Charles Andrew Cotton

Who was Charles Andrew Cotton?

Sir Charles Andrew Cotton KBE was a New Zealand geologist and geomorphologist. Cotton attended highschool in Christchurch at Christchurch Boys' High School, where he lost the sight in his left eye because of a schoolmate's prank. In 1908 Cotton graduated from the University of Otago with an MSc, with first-class honours in geology. Cotton was then director of the Coromandel School of Mines from 1908 to 1909, and geology lecturer Victoria University College from 1909 to 1920, when he was appointed to the newly created chair of geology. He retired in 1953.

Cotton was a leading New Zealand scientist, and became an international authority on geomorphology through the publication of his books and papers, the most notable of which include Geomorphology of New Zealand, Landscape, Geomorphology, Climatic Accidents in Landscape Making, Volcanoes as Landscape Forms, The Earth Beneath, Living on a Planet, and New Zealand Geomorphology.

Cotton's work became the inspiration for much of Colin McCahon's landscape painting.

Cotton is considered to be one of the leading scientists New Zealand has yet produced. Victoria University of Wellington has named a building to honor Cotton. The building on the Kelburn campus contains a low-rise block with science departments, a group of lecture theatres and laboratories and Cotton Street an enclosed concourse with shops and displays