Airling Robin Hanbury-Tenison (born 7 May 1936) is an explorer based in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. He is President of the charity

Survival International Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969, a London based charity that campaigns for the rights of indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. The organisation's campaigns generally focus on tribal peo ...

and was previously Chief Executive of The Countryside Alliance.

Early life and education

The youngest of five children born to Gerald Evan Farquhar Tenison, a Major in the

3rd Dragoon Guards The 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1751 and the 3rd (Prince of Wales's) ...

, and his wife Ruth Julia Margarette Hanbury of the Pontypool Park Estate, Robin grew up on the Tenison family's historic Anglo-Irish estate Lough Bawn in

Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and Magdalen College, Oxford.

Personal life

In 1959, he married Marika Hopkinson. She became well known for her cookery books.Hanbury Tenison, M. ''Deep-Freeze Cookery''. 2nd edition. London. Pan Books, 1972, p. i. They had two children, Lucy (b. 1960) and Rupert (b. 1970).Robin Hanbury-Tenison Curriculum Vitae
/ref> Marika died in 1982. Hanbury-Tenison and his second wife Louella (née Williams) own a 14th century farmhouse, Cabilla Manor, on Bodmin Moor, which is both their home and a bed and breakfast business. They have a son, Merlin (b. 1985).

Career

In 1957 Hanbury-Tenison was the first person to travel overland by jeep from London to Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon). In 1958 he and Richard Mason became the first to cross South America overland at its widest point. In 1964–65 he made the first river crossing of South America from north to south from the Orinoco to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

(at first with

Sebastian Snow Sebastian Edward Farquharson Snow, (21 January 1929 – 20 April 2001), born in Midhurst, Sussex, was an eccentric English adventurer who became the first person to travel the length of the Amazon River. Travels Educated at Eton College, Et ...

). In 1968 he took part in the

Geographical Magazine ''Geographical'' (formerly ''The Geographical Magazine'') is the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), a key associate and supporter of many famous expeditions, including those of Charles Darwin, ...

Amazonas Expedition by Hovercraft from Manaus to the Republic of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

Survival International

Discussions with the

ethnobotanist Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. An ethnobotanist thus strives to document the local customs involving the practical uses of local flora for m ...

Conrad Gorinsky led to the foundation of the charity

. In 1971, as Chairman of Survival (and with Marika), he visited 33 Indian tribes in Brazil at the invitation of the Brazilian government and reported on their condition. In 1977–78 he led the Royal Geographical Society's

Gunung Mulu Mount Mulu ( ms, Gunung Mulu) is a sandstone and shale mountain. At 2376 m, it is the second highest mountain in the state of Sarawak, after Mount Murud. It is located within the boundaries of Gunung Mulu National Park, which is named after ...

expedition to

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

, the Society's largest expedition at that time, taking 115 scientists into the rainforest for 15 months.

Farming

Since 1960 Hanbury-Tenison has farmed over 2,000 acres of hill farm on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall with sheep and cattle, diversified with

Angora goat Angora may refer to: Places *Angora, the historic name of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey *Angora, Philadelphia ** Angora (SEPTA station), a commuter rail station * Angora, Minnesota * Angora Township, Minnesota *Angora, Nebraska *Angora Lak ...

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of we ...

and

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

from Russia, and later farming energy from wind, solar, water and biomass.

Later career

In 1982 and 1983 he organised

Capital Radio Capital London is a radio station owned and operated by the Global media company as part of its national Capital FM Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as one of Britain's first two commercial radio stations. ...

's Venture Days in

Battersea Park Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea and was opened in 1858. The park occupies marshland recla ...

. From 1995 to 1998 he was CEO of the British Field Sports Society, now the

Countryside Alliance The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as farming, rural services, small businesses and field sports, aiming to "Give Rural Britain a voice". History The Countryside Alliance ...

. He organised the Countryside Rally, which brought 130,000 people to Hyde Park in July 1997, and the Countryside March when 300,000 marched through London in 1998. In 2015–16 he celebrated his 80th year by undertaking eight challenges, starting with the London Marathon, which raised over £80,000 for

. In 2020 he spent seven weeks in hospital with

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

before returning home to celebrate his 84th birthday.

Awards and achievements

* 1961 RGS

Ness Award The Ness Award is an annual award of the Royal Geographical Society to travellers, particularly those who have successfully popularised Geography and the wider understanding of our world and its environments. It was established in 1953 and named aft ...

* 1965–95 Commissioner of Income Tax * 1968–82 RGS Council Member, 1982–86 Vice President * 1969–81 Co-founder and Chairman of

* 1971 Winston Churchill Memorial Fellow * 1979

Patron's Medal The Royal Geographical Society's Gold Medal consists of two separate awards: the Founder's Medal 1830 and the Patron's Medal 1838. Together they form the most prestigious of the society's awards. They are given for "the encouragement and promoti ...

* 1980 Winner Krug Award for Excellence * 1981 President of

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) * 1984–2015 President Camel Valley and Bodmin Moor Protection Society * 1988–95 President Cornwall Wildlife Trust * 1998 Farmers Club Cup for outstanding contribution to farming, agriculture and the countryside * 1999 Chairman Friends of Conservation * 1999 International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation Personality of the Year * 2001 RSGS Mungo Park Medal * 2000 Pio Manzu Medal (Italy) * 2000 CLA Contribution to the Countryside Award * 2001-5 President Rain Forest Club * 2003 Patron of the Countryside Alliance * 2003–2011 Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Cornwall * 2009 President Cornwall Red Squirrel Project * 2012 Best Large Scale Renewable Energy Scheme in Cornwall Award for Cabilla Manor * 2013 Exhibition of photographs of tribal people and places, National Theatre * 2014 Honorary Consul for Kosovo (Cornwall)

Books

* ''The Rough and the Smooth (1969)'' * ''A Question of Survival for the Indians of Brazil (1973)'' * ''A Pattern of Peoples: A Journey Among the Tribes of Indonesia's Outer Islands (1975)'' * ''Mulu: Rain Forest (1980)'' * ''Aborigines of the Amazon Rain Forest (Peoples of the Wild) (1982)'' * ''Worlds Apart: An Explorer's Life (1984)'' * ''White Horses over France: From the Camargue to Cornwall (1985)'' * ''A Ride Along the Great Wall (1987)'' * ''Fragile Eden: A Ride Through New Zealand (1989)'' * ''Spanish Pilgrimage: A Canter to St. James (1990)'' * ''The Oxford Book of Exploration (1993)'' * ''Mysterious China (1995)'' * ''Chinese Adventure: A Ride Along the Great Wall (2004)'' * ''Worlds Within: Reflections in the Sand (2005)'' * ''The Seventy Great Journeys in History (2006)'' * ''Land of Eagles: Riding Through Europe's Forgotten Country (2009)'' * ''The Great Explorers (2010)'' * ''The Modern Explorers, with Robert Twigger (2013)'' * ''Echoes of a Vanished World: A Traveller's Lifetime in Pictures (2013)'' * ''Beauty Freely Given: A Universal Truth: Artifacts from the Collection of Robin Hanbury-Tenison, with Christopher John Bowden (2013)'' * ''Finding Eden (2017)'' * ''Taming the Four Horsemen (2020)''

For children

* ''Jake's Escape'' (1996) * ''Jake's Treasure'' (1997) * ''Jake's Safari'' (1998)

Films

* ''A Time for Survival''. Westward (1972) * ''Mysteries of the Green Mountain''. BBC (1978)Radio Times synopsis for broadcast on 17 September
/ref> * ''Antiques at Home''. BBC (1984) * ''White Horses over France''. BBC/FR3 (1985) * ''Great Wall of China'' (1987) * ''Odyssey'' series, presenter BBC (1988) * ''Siberian Tigers'' (1994) * ''Collector's Lot'' BBC (1998) * ''The Lost World of Mulu''. C4 (1999) * ''Reflections in the Sand''. Discovery (2000) * ''Testament''. Carlton (2000) * ''Survival To The Brink and Back''. BBC b
Here Now films
(2020)

References

External links

Website

Cabilla Manor Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanbury-Tenison, Robin 1936 births Living people Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Linnean Society of London English explorers Cornish people People educated at Eton College Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford English farmers Indigenous rights activists Officers of the Order of the British Empire