User:John Hill

I was born in Montréal, Canada in 1943 and raised in Port of Spain, Trinidad. I am of English and French background with a dash of Beothuk, the natives of Newfoundland, who were hounded to "extinction" in the 1820s and 1830s.


 * "Remember the Beothuk!".

I trained and qualified as a Field Assistant and Laboratory Technician in Virology at the Rockefeller Foundations' Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory. I started working in my school holidays when I was 9 years old as "mosquito bait" catching mosquitoes to be used in virus research from a tree platform 120 feet [37 metres] high in the jungle canopy. Over the next 11 years I was privileged to work and study with some of the world's top naturalists such as Drs. William Beebe, David Snow, Barbara Snow, and Wilbur Downs, on a variety of fascinating projects.

I worked in fisheries research in Alaska both at sea (for a full year) and ashore in Sandpoint, Alaska studying the habits and migrations of halibut through the seasons.

I first arrived Australia in January 1964. I graduated as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in Sydney, Australia in 1967. I lived for three years in India (1979-83) doing research on Indian and Tibetan history, and have travelled extensively in Asia. I have worked for many years in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia and Cape York Peninsula in Community Development and Nursing roles. I became an Australian citizen in 1986.

I am now retired living in the bush about 25 km west of Cooktown, Australia on Cape York Peninsula, more than 300 km from the nearest traffic lights.

Involvement with the Wikipedia
I have been editing on the Wikipedia since 30th January 2005. I have created a number of articles on the Wikipedia (see below) and significantly contributed to many more. I have uploaded more than 700 images to the Wikipedia and WikiCommons (mostly my own photos), and have made more than 23,000 edits.

I love the basic concept of the Wikipedia and constantly encourage others to contribute.

I am particularly concerned with ensuring the Wikipedia is not taken over by fanatics or used to promote fringe theories. I also make a point of adding or updating references, external links and items in "Further reading" sections, whenever possible. I seem to spend an ever-increasing amount of time trying to reverse the constant barrage of vandalism on the Wikipedia.

Aside from the articles I have created for the Wikipedia, I have added to and edited thousands of others, uploaded hundreds of images, including many of my own photos, and I monitor and keep a close eye on edits to scores of articles of particular interest to myself.

My main interests

 * Asian history; particularly Chinese, Tibetan, Central Asian and Indian history and the development of trade routes both overland and maritime between East and West, and pre-historic contacts between Australia and other countries.


 * My first book was: Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. (2009). John E. Hill. (2009). BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4392-2134-1. It has now been replaced by a much expanded 2nd edition in 2 volumes with the slightly different title of Through the Jade Gate - China to Rome, Volumes I and II. The two volumes are now available for a recommended total price of US 45.00 plus post from Amazon.com and other outlets. Please note that you require both volumes as neither is complete without the other.


 * I have also published an article on the history of Khotan: Hill, John E.: "Notes on the Dating of Khotanese History." Indo-Iranian Journal 31 (1988), pp. 179-190.


 * Aboriginal issues and culture.


 * West Indian (particularly Trinidadian) history and culture.


 * The Beothuk people (the original inhabitants of Newfoundland).


 * The history, wildlife and conservation of Cape York Peninsula and Cooktown.


 * Nature conservation and alternative energy sources.


 * The plight of the mentally-ill, refugees, the desperately poor, hungry, and sick.


 * The exploration of the potential of the mind, and the inherent as well as the learned limitations.


 * The causes of racism, slavery, sexism and bigotry.


 * The conversion of hatred and fear through the cultivation of kindness, tolerance, empathy and patience.


 * The impending demise of our species, and what we might do to delay it.

I have made some contributions in all these areas as well as many others. I look forward to correspondence on any of them. I am able to contribute with an intermediate level of French and Spanish.

Photographs
Most, though not all, of my own photographs which I have uploaded are available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Photographs_by_John_Hill. However, there are also many images by other artists and photographers I have uploaded which are not listed.

"How-To" Guide to Wikipedia
I have found the following page a very helpful "How-To" guide to Wikipedia. →See User:Persian Poet Gal/"How-To" Guide to Wikipedia