17 December 2024
In memoriam: Patrick Sellar 1929-2024
We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Patrick Sellar who died in November at the age of 95.
Patrick Sellar co-founded the wildlife section in 1969 along with BBC natural history broadcaster Jeffery Boswall. Though Patrick never worked for the sound archive in an official capacity, he was a constant source of support, advice and ideas, without ever trying to control the direction of the section. He helped build the foundations of the collection which today is one of the largest and most comprehensive archives of wildlife and environmental sounds in the world. With connections across Europe, Asia and Africa made through a lifelong love of ornithology, Patrick played a pivotal role in obtaining so many of our most important natural history collections. He was well known for his excellent fieldcraft and experience of travelling in harsh environments, especially in Scandinavia and the Arctic, and was a popular figure among scientists, naturalists and broadcasters alike.
For me, Patrick was always there to offer advice and encouragement during my early days as a wildlife administrative assistant and especially when I took on the role of curator. His kind words and confidence in my abilities helped guide me through my first couple of years within the sound archive and I honestly don’t think I could have done it without his support.
We interviewed Patrick for the Oral History of Wildlife Sound Recording series and a couple of excerpts can be heard in this blog post recounting an expedition in 1981 to track down polar bears. He was a wonderful storyteller and I always enjoyed listening to his many tales.
He also regularly donated recordings to the collection and some of my favourites of his are accompanied by his evocative commentary, such as this example where he describes the beauty of Fair Isle while other visitors to the island are being attacked by a very angry seabird. Amazingly he remained unscathed.
Aside from his contributions to the wildlife section, Patrick was also one of the founding members of the International Bioacoustics Society (IBAC), becoming Honorary President in 2005. Since its inception in 1969, IBAC has grown from a handful of enthusiasts to a society of hundreds of scientists, naturalists and field recordists working on some of the most cutting edge research within the field of Zoology. He was a great travelling companion and we always travelled together to IBAC conferences, the last of which was in Brighton in 2019. Below is one of my favourite photos of Patrick, taken at the 25th IBAC conference in Murnau, Germany in 2015.
Patrick was a man of boundless optimism and enthusiasm, was never unkind and was always great company. He was rightly proud of how the wildlife section developed and was pleased to see how its remit and use expanded over the years, particularly in terms of education and the arts. He lived a full and rewarding life and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife and Environmental Sounds