Message from Ann Moyal
|
|
|
|
As a historian of Australian science I've had a long interest in women in Australian science; starting with nineteenth century women and their skilled and generous, though often unacknowledged, contribution to the development of our knowledge of botany and natural history, and their brilliant illustrations which enriched contemporary C19 culture in Australia. I called them 'invisible participants' which they remained well into the 20th century when they began to emerge through the universities, gain scholarships to higher degrees and move mainly into the organic sciences.
From about 1989 I spent several years . among other things . with a group of lively young women historians of science gathering material about the fascinating and amazingly diverse cavalcade of Australia's scientific women . different in kind, temperament and opportunities . across nearly two centuries, which we planned as a collective book called Women in Australian Science. Alas, our application for an ARC grant was felled by a male referee, though highly praised by a high profile woman sociologist, and we faced great difficulties with publication proposals with publishers who sought large subsidies we didn't have. So it never saw the light of print. But I've recently placed this rich material, with its long lists of names, occupations and biographical references in the Basser Library of the Australian Academy of Science, where its three boxes, listed under Ann Moyal, cry out to be used for scholarly and popular purpose. I'd like to flag it publicly here.
In my message to the first Journal of WISENet, I find myself saying, perhaps rather oddly, 'Let the past take care of itself. Let us, as women in science, go forward in scholarship and achievements. Let us use our clout. Let us not be intimidated by the notion of power.' I was emphasising going forward! But Ifd now add, never let us forget the cavalcade of women on whose shoulders we stood and rose!
We live now in exciting times and it is illuminating to pore through the early numbers of WISENet and see how innovative and far-reaching the organization and its journal have been.
There are now.... 5 Women Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science; our Science Adviser to the Prime Minister (Penny Sackett) is a woman as are the science advisers to government in NSW, WA and Victoria. Women have headed or now lead our major scientific institutions: the CSIRO, ANSTO, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and there's a good showing of women professors across many scientific fields. Some co-opting of course goes on but it appears to have become much more of a unisex than a sex discriminatory experience in times of difficult funding.
I caught up recently with Barry Jones who in 1987, as the then very active Minister for Science, put forward so many fundamental and innovative plans for science and technology, and who helped WISENet become incorporated. He beams from a photo with a WISENet group on the Journal's ninth issue (see photograph). Talking with him recently, he recalled: : I was always interested in the rise of women in the science fields. It was important to encourage them to consider the physical and mathematical sciences as a career, in addition to their great flow into the organic sciences. I talked this up. I also tried in the 80s to get women on boards and to head the Department. But it didn't happen. There was a struggle with Commonwealth departments and their bureaucrats; they were negative too about superconductors. They weren't ready. But scientific women have come a long way since to lead our major scientific institutions and as key advisers to government and this is a great achievement.
I congratulate WISENet on its great 25 years of splendid collaborative achievement.
_____________________________
Bio: Ann Moyal AM was awarded a Doctor of Letters (ANU) and a Hon D.Lett from Sydney University for her contribution to the history of Australian science. She is the author of many distinguished works and one of the founders of WISENet. More about Ann in WISENet Journals 1, 40, 41, 43, 56, 59, 60, 67, 74 and 80.
__________________________________________________
