Maxwell Gage
1913 – 2000
Maxwell Gage was an infectiously enthusiastic geologist who contributed more to New Zealand earth science than a simple enumeration of his publications can display. Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Canterbury, he died on 1 June 2000 at the age of 87.
Maxwell Gage, always Max to everyone who knew him, was born in Auckland on 2 February 1913, but spent almost all of his working life in the South Island. He was educated at Auckland Grammar School where records show that he was a versatile student who did well in French and Latin but it was not until his sixth-form year that an aptitude for science became evident. He went on to Auckland University College to study chemistry but discovered geology and came under the influence of Professor Bartrum. As a result he decided to major in geology and graduated in 1934 with the award of a Senior Scholarship. From Auckland he moved to Victoria University College in Wellington where he worked for his masters degree with Professor Cotton. Charles Cotton was an internationally famous geomorphologist and an extremely busy man. It was at this time that Max had his first taste of university teaching, sometimes at rather short notice. During the summer he worked as a field assistant with the Geological Survey in the Wairarapa-Hawkes Bay area. His mentor was Mont Ongley from whom he learned much field technique.
In 1936, Max Gage obtained a permanent appointment with the Geological Survey and was sent to Reefton to join the team, led by E. O. Macpherson, with a mission to complete a survey of the Reefton Goldfield. Living conditions were extremely tough and involved daily battles with rain, sodden bush, old tin huts and canvas tents, all endured without the benefits of modern outdoor clothing or any means of drying clothes adequately. The work was quite different to that which he had encountered during his student years but he tackled it with characteristic vigor and intelligence. He was lucky to have worked for Ongley and Macpherson, two of the leading regional geologists of the time. They must have been impressed by his developing skills for within two years of starting in Reefton, Max was transferred to Greymouth to commence a systematic survey of the Greymouth Coalfield. With the advent of the Second World War the survey of coal resources grew into matter of strategic importance and soon he was in charge of the whole project. Not withstanding its importance Max was, from time to time, called away to investigate sites for proposed major military installations. It is worth recording that up to this time there were no topographic maps of New Zealand suitable as base maps for geological work. The work of geological survey involved much basic topographic mapping and exploration.
The thoroughness and detail of the Greymouth Survey set new standards that were recognised by the award of a DSc by the University of New Zealand. The coalfield maps and accompanying bulletin were eventually published in 1952. The substantive work of the Greymouth Bulletin was completed in 1945 and during the period to 1952 he published numerous papers on a range of topics including geomorphology, glaciology, sedimentary geology, and what would now be termed basin analysis. In 1946, Max was transferred by the Geological Survey to Oamaru to resolve controversies that had arisen concerning the age and stratigraphic position of critical rock units in the Waitaki Subdivision, at that time a key area in understanding part of the geological chronology of New Zealand. As with the Greymouth Bulletin, the results of the research were well known to geologists long before they were eventually published in 1957 as a Geological Survey bulletin. It is difficult now to imagine the frustration that must have been generated by having printing delayed by a decade.
Tiring of the bi-annual migration between Wellington and the areas to be investigated, Max was persuaded, in 1947, to accept a Senior Lectureship at Canterbury University College. At that time the Department of Geology at Canterbury was very small and poorly equipped but two of Max’s innovations had a profound and lasting impact on the department. One was the development of fieldwork as a crucial element of undergraduate training and ultimately this led to the establishment of the geology field station at Westport in 1965. The other was the forging of closer links with the Department of Civil Engineering and the development of specific courses for civil engineers. Max was very enthusiastic about the practical applications of geology and was fully aware of the unstable nature of New Zealand. From this seed grew the Engineering Geology postgraduate courses of the University of Canterbury.
In 1952, Max was awarded one of the first Fullbright scholarships and spent a year as visiting Professor at the University of Illinois. Here he discovered it was impossible to be paid without having a second initial, perhaps an early example of mindless bureaucracy. In New Zealand, Max’s main research contributions were in Quaternary geology and culminated in his demonstration of multiple glaciations, particularly in the Waimakariri valley, published in 1957. By virtue of its high relief, high precipitation and mid-latitude location, the South Island is ideally placed to record the climatic fluctuations of the Quaternary. Australia is too warm to supply a full record and at that time (1958) Patagonia and Antarctica were insufficiently explored. Thus the New Zealand record was pivotal and Max, with R. P. (Pat) Suggate, published a glacial chronology of New Zealand in 1958 in the Geological Society of America Bulletin. This research was highly regarded in Europe and North America and led to several invitations to lecture in Universities overseas. There were also many reciprocal visits from northern hemisphere specialists keen to see the southern evidence. None was disappointed. Although Quaternary geology and glacial chronology were his central theme, he was also very interested in the complementary topics of active tectonic deformation and deformation rates. With Pat Suggate and Harold Wellman he formed the third side of a gifted debating triangle that addressed the problems of the last two million years.
Maxwell Gage was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1961 and succeeded Robin S. Allan as Professor of Geology in 1966. The sixties and early seventies were a period of growth and Max exploited the opportunity to develop the Geology Department into larger and more active geological centre. Part of his strategy was to encourage the University to build additional space in the geology building to house the Geological Survey of New Zealand Christchurch Branch. The arrangement proved mutually beneficial and lasted for almost 25 years. Failing eyesight rather that any lack of enthusiasm led him to early retirement in 1974. In retirement he continued to be involved in geology, publishing an outline of the geology of New Zealand (Legends in the Rocks) in 1980 and his geological memoirs (A Geologist Remembers) in 1999.
Max had married Molly-Rose Black in 1939 and together they formed an outgoing and positive team with a willingness to help others. Although they had no children of their own they cheerfully acted as aids and adjunct parents to those of colleagues. Together they fostered a constructive and cooperative atmosphere that was characteristic of the department. Molly-Rose pre-deceased Max by a little over six months.
Maxwell Gage made a major contribution to New Zealand science through his own research, his teaching and his encouragement of young scientists. In all his dealings he was open and friendly, equally happy to talk to farmers, miners, students or fellow professors. Modest himself, Max was unimpressed by titles and distrusted hierarchies. He was irritated by pomposity and self-importance. He was fair-minded, firm (when necessary) and trusted by all.
John Bradshaw
