Joplin, Germaine Anne (Joppy) (1903 - 1989)

Summary

Germaine Joplin was a highly-respected geologist and petrologist who research focus was on the rocks of southeast Australia. Her early career at the University of Sydney was interrupted when she was awarded a Linnean Macleay Fellowship. This enabled her to continue the work of W. R. Browne on the Cooma Metamorphic Belt. She then returned to the University, earned her DSc (on the interaction of primary granitic and primary basaltic magmas) and Diploma in Social Studies, and worked briefly for the Society for Crippled Children. A temporary research position with the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics led to the landmark 3-volume Chemical analyses of Australian rocks (1963-1975). In 1952 she was appointed Research Fellow at the Department of Geophysics, Australian National University, a position she held until her retirement in 1968. Joplin published numerous papers and books, many including her beautifully-drawn illustrations. She was a foundation member of the Geological Society of Australia, chaired the Canberra Branch in 1955, and was a member of both the Standing Committee on Collection and Recording of Chemical Analyses of Australian Rocks and the Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology. The Society awarded her the W. R. Browne Medal in 1986.

Details

Chronology

1930

Education - BSc, University of Sydney

1936

Education - PhD, University of Cambridge

1936 - 1941

Career position - Curator, Geological Museum, and Assistant Lecturer in Petrology, University of Sydney

1941 - 1945

Career position - Linnean Macleay Fellow (Geology), University of Sydney

1945 - 1949

Career position - Lecturer in Petrology, University of Sydney

1950

Career position - Social worker, Society for Crippled Children

1950

Education - DSc, University of Sydney

1950

Education - Diploma in Social Studies, University of Sydney

1951

Career position - Research geologist (temporary), Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics

1952 -

Career position - Foundation Member, Geological Society of Australia

1952 - 1968

Career position - Research Fellow, Department of Geophysics, Australian National University

1955

Career position - Chair, Canberra Branch, Geological Society of Australia

1963

Award - Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales

1968

Life event - Retired

1969 - 1975

Career position - Member of Council, Australian National University

1986

Award - W. R. Browne Award, Geological Society of Australia

1986

Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to science, particularly in the field of geology

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Joplin, Germaine A., Chemical analyses of Australian rocks, 3 vols (Canberra: Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, 1963-1975). Details
• Joplin, Germaine A., A petrology of Australian igneous rocks (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1964), 210 pp. Details
• Joplin, Germaine A., A petrology of Australian metamorphic rocks (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1968), 262 pp. Details
• Joplin, Germaine A., Richards, John R. and Joplin, Christine A., Finding the age of rocks (Sydney: Angus and Robertson Education, 1972), 115 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Turner, S., 'Invincible but mostly Invisible: Australian Women's Contribution to Geology and Palaeontology', Geological Society Special Publication, 281 (2007), 165-202. Details

Resources

• Geological Society of Australia, Australian geology hall of fame, ESHG Biographies, Earth Sciences History Group, Geological Society of Australia, 2022. https://www.gsa.org.au/Public/Public/Specialist_Groups/ESHG_Sub_Pages/ESHG_Biographies.aspx?hkey=1bfc25ca-efd5-4f91-9536-dabf175139ce. Details

Resource Sections

• Richards, John, 'Germaine Anne Joplin (1903 - 1989)', in Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, 19898. https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/joplin-germaine-anne-543. Details