Shirley de la Hunty (née Strickland) MBE, OA, BSc Hons 1946, PhD (hon caus) 2001 Shirley Strickland de la Hunty, who died in late February, 2004, was known widely for her outstanding achievements as an athlete. Here we would like to emphasise her less well publicised coincident work as an academic. During school years, Shirley shone as an all-rounder. She was gifted in mathematics and the so-called Hard Science subjects and when she went on to The University of Western Australia, she completed a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in nuclear physics. Offered a position at Lucas Heights Nuclear Research Establishment in Sydney, she decided instead to remain in Western Australia, and to marry Lawrence de la Hunty, a geologist. For a short period she taught high school mathematics and later lectured in that subject at the Claremont Teachers College. When the College became a Commonwealth College of Advanced Education, Shirley taught mathematics and computing science there until her retirement.
 

In 1991 Edith Cowan University awarded her an Honorary Fellowship of the University. In 2001 the University awarded Mrs de la Hunty an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy for her distinguished service to society, in particular, to the advancement of women’s athletics, athletics generally and the
environment.
 

Other less well known aspects of this remarkable mother of four were her commitment to many environmental issues, her contributions to the evolution of The Australian Democrats in Western Australia and her involvement, after retirement from teaching, in local government. In these activities she displayed the same energy and passion that graced her other achievements and inspired the many whose lives she touched.