Andrew Sinclair (botanist)
| Andrew Sinclair | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Andrew Sinclair.
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| 2nd Colonial Secretary of New Zealand | |
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In office 6 January 1844 – 7 May 1856 |
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| Governor |
Robert FitzRoy George Grey Thomas Gore Browne |
| Preceded by | Willoughby Shortland |
| Succeeded by | Henry Sewell |
| New Zealand Legislative Council | |
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In office 8 January 1844 – 7 May 1856 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
13 April 1794 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Died | 26 March 1861 (aged 66) Rangitata River |
| Resting place |
Mesopotamia Station 43°38′25″S 170°53′50″E / 43.64035°S 170.89724°E |
| Spouse(s) | never married |
| Occupation | Royal navy, botanist, colonial administrator |
| Profession | Surgeon |
Andrew Sinclair (13 April 1794 – 26 March 1861) was a British surgeon who was notable for his botanical collections. He served as New Zealand's second Colonial Secretary.
Sinclair was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland on 13 April 1794 into a middle-class family. He was the son of John Sinclair, a weaver, and of Agnes Renfrew. He studied medicine at Glasgow University College from 1814 to 1816 and then trained as a surgeon for a year at Hôpital de la Charité in Paris. He completed his tertiary education at the University of Edinburgh, from where he graduated as Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1818.
Sinclair entered the navy as an assistant surgeon in 1822 and became a surgeon in 1829. Between 1823 and 1833, he served on the HMS Owen Glendower, stationed mainly at the Cape of Good Hope and in the Mediterranean Sea. Much of his spare time was taken up with collecting botanical and zoological samples, many of which he sent to the British Museum.
He took further lectures in medicine and in 1835 joined the HMS Sulphur on a surveying expedition to the South American coast, under the command of Captain Frederick William Beechey, and afterwards of Sir Edward Belcher. Sinclair collected plants in California, Mexico, Central America and Brazil, which he continued to send to the British Museum or the Kew Gardens. During this period, he gained a reputation as an important collector. He returned to England in 1839 because of declining health.
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