Gretna Margaret Weste
Gretna Margaret Weste (born Parkin) | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 5, 1917 Dumfries, Scotland [1] |
| Died | September 1, 2006 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Science (DSc) |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Awards | Member of the Order of Australia (AM) (1989), Australasian Plant Pathology Society Medal (1995) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, Plant Pathology, mycology |
| Institutions | University of Melbourne |
Gretna Margaret Weste AM (September 5, 1917 – 2006) was a leading scientist noted for her work in plant pathology and mycology, specifically with Phytophthora cinnamomi.[2]
Biography
Gretna Margaret Weste was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland in 1917 to Australian parents, Grace and Arthur Parkin. Her father was a volunteer chemist in the the local munitions factory.[2] She arriving in Australia aged two years, and grew up in Surrey Hills, and outer-suburb of Melbourne[2]. Her schooling was completed through scholarships, first at the Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne where she gained final-year honors at the botany exhibition, and won a government scholarship to the University of Melbourne. At the University of Melbourne, she obtained a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in 1938 and Master of Science (MSc) in 1939 on wood anatomy. She was awarded a PhD in 1969 and a University of Melbourne Doctor of Science (DSc) in 1984 for her published papers.[2] In 1989 she was awarded a Member in the Order of Australia (AM) for "service to science, particularly in the field of botany.[3][4]
Research
Weste was noted for her many contributions to the fields of the plant pathology and mycology. For her Masters of Science research, she studied wood anatomy -- which proved useful in preserving the huge quantities of dead standing Mountain Ash timber which resulted as a consequence of the Black Friday bushfires of 1939.[2] Her Doctor of Philosophy degree was in agricultural plant pathology, on the root-rotting pathogen of wheat. After this she turned her research attention to Phytophthora cinnamomi, a root pathogen of Australian indigenous plants.[2]
The standard author abbreviation Weste is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[5]
References
- ^ Walker, Rosanne (4 July 2012). "Biographical Entry: Weste, Gretna Margaret (1917-2006)". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Weste, Gretna Margaret (1917–2006) in The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
- ^ "Weste, Gretna Margaret (1917–2006)". Obituaries Australia. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- ^ "WESTE, Gretna Margaret". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ International Plant Names Index. Weste.
External links
- Weste, Gretna Margaret (1917–2006) in The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
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