Hogbin, Herbert Ian Priestley (HIP)

Hogbin attended the University of Sydney as an undergraduate and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1926, in the following year he was awarded the Diploma in Education. In 1928 he completed a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology (Sociology and Linguistics) and in 1931, whilst on a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, attended the University of London and completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology).

Whilst in London the University of Sydney offered Hogbin the position of Acting Lecturer in Anthropology, he accepted and commenced lectures in August 1931. An Australian National Research Council Grant enabled him to undertake anthropological research in the Solomon Islands during 1933; Hogbin's previous anthropological expeditions included Rennell Island (1927) and Ongtong-Java (1928-29).

From 1934-1935 he undertook an expedition to New Guinea and returned to the University as lecturer from 1 June 1936.

In 1942 Hogbin was appointed as a member of the Prime Minister's Committee on National Morale, he and Professor Wright from the University of Melbourne undertook a trip to northern Queensland in January 1943 to investigate the impact of troops on civilian life. Copies of their report are included in these papers (see P.015/7).

From 1943 to 1946 Hogbin was again on leave from the University. In 1943 he was granted leave by Senate to take up a request from Sir Philip Mitchell, High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, to assist in the rehabilitation of the Solomon Islanders after disruption from military operations, during this time he was a Captain in the British Solomons Island Defence Force. In January 1944 he was formally signed up as a member of the Australian Defence Forces and attached to the Research Directorate, LHQ, Melbourne. Hogbin was discharged from the army in early 1946; he took some of his accumulated leave before returning to the University in April. Whilst on leave during the 1946-47 long vacation Hogbin revisited New Guinea. On this occasion he was invited by the Administrator, Colonel Murray, to undertake research to assist in the establishment of native government.

In April 1948 Senate granted Hogbin 12 months leave to enable him to accept a Travelling Fellowship of the Australian National University. In the following month the Senate also approved his promotion to the grade of Reader in Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts.

In late 1952 Hogbin again applied for extended (12 months) sabbatical leave to date from September 1953; he had been invited by the University of Birmingham to deliver the Josiah Mason Memorial Lectures in October and November 1953; the remaining time was to be spent on his next publication. Senate approved his application in October 1952.

In 1958 Hogbin was appointed Acting Professor in charge of the Department of Anthropology and Acting Head of Department from September 1960.

During 1961 Hogbin again took sabbatical leave. He was based at the London School of Economics where he attended various seminars, he also visited other Universities and completed the manuscript of a book, Kinship and Marriage in a New Guinea Village. On his return he was appointed Acting Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Hogbin was granted leave from December 1968 to September 1969 for travel to the United Kingdom and work on a book "on the religious systems of primitive people". Whilst in the UK Hogbin was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain.

Hogbin was appointed an Honorary Associate in the Department of Anthropology in November 1969, this appointment was renewed in subsequent years. In the following month he retired from the University.

In 1983 the Senate invited Hogbin to accept the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.

Hogbin has an extensive and impressive list of publications to his credit, included in these papers is a Bibliography of his works compiled in 1970 (See P.015/7). As well as publishing books Hogbin also contributed as writer and assistant-editor to Oceania a journal of the University of Sydney.