Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, on 13 January 1936,[1] Selby studied at Keble College, Oxford, gaining a BA(Hons), MA, and DipEd.
[2][3] Selby came to New Zealand on the RMS Rangitata in 1960,[4] and was appointed as a junior lecturer at the Waikato branch of the University of Auckland.
[6][7] The following year, he completed a DPhil: the title of his doctoral thesis was Runoff, infiltration and soil erodibility studies in the Otutira catchment.
[8] He was later awarded a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Oxford on the basis of his research linking concepts in geomorphology with quantitative measurements in engineering geology.
[11] In the 2005 New Year Honours, Selby was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to education.