Winifred Waddell

Winifred Waddell, MBE, (8 October 1884, Cumberland, England – 1972) was an English-born Australian botanist.[1] She formed the Native Plants Preservation Society of Victoria, a society which was based on community dedicated to the preservation of Australian native plants.[1][2] A Wildflower Sanctuary, named Winifred Waddell Wildflower Sanctuary.[2][3]

Winifred Waddell
Winifred Waddell, Melbourne, 1953
Born(1884-10-08)8 October 1884
England
Died1972
NationalityEnglish-Australian
CitizenshipAustralian
Scientific career
Fieldsbotany

Early life

Waddell was the eldest of four children, born in an area called Head's Nook. She attended Carlisle High School for Girls, and won many prizes, including for mathematics and botany.

Career

Waddell has hand coloured a number of water coloured engravings in a book called Illustrations of the British Flora: a series of wood engravings with dissection of British Plants.[1]

Waddell noticed the disappearance of native flora and destruction of bushland in Victoria, and formed a Wildflower Preservation Group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in 1952.[2]

Waddell taught mathematics in Melbourne before she retired.[4][5] She worked with native-plant preservation groups during the 1950s.[6][7] "In all weathers you will find Miss Waddell peering round In odd places, on a disused railway line, in the middle of a racecourse, on the edge of an old gold mine in a lovely valley or in a creek bank for 'survivals'", noted one newspaper profile in 1954.[4] She was responsible for securing the first wildflower sanctuary, at Tallarook, Victoria, in 1949.[4]

Awards

She was appointed MBE on 1 January 1964 for her work in preservation of natural flora.[8] She was awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion of the Field Naturalist Club of Victoria.[2]

References
  1. Marks, Robin (2011). "From Head's Nook to the high plains: Winifred Waddell and the Native Plants Preservation Society of Victoria". Australian Garden History. 22 (4): 13–18. ISSN 1033-3673.
  2. "The Winifred Waddell Wildflower Sanctuary". Beaumaris Conservation Society. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  3. "Wille Group | Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute". www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  4. Auld, Elizabeth (11 October 1954). "Her hobby – saving our wildflowers". Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Trove.
  5. "Personal". Argus. 8 March 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Trove.
  6. Waddell, Winifred (17 July 1951). "Victoria's Orchids Are Vanishing". Age. p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Trove.
  7. Waddell, Winifred (26 January 1952). "Save the Countryside; Sanctuaries for Wild Flowers". Age. p. 5. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Trove.
  8. "Miss Winifred Waddell". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
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