Person

White, Mary Dunbar (1910 - 1996)

OAM

Born
6 November 1910
Died
6 April 1996
Apollo Bay, Victora, Australia
Occupation
Botanical artist, Conservationist, Headmistress and Teacher

Summary

Mary White was a teacher and school principal until her retirement in 1976. Pursuing her interest in the natural history of the Anglesea region, she then joined the Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair). For the next 20 years she served the Society as secretary, treasurer and president, and participated in the Society's efforts to lobby for the preservation of public reserves. White was dedicated to recording and painting the local flora and fauna. A number of the Society's publications were written and edited by White. Her wildflower paintings were donated to the National Herbarium of Victoria. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her for service to conservation and the environment in 1995. The Mary D White Heathland Reserve section of the Great Otway National Park was named in her honour.

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Details

Chronology

1976
Life event - Retired as Principal, Ballarat Girls High School
1976 - 1995
Career position - Member, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair)
1981
Award - MSc honoris causa, Deakin University
1995
Award - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to conservation and the environment
1995 - 1996
Award - Honorary Life Member, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna (Angair)

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • White, Mary D., The flowers of Anglesea River valley (Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House, 1989), 119 pp. Details
  • White, Mary D., Coastal vegetation of Anglesea-Airey's [sic] Inlet region (Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House, 1990), 70 pp. Details

Edited Books

  • White, M. D. ed., Anglesea: a natural history study ([Anglesea, Vic.]: ANGAIR, 1994), 24 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • White, Sally, 'Mary D. White's botanical art collection', Angair quarterly Autumn (2026), 16. Details

Helen Cohn

Created: 12 May 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P008028b.htm

This Edition: 2026 May - New Office
Chunnup - Gariwerd calendar - Winter: late May to end of July - season of cockatoos
Reference: https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/gariwerd-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-chunnup-season-of-cockatoos

Publisher: Swinburne University of Technology.

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