P004586 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2005-09-08 human Annette Alafaci updated 2025-10-29 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004586b.htm person Brookes Helen May AACR2 3 November 1917 1 January 2008 Place of Birth East Malvern, Victoria, Australia Entomologist Entomological artist Helen Brookes was one of South Australia's top entomologists. Due to the depression and later her work commitments, she never completed any formal tertiary studies in the field. Instead, Brookes was trained 'on the job', initially starting out as a Laboratory Assistant in the fledgling Department of Entomology at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute (1936). She remained with the institute for almost fifty years, receiving numerous promotions along the way: in 1942 Brookes became the Institute's first female Technical Assistant, in 1964 was given a lecturing role and in 1976 was appointed to the top position of Senior Systemic Entomologist. At first her duties were broad and varied, but as she proved herself she was given specific projects to work on. In 1940 she helped translate from Latin into English the only book written about Australian grasshoppers and during the war years was engaged in identifying and illustrating wheat-associated pests. Her illustrations were published directly in the Journal of Agriculture of South Australia and used on posters delivered to wheat farmers. Later her work dealt with a range of pests including field crickets and Coccoidea - an insect superfamily that includes scale insects and mealy bugs. Coccoidea became her area of expertise and she gained international recognition in the field. She donated her large specimen collection to the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra upon her retirement (1982). Throughout her career Helen Brookes wrote several important works and made many key contributions to the field. She was a member of the Royal Society of South Australia and a founding member of the Australian Entomological Society. 1936 1943 Career position - Laboratory Assistant at Waite Agricultural Research Institute in South Australia 1943 1957 Career position - Technical Assistant at Waite Agricultural Research Institute 1950 Career position - Member, Royal Society of South Australia 1957 1964 Career position - Assistant Systemic Entomologist at Waite Agricultural Research Institute 1964 1975 Career position - Systemic Entomologist and Lecturer at Waite Agricultural Research Institute 17 August 1965 Career position - Foundation member of the Australian Entomological Society 1971 1971 Career position - Study leave to the British Museum in London (ten months) 1976 1982 Career position - Senior Systemic Entomologist at Waite Agricultural Research Institute 1977 1977 Career position - Study and research leave in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Japan and London 1982 1982 Life event - Presented her collection to the Australian National Insect Collection Presented her collection to the Australian National Insect Collection 1982 1982 Life event - Retired Australian Entomological Society Inc (1965 - )

Foundation Member 1965

 Waite Agricultural Research Institute, The University of Adelaide (1924 - 1991)

Senior Systematic Entomologist 1976 - 1982

 Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1962 - )

Donated her collection of insects 1982

Wikidata

 Brookes, Helen May (1917-)

Trove

 'Brookes, Helen May', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Brookes, Helen May Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Waite Arboretum fact sheet: H. M. Brooks 1917 - 2008 Langham, Terry Waite Arboretum fact sheet: H. M. Brooks 1917 - 2008 Adelaide Friends of the Waite Arboretum 2016 Journal Article: Helen May Brookes (3.11.1917 - 1.1.2008) Gullan, P. J.; and Williams, D. J. Helen May Brookes (3.11.1917 - 1.1.2008) 2010 Entomologia Hellenica 19 170-172 Interview with Helen Brookes and Coralie Li [sound recording] Interviewer: Brian Dickey State Library of South Australia Interview with Helen Brookes and Coralie Li [sound recording] Interviewer: Brian Dickey OH 436/11 1995 Interviews concerning Legacy in South Australia, 1945-1995 1 Tape Audio Interview with Helen Brookes [sound recording] Interviewer: Lois Mander-Jones State Library of South Australia Interview with Helen Brookes [sound recording] Interviewer: Lois Mander-Jones SRG 438/29/64 2001 Adelaide Lyceum Club Oral History 1 Tape Audio