What did Isobel Bennet do?

The Great Depression

The Great Depression (1929 - c. 1939)

In 1932, during the Great Depression, her employer had to stop her business and she was left with no job.

History at the time

School

Every morning she would have to walk about a mile and a half to go to the local state school. Then at about 14, she was enrolled at Somerville House, having passed the Scholarship exam.

When she was there she was extremely interested by the look of the biology lab.

Due to her family's financial issues she had to leave school at the of 16. She went on to business college and then found a job.

This meant she had never actually studied Science at school.

Early Schooling

Somerville House

Early whaling book

Her Sister and she were lucky enough to get aboard a brand-new P&O Company ship for a five-day Christmas cruise, to Norfolk Island.

A professor of Zoology (William John Dakin) at the University of Sydney and his wife were on the boat. Discovering that Isobel had lost her job he offered her one for the book he was writing about early whaling.

Early whaling book

Whalemen Adventurers: The Story of Whaling in Australian Waters and Other Southern Seas Related Thereto, from the Days of Sails to Modern Times

Author: William John Dakin.

Awards/Honours

Isobel Bennet received an Honorary Master of Science in 1962 from the University of Sydney.

In 1982 she was presented with the ANZAAS Mueller Medal. She also recieved from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, the Whitely Memorial Award.

For her services to marine biology, Isobel was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia.

In 1995 she was recognised for her work, being given an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Sydney.

She authored a number of books including: Fringe of the Sea, Shores of Macquarie Island and A Coral Reef Handbook. From these she received the Royal Zoological Society’s Whitley Award.

Timeline

1929–2008

In 1933 William John Dakin offered her a job to study australian waters. (This is where she studied the first type of plankton.)

In 1950 William John Dakin died and she carried on his research.

In 1952 she joined the Danish research ship, (Galathea) and was the only women aboard.

She travelled to Macquarie Island in 1960, 1964 and 1968 with Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE).

She then went on to study the Great Barrier Reef.

Legacy

Her work on the barrier Reef which started in 1953 led to (UNESCO) protecting it as a World Heratige Site.

Legacy

Research from the Great Barrier Reef Expedition

Great Barrier Reef Research.

In the expedition of 1928-1929 (The Great Barrier Reef Expedition)

She studied the damaged coral, caused by the Cyclone (1950) with the objective of assessing the damage. She also researched the changes undergone by the island and its fauna and flora since 1929.

The Great Barrier Reef Expedition.

Isobel went to work on the Reef at every available opportunity. Even working alone and to her own expense. At the end of all her research it was discovered that she had covered the full 2000km of the reef.

Great Barrier Reef

Australian National Antartic Research Expedition-(ANARE)

Antartic expedition

Isobel was one of the first four women permitted on the Subantarctic Macquarie Island vessel. She travelled to the island with the ANARE vessel in 1959. Isobel wrote about this journey. She talked about the presence of women being regarded with some suspicion. As a result of the voyage, Isobel authored the book Shores of Macquarie Island. It was recognised as the best non-scientific book available on the subject.