Person
West, Winifred (1881 - 1971)
CBE
- Born
- 1881
Frensham, Surrey, United Kingdom - Died
- 1971
New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Headmistress, Teacher and Zoological artist
Summary
Winifred West was a teacher and zoological illustrator. She studied languages at the University of Cambridge (but was not awarded a degree) and taught in the United Kingdom for five years before moving to Australia in 1907. For the next six years she taught privately and worked at the Australian Museum illustrating molluscs for the Museum's malacologist, Charles Hedley. In 1913 West was the founding headmistress of the Frensham boarding school for girls in Mittagong, New South Wales. She retained her interest in girls' education for the rest of her life, receiving several awards for services to education.
Details
Chronology
- 1900 - 1903
- Education - Studied Mediaeval and Modern Languages, Newnham College, University of Cambridge
- 1903 - 1907
- Career position - Teacher, Guernsey Ladies' College, United Kingdom
- 1907
- Life event - Founder and Headmistress, Frensham girls' school, Mittagong, New South Wales
- 1907 - 1912
- Career position - Illustrator, Australian Museum
- 1938
- Life event - Retired
- 1953
- Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- 1971
- Award - Companion of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Cox, J. C. and Hedley, Charles, 'An index to the land shells of Victoria', Memoirs of the National Herbarium of Victoria, 4 (1912), 5-14, https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.1912.4.01. Details
- Hedley, Charles, 'Mollusca from the Hope Islands, north Queensland', Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 34 (1909), 420-66, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/30113#page/685/mode/1up. Details
- Hedley, Charles, 'Descriptions of new or noteworthy shells in the Australian Museum', Records of the Australian Museum, 8 (3) (1912), 131-60, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/33722#page/341/mode/1up. Details
- Hedley, Charles and May, W. L., 'Mollusca from one hundred fathoms, seven miles east of Cape Pillar, Tasmania', Records of the Australian Museum, 7 (2) (1908), 108-25, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/33721#page/244/mode/1up. Details
Resource Sections
- Walker, Prue, 'Winifred West', in History of the Australian Museum: Museum people, Australian Museum, Sydney, 2018, https://australian.museum/about/history/people/winifred-west-biography/. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 7 July 2026