Blackwood, Margaret (1909 - 1986)

Margaret Blackwood graduated from the University of Melbourne with a BSc in 1938 and MSc in 1940. During the Second World War she served with the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force and then was granted an ex-service postgraduate scholarship for Cambridge, where she gained a PhD for her work in plant genetics. In 1951 Blackwood returned to Melbourne and was a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne until 1974. She was then elected a member of the University Council and in 1980 became the first female Deputy Chancellor. She held both these positions until her retirement in 1983. She was appointed as a Member of the British Empire in 1964 for work in botany and was appointed a Dame (Order of the British Empire - Dames Commander) for her services to education in 1980.

Chronology

26 April 1909	Born daughter of Robert Leslie and Muriel Pearl (née Henry) Blackwood
1932 - 1933	Senior science mistress at Lowther Hall CEGGS
1934 - 1938	Senior science mistress at Korowa CEGGS
1938	University of Melbourne demonstrator and Howitt Research Student
1939 - 1941	Demonstrator and Caroline Kay Research Scholarship Plant Cytology and Genetics at the University of Melbourne
15 March 1941	Joined Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) at inception as airwoman
27 March 1941	Commissioned WAAAF
1942	Commanding Officer at No 1 WAAAF Training Depot
1942 - 1944	Officer-in-charge, with rank of Squadran Officer, WAAAF Training
1945	Staff Officer with WAAAF Western Area
January 1946	Discharged from Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force with the rank of Wing Officer
1947 - 1948	Dean of Women, Mildura Branch, Melbourne University
1957 - 1958	Australian Chairman of the Soroptimist International Association
1958 - 1959	Carnegie Scholar for Cambridge University in England
1961 - 1974	Chairman of the Melbourne University Council and Founder Fellow of the Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne
1975 - 1986	Member of the Council of the University of Melbourne

Chair

• University of Melbourne Women Graduates Centenary Committee (1983 - )

Membership

• Lyceum Club (Melbourne) (1912 - )
• RAAF Association (Vic. Division) - WAAAF Branch (1946 - )
• Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific (SISWP)

  Australian Chairman

  [1957 - 1958]

Related Corporate Bodies

• Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) (1941 - 1947)

  During World War 11 Margaret Blackwood developed administrative skills and rose from Sergeant to Wing Officer

  [1941 - 1946]

Book Sections

• Carey, Jane, 'Women and science at the University of Melbourne: reflections on the career of Dame Margaret Blackwood', in Working papers: The University of Melbourne. History of the University Project, vol. 2, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 1996. [ Details... ]
• Falk, Barbara, 'Margaret Blackwood', in Radi, Heather (ed.), 200 Australian women, Women's Redress Press Inc, Broadway, NSW, 1988, pp. 224-225. [ Details... ]

Newspaper Articles

• Ross, Caroline, 'A learned start to discovery day', The Sun, 30 June 1983, p. 46. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• 'Blackwood, Margaret (1909-1986), Biographical Entry', in Bright Sparcs, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2002, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P002194b.htm. [ Details... ]
• Department of Veterans' Affairs, 'BLACKWOOD, MARGARET', in World War 2 Nominal Roll, 2002, http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1069562. [ Details... ]

See also

• Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 'Where are the Women in Australian science?', 22 August 2003, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html. [ Details... ]
• Draper, W J (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1983, 24 edn, The Herald and Weekly Times, Melbourne, 1983, 960 pp. [ Details... ]
• Gillison, Joan M, A History of the Lyceum Club Melbourne, The Lyceum Club, Melbourne, 1975, 118 pp. [ Details... ]
• Public Broadcasting Association of Australia, Another time/place [sound recording], Melbourne : National Programme Service. [ Details... ]
• Thomson, Joyce A, The WAAAF in Wartime Australia, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., 1992, 422 pp. [ Details... ]