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]
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]
