collection of her letters written from Australia was discovered. These letters were the basis for the book. Now housed in the Mitchell Library, the letters reveal her as a charming, cultured, and musically and artistically talented woman whose contributions were overshadowed by the fame of her husband (John Gould who was a self-taught ornithologist as well as a businessman and artist. Although he spent less than two years in Australia, his monumental seven-volume publication 'The Birds of Australia' remains the definitive work on the subject. The magnificent colour plates, some 681 of them, were executed by his wife, Elizabeth, a talented artist who shared his natural history interests.).^[1]
• (1945). An Explorer and His Birds. John Gilbert's discoveries in 1844-45. Author.
• (1946). Nature's Linguists. A study of the riddle of visual mimicry. Brown, Prior, Anderson Pty Ltd: Melbourne.
• (1948). Bird Wonders of Australia. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
• (1948). Fairy Wrens. F.W. Cheshire Pty Ltd: Melbourne.
• (1948). News from Nature. A selection of seasonal gossip. Georgian House: Melbourne.
• (1955). Strange New World. The adventures of John Gilbert and Ludwig Leichhardt. Angus & Robertson: Sydney.
• (1960). The Romance of the Lyrebird. Angus & Robertson Pty Ltd: Sydney.
• (1969). The Joy of the Earth. Collins: Sydney.

References

1. The Avicultural Society of New South Wales (ASNSW) Avicultural Review - January 1998 Vol. 15 No. 1

• Robin, Libby. (2001). The Flight of the Emu: a hundred years of Australian ornithology 1901-2001. Carlton, Vic. Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0-522-84987-3