AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN MARINE SCIENCE
The field of Marine Science in Australia is dominated by men but some amazing women manage great achievements in the field.
HOPE MCPHERSON
A Victorian woman who worked in South Australia and sub-Antarctica studying malacology and marine biology. She became two firsts for women in Marine Biology: The first (and at the time only) woman on the Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA)’s council when it first formed in the 1960s; and the first female curator at the National Museum of Victoria.
ISOBEL BENNETT
Isobel was concerned with marine life. In her earliest work she studied Plankton and the intertidal zone of the temperate shores However, her work was largely overlooked for a long time.
She was given temporary employment in the University of Sydney’s Zoology Department by Professor William Dakin despite the fact that she had no formal education.
William and Isobel had met on a cruise Norfolk Island. Isobel and her sister had decided to use the last of their money to go on the cruise after spending a long time trying and failing to find jobs during the great depression. William and his wife were both on the cruise and the four became friends over the journey. William offered Isobel a job doing research with him upon hearing she’d be struggling to find work.
William took Isobel under his wing essentially and began teaching her all the research methods of marine science. William wrote a book on marine organisms known as Australian Seashores, however, he died before he could finish it. Isobel completed the book and continued to revise and republish new editions of it. Unfortunately only a few editions recognised her as the book’s co-author. Then, in 1986, she completely rewrote and republished the book for which she was credited as for revising it.
Throughout the years she also wrote many books herself. She was said to publish a book about every two years and because of busy work schedule she spent most of her time writing these books from late at night to early in the morning. Her most famous individual work is her book, The Great Barrier Reef.
She spent her career as a marine scientist teaching at various universities around the world, such as in England, Australia, America, New Zealand, Japan etc. A lot of that time was spent doing work on the Great Barrier Reef. For many years she held the position of Councillor of the Great Barrier Reef Committee. She also went on many scientific expeditions. For example, she went on expeditions to Macquarie Island to study cold water marine life and in 1963 she went on the International Indian Ocean Expedition onboard the Stanford University schooner.
She was given many honours throughout her life for her contributions to marine science. In 1982 she received the Mueller Medal from the Australia and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1984 she had the honour of receiving the Order of Australia. She has also had a Genus, a coral reef and five marine animal species named after her.
However, despite her work being that of an academic she was never officially given the qualifications and therefore not officially recognised as an academic. This meant she was paid less than the men who did the same things she did and was often discriminated against by those around her, though she actually denied this and considered herself very lucky to be working in marine science at any capacity.
Isobel is one of those women who struggled for much of her life to be recognised but though enthusiasm and skill was able to achieve many great things.