By Mariska Adamson
Gathone Cranbrook en route to Mantanani Island in the Malaysian state of Sabah. (Photo provided by Jamie Curtis-Hayward)
From giving talks on subjects such as Borneo through the last Ice Age to writing book reviews on Indonesian Chinese Peranakan (descendants) and moderating events on the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, Lord Gathorne Cranbrook was among the most active AIS members of the past two decades.
Serving on the Council for many years, the expert on the environment of Indonesia and Malaysia is remembered fondly and with a great deal of respect. He was always keen to encourage greater knowledge of Indonesian matters in Britain, using his extensive personal connections and position to open doors and find speakers.
One example was the very well attended talk in 2015 he and Andrew Polaszek, an insect specialist at the Natural History Museum, gave on ‘Insect Diversity and Conservation in Borneo, and the importance of protected reserves in oil palm plantations’.
With his wide knowledge and quiet authority, Gathorne also made consistently sensible and constructive contributions to Council meeting discussions. He was interested in the future as well as the past, and in the importance of Indonesia for the global environment.
Gathorne stood down from the Council in 2017 but continued to be an active AIS member for more than five years after that, into his 90s.
These are the obituaries in Telegraph and the Times (paywall). His life was truly very well lived.
The society sends its deepest condolences to his family.