Isobel Bennett Slide Collection

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Northern Beaches local Dr Isobel Bennett was one of the most highly respected and foremost authorities on Australian marine life. She had a particular interest in marine life of the intertidal zone.

She published a number of works during her lifetime, including numerous editions of Australian Seashores.

Collection SummaryThis collection of slides, was donated by Dr Bennett to the Northern Beaches Council, specifically to the Coastal Environment Centre, featuring a variety of sea species found in intertidal zones, most of which were taken by Bennett herself, throughout her long and varied career, with images from the 1950s to the 1990s. Other contributions include from colleagues and friends, such as Biology Teacher, Dr Elizabeth Sakker; Experimental Ecologist, Dr Antony James Underwood; Malacologist, William B Rudman; Supreme Court Judge, Justice Frederick Myers; Photographer, Keith Gillett
The descriptions have been drawn from notes on the slides left by Bennett herself, and as such reflect the knowledge at the time they were made, which may no longer reflect current understandings.

In particular, please note that the scientific names used for each photograph may not reflect current scientific consensus, as names and species attributions are constantly evolving. As Bennett herself explained in the preface to the 1987 edition of Australian Seashores, "As our knowledge of different groups and their relations has improved, it has often been necessary to change or synonymise the names of species".
Some of the photographs, or very similar shots, feature in her many works. Others are also in the collections of other collecting institutions including the Australian Museum and the National Archives. Where possible we have endeavoured to provide a link to the relevant pages.
SubjectsBeaches (N.S.W.)InvertebratesReefsCoastsBeach erosionKeywordsMarine Life
Sea Life

Factsheet

Isobel Ida Bennett (1909 - 2008)

Connections

Oral HistoryInterview with Isobel Bennett Related itemsIsobel Ida Bennett (1909 - 2008)Portrait of Isobel Bennett, date unknown

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Isobel Bennett Slide Collection