Person

White, Mary Dunbar (1910 - 1996)

OAM

Born
6 November 1910
Apollo Bay, Victora, Australia
Died
6 April 1996
Anglesea, Victora, Australia
Occupation
Botanical artist, Conservationist, Headmistress and Teacher

Summary

Mary White was a teacher in Tasmania, New Zealand and London before becoming Principal of the Principal, Ballarat Girls High School. A keen naturalist, she joined the Field Naturalists Club of Ballarat, becoming its press recorder and specimen recorder. On retiring in 1976 she continued her interest in natural history, joining the Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair). For the next 20 years she served the Society as secretary, treasurer and president, and participated in the Society's efforts to lobby for the preservation of public reserves. White was dedicated to recording and painting the local flora and fauna. A number of the Society's publications were written and edited by White. Her wildflower paintings were donated to the National Herbarium of Victoria. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her for service to conservation and the environment in 1995. The Mary D White Heathland Reserve section of the Great Otway National Park was named in her honour.

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Details

Chronology

1952 - 1976
Career position - Member, Field Naturalists Club of Ballarat
1976
Life event - Retired as Principal, Ballarat Girls High School
1976 - 1995
Career position - Member, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair)
1981
Award - MSc honoris causa, Deakin University
1987
Award - Barrabool Shire Citizen of the Year
1987
Award - MSc honoris causa, Deakin University
1995
Award - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to conservation and the environment
1995 - 1996
Award - Honorary Life Member, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair)

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • White, Mary D., The flowers of Anglesea River valley (Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House, 1989), 119 pp. Details
  • White, Mary D., Coastal vegetation of Anglesea-Airey's [sic] Inlet region (Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House, 1990), 70 pp. Details

Edited Books

  • White, M. D. ed., Anglesea: a natural history study ([Anglesea, Vic.]: ANGAIR, 1994), 24 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • White, Sally, 'Mary D. White's botanical art collection', Angair quarterly Autumn (2026), 16. Details

See also

  • Kruss, Susan, 'A voice for nature: a history of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat', PhD thesis, Federation University Australia, 2024, 594 pp. Details

Helen Cohn

Created: 12 May 2026, Last modified: 14 May 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P008028b.htm

This Edition: 2026 May - New Office
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