Thomas Gibson Sloane (20 April 185820 October 1932) was an Australian sheep grazier and

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

, considered to be one of the pioneers in Australia's entomology field.

Early life

Sloane was born 20 April 1858 in St Kilda,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, the second son of merchant and sheep expert Alexander Sloane and homemaker Annabella Helen (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Gibson). He studied for some time at Melbourne's Scotch College.

Career and personal life

From 1888, Sloane served as manager of his father's

sheep station A sheep station is a large property ( station, the equivalent of a ranch) in Australia or New Zealand, whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and/or meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or sout ...

, A. Sloane and Sons, in Moorilla, near

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

, and later on in 1910 as owner. His sheep earned him recognition at many sheep shows. As an entomologist, Sloane described more than 600 new insect species. His expertise were the

ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...

and

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

beetles. He later became a global authority on ground beetles. "An enthusiastic

Darwinian Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations tha ...

", Sloane wed Eliza Scholastica Woolfrey on 28 October 1891, at the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, Dubbo. They had six children – four were daughters and two were sons.

Later years and death

Fellow entomologist

Herbert James Carter Herbert James Carter (23 April 1858 – 16 April 1940) was an English-born Australian schoolmaster and entomologist. __NOTOC__ Early life Carter was born at Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, the son of James Carter, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann, ...

described Sloane as "unselfish" and "stoic by nature". However, he suffered a financial crisis in later years. He was reportedly very fit for his age and was free from any illness until a while before his death, when he experienced

cardiac asthma Cardiac asthma is the medical condition of intermittent wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath that is associated with underlying congestive heart failure (CHF). Symptoms of cardiac asthma are related to the heart's inability to effectively an ...

. He had planned to retire in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. Sloane died on 20 October 1932 at the Bunnerong Hospital in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. His wife inherited all of his possessions. Following his death, his widow donated his extensive beetle collection, now known as the Thomas Sloane Collection, to the Division of Economic Entomology of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in accordance of Sloane's wishes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloane, Thomas Gibson 1858 births 1932 deaths Australian entomologists People from Melbourne People from New South Wales Australian farmers People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne