Biographical entry Bennett, Isobel Ida (1909 - 2008)

Summary

Isobel Ida Bennett worked at the University of Sydney 1933-71 as a secretary, librarian and research assistant. She wrote "The Great Barrier Reef", the first book to give a general picture of the whole of the Great Barrier Reef, in 1971. One genus, five species of marine animals and a coral reef have been named after her.

Details

Events

1925 - 1928

Career position - Secretary at the Patent Attorney's Office

1928 - 1932

Career position - Secretary of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

1932 - 1933

Career position - Research work for Professor W.J. Dakin

1933 - 1971

Career position - Working variously as Secretary to the Departmental Librarian and Demonstrator at the University of Sydney

1942 - 1945

Career position - Research Assistant to Dakin at Department of Home Security

1945 - 1948

Career position - Continued work with Dakin until his retirement

1948 - 1970

Career position - Made expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef

1953

Career position - Took part in a complete ecological survey of the reef by the University of Queensland expedition to Low Islands

1959 - 1968

Career position - Made four visits to Macquarie Island

1959 - 1971

Career position - Professional Officer at the University of Sydney

1962

Award - Honorary Master of Science (MSc) received from the University of Sydney

1963

Career position - Temporary Associate Professor at Stamford University, USA

1974 - 1979

Career position - Co-opted to the New South Wales Fisheries Department

1982

Award - ANZAAS Mueller Medal received (Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science)

1982

Award - Whitley Memorial Award received from the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1984

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

1988

Award - Whitley Memorial Award received from the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

1995

Award - Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc (Hon)) received from the University of Sydney

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Oral History Collection

• Interview with Dr Isobel Bennett, marine biologist [sound recording] / interviewer, Diana Giese, 20 July 1999, TRC 3910; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Allen, Nessy, 'The Sea Has Many Voices: Profile of an Australian Woman Scientist', Journal of Australian Studies, vol. 38, 1992, pp. 41-50. Details
• Allen, Nessy, 'Australian Women in Science: Two Unorthodox Careers', Women's Studies International Forum, vol. 15, no. 5-6, 1992, pp. 551-562. Details

Theses

• Carey, Jane, 'Departing from their sphere: Australian women and science, 1880-1960', PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne, 2003, 356 pp. Details
• Carey, Jane, 'Departing from their sphere: Australian women and science, 1880-1960', PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne, 2003, 356 pp. Details

Online Resources

• 'Dr Isobel Bennett, AO', WISENET Journal, vol. 44, July, 1997, http://www.wisenet-australia.org/ISSUE44/isobelb.html. Details
• Allen, Nessy, Interview with Dr Isobel Bennett, Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 18 May 2000, http://www.science.org.au/scientists/interviews/b/ib.html. Details
• National Library of Australia, 'Bennett, Isobel', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-476509. Details

See also

• Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's Who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2001, 2020 pp. Details