William Roy McGregor

William Roy McGregor (8 July 1894 – 1 June 1977) was a New Zealand zoologist and conservationist who was successful in halting forestry in the Waipoua forest and establishing the forest as a protected sanctuary. In the late 1920s he was hired by the State Forest Service as a consultant for the Waipoua forest. In 1929 he paid his own way on an expedition to Australia, New Guinea and what is now Indonesia. For the rest of his career, he gave most of the zoology lectures based on a traditional curriculum that covered all major aspects of the subject as known at that time, but that was lacking in fieldwork. He built up an excellent zoology museum based around the collection from his 1929 trip. The university did not make him associate professor until 1949 and never made him a full professor. He complained that he had been promised the full professorship if he succeeded in building up the zoology school, as he had, but without effect.

Notable students of McGregor include Patricia Bergquist.

Conservation work

McGregor was dedicated to conservation of the indigenous flora and fauna of New Zealand. Starting in the 1940s, McGregor launched a campaign to protect the Waipoua kauri forest, giving the status of a sanctuary. He wrote an 80-page illustrated pamphlet on the subject, which proved an effective manifesto for conservation. He organised a petition that was signed by 70,000 supporters. His emotional appeals and superior rhetoric were successful in winning the battle. He continued his campaign against forestry in the reserve after retiring in 1960, and founded the New Zealand Conservation Society.