Person

Harslett, Morwenna Jean (Jean) (1925 - )

Born: 6 September 1925
Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
Occupation: Natural history collector and Historian

Summary

Jean Harslett is a nationally recognised historian and collector. She has spent most of her time collecting flora and fauna of the Glen Aplin district in Queensland and writing about the regions history. Her father Alex Gemmell was a well known insect collector too and after his death Harslett took over his vast collection which contained many jewel beetles. She also developed a passion for jewel beetles as well as butterflies, birds and native orchids. Her knowledge of the plant and animal life in the Glen Aplin region is unsurpassed. Harslett's specimens can be found in entomological collections around Australia including with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).

Jean Harslett was a founder of the Stanthorpe Field Naturalist's Club, a prominent conservationist and a local history expert having written widely on all three areas. In 2004 on 7 March the Jean Harslett Research Centre was opened at the Stanthorpe & District Historical Museum in Queensland. The centre houses over 16,000 photographs of her photographs as well as research into local families' histories and the development of the region.

Details

Chronology

1985: Award - British Empire Award received
1985: Career position - Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary International)
1994 -: Award - Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland
1995: Award - Queensland Naturalist Award received
2002 -: Award - Honorary Life Membership of Queensland Entomological Society

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Edited Books

McKay, Judith ed., Brilliant Careers: Women Collectors and Illustrators in Queensland (Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1997), 80 pp. Details

Resources

'Harslett, Morwenna Jean (1925-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1475781. Details

Annette Alafaci

Created: 26 September 2006, Last modified: 7 February 2011

EOAS ID: biogs/P004770b.htm

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