Background
McCracken, Donal Patrick was born on August 12, 1953 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Arrived in South Africa, 1980. Son of John Leslie and Eileen May (Webb) McCracken.
(In 1880 the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew ...)
In 1880 the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew described a botanic garden as "a garden in which a vast assemblage of plants from every accessible part of the Earth's surface is systematically cultivated". By then botanic gardens had existed in Europe for over three and a quarter centuries, had established themselves as an acceptable part of the urban environment, and become the recipients of a flood of vegetation from overseas. By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, botanic gardens were an integral part of empire and four of the greatest of them - those at Calcutta, Pamplemousse on Mauritius, Peradeniya on Ceylon and Trinidad - carried the prefix "Royal Botanic Gardens". This book is a thematic history of the imperial network of these gardens which had its informal centre at Kew.
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history educator arts faculty dean
McCracken, Donal Patrick was born on August 12, 1953 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Arrived in South Africa, 1980. Son of John Leslie and Eileen May (Webb) McCracken.
Bachelor with honors, University Ulster, Northern Ireland, 1976. Doctor of Philosophy, University Ulster, Northern Ireland, 1980.
Junior lecturer, Rhodes (South Africa) U., 1976-1977; junior fellow, Queens U. Institute Irish Studies, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1979-1980; lecturer, U. Natal, South Africa, 1980-1981; lecturer, Rhodes U., 1982; lecturer, U. Durban (South Africa)-Westville, South Africa, 1982-1988; associate professor of history, U. Durban (South Africa)-Westville, 1989-1993; professor of history, U. Durban (South Africa)-Westville, since 1994. Director Ireland and Southern Africa Project, South Africa, since 1987.
(In 1880 the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew ...)
Chair Durban Botanic Gardens, since 1993. President Irish History Students' Association, 1979-1980. Fellow Royal History Society.
Member Primrose League (life), Society History of Natural History.
Married Patricia Anne McGuire, December 20, 1980.