Nancy Tyson Burbidge
Encyclopedia
Nancy Tyson Burbidge AO
(5 August 1912 – 4 March 1977) was an Australia
n systemic botanist, conservationist and herbarium
curator.
Burbidge was born in Cleckheaton
, Yorkshire
; her father, William Burbidge, was an Anglican clergyman and immigrated to Australia in 1913 when he was appointed to a parish in Western Australia
. She was educated at Katanning
(Kobeelya) Church of England Girls' School - founded by her mother Nancy Eleanor. She completed her schooling in 1922 when she graduated form Bunbury High School, and went on to study at the University of Western Australia
. She completed her BSc in 1937, and afterwards received a prize to travel to England where she spent 18 months at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. While at Kew she worked on a revision of the Australian grass
genus Enneapogon
. When Nancy returned to Australia she continued her study of Australian plants
through the University of Western Australia
, completing her MSc. in 1945.
In 1943 she was appointed assistant agronomist at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide
, where she started working on native pasture species for arid and semi-arid South Australia. She was appointed to the new position of systematic botanist at the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, Canberra
in 1946. At CSIRO she worked on organising and extending the herbarium, first as a research scientist and then as curator and was responsible for laying the foundations of the Herbarium Australiense, later the National Australian Herbarium. She wrote Key to the South Australia
n species of Eucalyptus
L'Hér. but had not specialised on the genus. Her professional interest in systemic botany was reflected by her tenure as secretary of the systematic botany committee of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
from 1948 to 1952. She also edited Australasian Herbarium News until her until 1953, when she took a years leave to be the Australian Botanical Liaison Officer
at the Kew Gardens
herbarium. While at Kew she photographed and indexed type specimens of Australian plants and made microfilm copies of Robert Brown's
notebooks for Australian herbaria.
When she returned to Australia in 1954 she began a very productive period of her career. She wrote an extensive paper "The phytogeography
of the Australian region" which was published in the Australian Journal of Botany in 1960 and contributed to the award of her DSc by the University of Western Australia in 1961. Her Dictionary of Australian Plant Genera was published in 1963, and she completed studies of the plant groups Nicotiana
, Sesbania
and Helichrysum. Many of her publications included her own drawings. After resigning her position as curator of the herbarium she went on to be heavily involved in the development of the Flora of Australia
series, directing the project from 1973 to 1977. In addition to her books, she also wrote over 50 papers on phytogeography, ecology, botanical history and Australian plant genera. For her contributions to botany she was awarded the 1971 Clarke Medal
for her achievements in taxonomic botany and ecology by the Royal Society of New South Wales
and made a member of the Order of Australia
in 1976.
Burbidge was also interested in conservation
. She was a founding member of the National Parks Association of the Australian Capital Territory
in 1960, and twice served as its president. She was prominent in the lobby for the establishment of national parks in the ACT including Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
and Namadgi National Park
; both of which were established following her death. She was also a member of the Australian Federation of University Women
, serving as president of the Canberra branch from 1959 to 1961, of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association from 1957 to 1958 and as international secretary between 1961 and 1968.
Her contributions are commemorated by an altar-frontal, showing banksia
s and honey-eaters, in St Michael's Anglican Church, Mount Pleasant, Western Australia
, and by the Nancy T. Burbidge Memorial, an amphitheatre in the Australian National Botanic Gardens
in Canberra. The Australian Plant Name Index is dedicated to her memory and a peak in Namadgi is named Mount Burbidge in her honour.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(5 August 1912 – 4 March 1977) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n systemic botanist, conservationist and herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
curator.
Burbidge was born in Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
; her father, William Burbidge, was an Anglican clergyman and immigrated to Australia in 1913 when he was appointed to a parish in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. She was educated at Katanning
Katanning, Western Australia
Katanning is a town located 277 km south east of Perth, Western Australia on the Great Southern Highway. At the 2006 census, Katanning had a population of 3,808.-History:...
(Kobeelya) Church of England Girls' School - founded by her mother Nancy Eleanor. She completed her schooling in 1922 when she graduated form Bunbury High School, and went on to study at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. She completed her BSc in 1937, and afterwards received a prize to travel to England where she spent 18 months at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. While at Kew she worked on a revision of the Australian grass
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
genus Enneapogon
Enneapogon
Enneapogon is a genus of grasses known generally as pappusgrass or feather pappusgrass. These perennial grass species are found in warm temperate areas worldwide...
. When Nancy returned to Australia she continued her study of Australian plants
Flora of Australia
The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 20,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens...
through the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, completing her MSc. in 1945.
In 1943 she was appointed assistant agronomist at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, where she started working on native pasture species for arid and semi-arid South Australia. She was appointed to the new position of systematic botanist at the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1946. At CSIRO she worked on organising and extending the herbarium, first as a research scientist and then as curator and was responsible for laying the foundations of the Herbarium Australiense, later the National Australian Herbarium. She wrote Key to the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n species of Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
L'Hér. but had not specialised on the genus. Her professional interest in systemic botany was reflected by her tenure as secretary of the systematic botany committee of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science is an organisation that was founded in 1888 by Archibald Liversidge as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science. It was modelled on the British Association for the Advancement of Science...
from 1948 to 1952. She also edited Australasian Herbarium News until her until 1953, when she took a years leave to be the Australian Botanical Liaison Officer
Australian Botanical Liaison Officer
Australian Botanical Liaison Officer is a secondment position, held for up to twelve months by an Australian botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, England in the United Kingdom. The position was created in 1937, and the first ABLO was Charles Gardner...
at the Kew Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
herbarium. While at Kew she photographed and indexed type specimens of Australian plants and made microfilm copies of Robert Brown's
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
notebooks for Australian herbaria.
When she returned to Australia in 1954 she began a very productive period of her career. She wrote an extensive paper "The phytogeography
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
of the Australian region" which was published in the Australian Journal of Botany in 1960 and contributed to the award of her DSc by the University of Western Australia in 1961. Her Dictionary of Australian Plant Genera was published in 1963, and she completed studies of the plant groups Nicotiana
Nicotiana
Nicotiana is a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated and grown to produce tobacco. Of all Nicotiana species,...
, Sesbania
Sesbania
Sesbania is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae and the only genus found in Tribe Sesbanieae. Notable species include the Rattlebox , Spiny Sesbania , and Sesbania sesban, which is used in cooking...
and Helichrysum. Many of her publications included her own drawings. After resigning her position as curator of the herbarium she went on to be heavily involved in the development of the Flora of Australia
Flora of Australia (series)
The Flora of Australia is a 59 volume series describing the vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens present in Australia and its external territories...
series, directing the project from 1973 to 1977. In addition to her books, she also wrote over 50 papers on phytogeography, ecology, botanical history and Australian plant genera. For her contributions to botany she was awarded the 1971 Clarke Medal
Clarke Medal
The Clarke Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of New South Wales for distinguished work in the Natural sciences.Named in honour of the Reverend William Branwhite Clarke, one of the founders of the Society...
for her achievements in taxonomic botany and ecology by the Royal Society of New South Wales
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
and made a member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in 1976.
Burbidge was also interested in conservation
Conservation in Australia
Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia...
. She was a founding member of the National Parks Association of the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
in 1960, and twice served as its president. She was prominent in the lobby for the establishment of national parks in the ACT including Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park, is a short drive from the city of Canberra, Australia. The reserve covers an area of approximately 54.50 km² and consists of a large valley floor, the Tidbinbilla Mountain and the Gibraltar range...
and Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately 40 km southwest of Canberra, and makes up approximately 46% of the ACT's land area....
; both of which were established following her death. She was also a member of the Australian Federation of University Women
Australian Federation of University Women
The Australian Federation of University Women, founded in 1922, is the national umbrella organisation for state Federations of University Women in Australia....
, serving as president of the Canberra branch from 1959 to 1961, of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association from 1957 to 1958 and as international secretary between 1961 and 1968.
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
s and honey-eaters, in St Michael's Anglican Church, Mount Pleasant, Western Australia
Mount Pleasant, Western Australia
Mount Pleasant is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville on the Canning River.Mount Pleasant hosts the Head of the River Rowing event, as part of the Public Schools Association, an elite boys schools association in Perth....
, and by the Nancy T. Burbidge Memorial, an amphitheatre in the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Australian National Botanic Gardens
The Australian National Botanic Gardens are located in Canberra and are administered by the Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Heritage....
in Canberra. The Australian Plant Name Index is dedicated to her memory and a peak in Namadgi is named Mount Burbidge in her honour.
Publications
- The Wattles of the Canadian Capital Territory (1961)
- Dictionary of Australian Plant Genera: Gymnosperms and Angiosperms (1963)
- Australian Grasses, 2 volumes (1966–1970) ISBN 0-207-95263-9
- Flora of the Australian Capital Territory with Max Gray (1970) ISBN 0-7081-0073-2
- Plant Taxonomic Literature in Australian Libraries (1978) ISBN 0-643-00286-3
External links
- Nancy T Burbidge Memorial Amphitheatre, Australian National Botanic Gardens
- Australian Plant name Index
- Photograph of Nancy Burbidge (seated on right) from the National Archives of AustraliaNational Archives of AustraliaThe National Archives of Australia is a body established by the Government of Australia for the purpose of preserving Commonwealth Government records. It is an Executive Agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and reports to the Cabinet Secretary, Senator Joe Ludwig.The national...
.