Isobel Bennett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isobel Bennett
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| Born |
Isobel Ida Bennett
9 July 1909 |
| Died | 12 January 2008 (aged 98) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Known for | Marine Science intertidal organisms |
| Awards | Mueller Medal (1982) Honorary Doctorate (University of Sydney, 1995) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Marine biology |
| Institutions | University of Sydney |
Isobel Ida Bennett (born 9 July 1909 – died 12 January 2008) was a very famous Australian marine biologist. Marine biologists study plants and animals that live in the ocean.
Isobel Bennett helped write an important book called Australian Seashores. Many people thought this book was the best guide to the "intertidal zone." This is the area of the seashore that is covered by water at high tide and exposed at low tide.
After the original author, William John Dakin, passed away, Isobel made sure the book was published. She kept updating it for many years, even becoming the main author. She also wrote nine other books about marine life. Isobel was one of the first women to travel to the Antarctic with the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE).
Isobel Bennett's Life and Work
Isobel Ida Bennett was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1909. She went to school at Somerville House. When she was 16, her family moved to Sydney.
In 1933, Isobel started working at the Zoology Department of the University of Sydney. She worked there for many years, helping professors with their research. She was a secretary, librarian, and research assistant.
Exploring the Coasts
From 1950, Isobel often took students to research stations on the Great Barrier Reef, like Heron Island and Lizard Island. She also did fieldwork on the coasts of Victoria and Tasmania.
In 1959, she made her first trip to Macquarie Island with the ANARE ship. She went back to Macquarie Island three more times in the 1960s.
From 1959 to 1971, she was a Professional Officer at the University of Sydney. In 1962, she received an honorary Master of Science degree from the university. This was a special award to recognize her important work. She also taught at Stanford University in the United States for a short time in 1963.
After Retirement
Isobel Bennett retired in 1971, but she didn't stop working! She continued to write books and do research. From 1974 to 1979, she worked with the New South Wales Fisheries Department. During this time, she studied coastal areas like Jervis Bay and Ulladulla. She also explored the coasts of Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and Flinders Island.
Isobel Bennett passed away in Sydney in 2008 when she was 98 years old. Her important papers and many color slides of Australian seashores are now kept at the National Library of Australia.
