P001468 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human McCarthy, G.J. updated 2026-04-27 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001468b.htm person Allan Frances Elizabeth AACR2 Calvert, Betty 11 July 1905 6 August 1952 Place of Birth St Kilda, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Biometrician Statistician Betty Allan was Senior Biometrical Officer at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from 1930-1940. She is regarded as the effective founder of the CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics. A talented student, Allan studied at the University of Melbourne and carried out post-graduate work in Newnham College, Cambridge.

Born and educated in Melbourne, Frances Allan won a scholarship to carry out postgraduate studies in mathematics, applied biology, statistics and agriculture at Cambridge. She then went to Rothamsted Experimental Station to learn practical statistics for the agricultural industry and was co-author on 3 influential scientific papers there. Upon her return to Australia, Allan was immediately employed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Division of Plant Industry) and became their first biometrician. During this time she also lectured to undergraduates at Canberra University College and at other organisations. Because of the rules at the time, Frances Allan had to give up full time work after she married in April. She did however gain Government approval to work until the end of that year. She continued to lecture part-time then, after the birth of her first child, retired from research. Allan became active in many parenting and education groups once retired.

1926 1926 Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne 1926 1926 Education - Joint recipient of the Dixon and Wyselaskie scholarship for mathematics c. 1927 c. 1927 Award - Professor Nanson Prize and Fred Knight research scholarship 1928 1928 Education - Diploma of Education (DipEd), University of Melbourne 1928 1928 Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Melbourne 1928 1930 Award - Research Fellowship, Science and Industry Endowment Fund, to study agricultural statiatics at School of Agriculture, University of Cambridge, and Rothamsted Experimental Station, United Kingdom 1930 1934 Career position - Biometrician in the Division of Plant Industry at CSIR 1932 1932 Career position - Lecturer in Statistical Theory at Canberra University College 1935 1935 Career position - Foundation member of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 1935 1937 Career position - Lecturer in Pure Mathematics at Canberra University College 1935 1940 Career position - Research Officer at CSIR 1936 1936 Career position - Lecturer, Australian Forestry School (part-time) 1938 1940 Career position - Lecturer, Australian Forestry School (part-time) c. 1940 c. 1940 Career position - Researcher at the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (part-time) 22 April 1940 22 April 1940 Life event - Married Dr Patrick Joseph Calvert at Trinity College Chapel in Parkville, Victoria 1943 1944 Career position - Secretary, Canberra Nursery Kindergarten Society 1944 1946 Career position - President, Canberra Mothercraft Society Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (1935 - 1996)

Foundation member 1935

 Science and Industry Endowment Fund - CSIR/O, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1926 - )

Research in agricultural statistics, University of Cambridge and Rothamsted Experimental Station

 Calvert, Joseph (1906 - 1988)

Wikidata

 Allan, Frances Elizabeth (19050711-19520806)

Trove

 'Allan, Frances Elizabeth (Betty)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Allan, Frances Elizabeth (Betty) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Edited Book: A Biographical register 1788-1939 : notes from the name index of the Australian Dictionary of biography. Volume 1: A-K Gibbney, H. J.; and Smith, Ann G. A Biographical register 1788-1939 : notes from the name index of the Australian Dictionary of biography. Volume 1: A-K Canberra Australian Dictionary of Biography 1987 Journal Article: 150 Years, 150 Stories: Betty Allan Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter 150 Years, 150 Stories: Betty Allan 2003 Uni News 12 15 4 Resource Section: Allan, Frances Elizabeth Allan, Frances Elizabeth Australian Science Archives Project 1995 Physics in Australia to 1945 R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham Book Section: Allan, Frances Elizabeth (1905-1952), statistician Heyde, C. C. Allan, Frances Elizabeth (1905-1952), statistician Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1993 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De John Ritchie 26-27 Journal Article: The role of statisticians in CSIRO: past, present and future Speed, T. P. The role of statisticians in CSIRO: past, present and future 1988 Australian Journal of Statistics 30 B 15-34 Journal Article: Biometrics in the CSIR: 1930 - 1940 Field, J. B. F.; Speed, F. E.; Speed, T. P.; and Williams, J. N. Biometrics in the CSIR: 1930 - 1940 1988 Australian Journal of Statistics 30 B 54-76 Resource Section: Frances Elizabeth (Betty) Allan [1905-1952] Ward, C. Frances Elizabeth (Betty) Allan [1905-1952] Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Journal Article: The Science and Industry Endowment Fund: supporting the development of Australian science Smith, Susan and Spurling, Thomas H. The Science and Industry Endowment Fund: supporting the development of Australian science CSIRO Publishing 2015 Historical Records of Australian Science 26 1 58-83 Book: 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne Flesch, Juliet and McPhee, Peter 150 years, 150 stories: brief biographies of one hundred and fifty remarkable people associated with the University of Melbourne Melbourne Department of History, University of Melbourne 2003 Frances Elizabeth Allan - Records Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Corporate Records and Archives Strategies Frances Elizabeth Allan - Records T88/60 1910 - 1950 Drafts, letters and notes 1930-50 including 'Courses in statistics for Forestry School' and letters from A.C.D. Rivett 1930 (category 11, 6 cm); raw data from a survey of status and salary of agricultural scientists in Australia, conducted by the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 1940 (category 12, 10 cm); personal letters 1928-33 (category 14, 10 cm); family photographs (category 8, 1 cm); playscripts and a list of members of the Canberra Repertory Society 1941 (category 4, 2 cm); with the records of her husband J. Calvert [30 cm, T88/60]. 0.3 m