Person

Mather, Patricia (1925 - 2012)

AO

Born
12 December 1925
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Died
4 January 2012
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation
Museum curator and Marine biologist
Alternative Names
  • Kott, Patricia (maiden name)

Summary

Patricia Mather conducted research into marine invertebrates, particularly Ascidians (tunicates and sea squirts) throughout her forty year career in science. She was a strong advocate for the importance of taxonomy in buidiversity studies. Much of her research was on the Great Barrier Reef and she drafted a Bill which contributed to the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Mather also worked as Senior Curator of Higher Invertebrates at the Queensland Museum from 1975-1990. Patricia Mather was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia, 8 June 1992, for service to marine biology, particularly in the fields of ascidian research (the study of sea squirts) and reef science. Mather described about 500 new species, 12 genera and 7 families of sea squirts.

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Details

Chronology

1948
Education - Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons)), University of Western Australia
1948 - 1955
Career position - Research Officer at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Fisheries
1962
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Queensland
1965 - 1972
Career position - Research Fellow, University of Queensland
1970
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Western Australia
1973 - 1974
Career position - Curator, Queensland Museum
1975 - 1977
Career position - Chairman, Great Barrier Reef Committee
1975 - 1990
Career position - Senior Curator of Higher Invertebrates, Queensland Museum
1990 -
Career position - Honorary Associate at the Queensland Museum
1990
Life event - Retired
1990
Award - Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa, University of Queensland
1991
Award - Queensland Museum Medal
1992
Award - Silver Jubilee Award, Australian Marine Science Association
1992
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - for service to marine biology, particularly in the fields of ascidian research and reef science

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

  • Biographical cuttings on Patricia Mather, former marine biologist, Cuttings Files BIOG; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

  • McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Articles

Books

  • Mather, Patricia, A Time for a Museum: a History of the Queensland Museum (Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1986), 365 pp. Details
  • Mather, Patricia; and Bennett, Isobel, A coral reef handbook: a guide to the fauna, flora and geology of Heron Island and adjacent reefs and cays (Brisbane: Great Barrier Reef Committee, 1978), 92 pp. Details

Book Sections

Edited Books

  • McKay, Judith ed., Brilliant Careers: Women Collectors and Illustrators in Queensland (Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1997), 80 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Davie, Peter J. F., 'A tribute: Patricia Mather (née Kott) (1925 - 2012)', Australian marine science bulletin, 187 (2012), 4-5. Details
  • Davie, Peter J. F., 'In Memoriam: Patricia Mather (Née Kott) (1925-2012)', Memoirs of the Queensland Museum: Nature, 56 (2012), 235-53. Details
  • Hutchings, Pat; Brown, Barbara E.; Byrne, Maria; Hamylton, Sarah; and Spencer, Tom, 'The remarkable contributions of ten outstanding women to Australian coral reef science', Historical Records of Australian Science, 34 (1) (2023), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR22009. Details
  • Mather, P.; and Talbot, F. H., 'Research Facilities in the Great Barrier Reef: Their history, operation and funding', Search, 6 (8) (1975), 335-338. Details

Newspaper Articles

Resources

See also

  • Herd, Margaret ed., Who's who in Australia 2002 (Melbourne: Crown Content, 2001), 2020 pp. Details

Ailie Smith

Created: 28 February 2003, Last modified: 14 February 2023

EOAS ID: biogs/P004302b.htm

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