Taking to the Field

More about the book

If asked to name an Australian woman scientist from the past, very few could. Histories of Australian science largely overlook women, creating the false impression that there were none until recently. In reality, women constituted a significant portion of the scientific community in Australia from the 1900s to the 1940s, outpacing their counterparts in Britain and the United States. Their contributions are often overlooked because women's work is less cited and more likely to be forgotten. This comprehensive history reveals that women have played a crucial role in science from the colonial period to today. Engaging in diverse scientific fields such as botany, genetics, and organic chemistry, women were active as academics, researchers, lab workers, teachers, and advocates for science-based social reform, sometimes outnumbering men in specific disciplines. However, the narrative is complex, as some women participated in darker aspects of colonial science and eugenics, and opportunities for women of color were limited. Despite these challenges, remarkable individuals have significantly advanced our understanding of the world. From the first female science graduate, Edith Dornwell, to Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, Australian women have profoundly influenced science, as illustrated by the botanical work of Georgina Molloy and the discoveries of Georgina Sweet.