The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Ilma Mary Brewer studied and later taught botany at the University of Sydney. She developed new methods of teaching based on the principle that a student learnt more by working at their own pace and through self-instruction. She outlined her methods in Learning more and teaching less: a decade of innovation in self-instruction and small group learning, published in 1985.

As well as working in academia, Brewer also spent time working for the Australian military and in private industry in the United States.

She attended North Sydney Girls’ High School before enrolling at the University of Sydney in the 1930s.

Events

• 1936

  Bachelor of Science, University of Sydney

• 1937 - 1941

  Holder of a Linnean Macleay fellowship in Ecology in the Botany Department at the University of Sydney.

• 1937

  Master of Science, University of Sydney

• 1939 - 1945

  Worked with Army Intelligence to map the vegetation in the coastal regions of New South Wales.

• 1942 - 1943

  Assistant Lecturer in Biology, University of Sydney

• 1942

  Doctorate of Science, University of Sydney

• 1946 - 1947

  Director of research in a chemical factory in New Jersey, the United States

• 1957 - 1958

  Returned to the staff at University of Sydney as a part-time Demonstrator

• 1963 - 1970

  Lecturer in Botany/Biology, University of Sydney

• 1969

  Received a special grant from the Vice-Chancellor to establish an audio-visual centre for self-paced, independent study in Plant Anatomy

• 1970 - 1978

  Promoted to Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Sydney

• 1974

  Appointed a staff associate in the Regional Teacher Training Centre for Health Personnel at the University of New South Wales

• 1978

  Retired

• 1979 - 1984

  Honorary research affiliate in the Department of Anatomy, University of Sydney

• 1982

  The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia granted Brewer honorary life membership in recognition of her contribution to research and development in tertiary education