author
William Miles Maskell
1840–1898
Best remembered for writing about insect pests in New Zealand, this energetic 19th-century naturalist also moved through public life as a farmer, politician, and university administrator. His books blend careful observation with a practical concern for agriculture and everyday life.
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About the author
Born in Dorset, England, in 1839, William Miles Maskell was educated in England and Paris before serving for three years in the 11th Regiment of Foot. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1860, where he farmed in Canterbury and gradually built a reputation as a close observer of the natural world.
Maskell became especially known for his work in entomology, studying scale insects and other species that affected crops and plants. Alongside his scientific writing, he was active in public life: he served on the Canterbury Provincial Council and later spent many years as registrar of the University of New Zealand.
He died in Wellington in 1898. Today he is remembered as a writer who connected science with practical problems, producing work that was useful not only to specialists but also to farmers and readers interested in New Zealand’s environment.