Margaret Ann Bradshaw (née Cresswell; born 31 December 1941) is a New Zealand geologist and a retired staff member at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

. She is considered a trailblazer and influential female role model in

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

research.

Early life and education

Born Margaret Ann Cresswell in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

, England, on 31 December 1941, she married John Dudley Bradshaw in Nottingham in 1963, and they moved to

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand, in 1966. Bradshaw began her work there on

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

invertebrate palaeontology Invertebrate paleontology (also spelled invertebrate palaeontology) is sometimes described as invertebrate paleozoology or invertebrate paleobiology. Whether it is considered to be a subfield of paleontology, paleozoology, or paleobiology, this d ...

, gradually incorporating

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

into her research. She became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1980.

Career and impact

Bradshaw focused her research on the structure and

stratigraphy Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock (geology), rock layers (Stratum, strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary rock, sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigrap ...

of Devonian rocks in New Zealand and Antarctica. Specifically she worked on the development and relationship of

Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...

terrains in New Zealand, as well as the

paleobiogeography Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

of Devonian

Bivalves Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

and the Paleontology and environmental significance of Paleozoic

Trace fossil A trace fossil, also known as an ichnofossil (; from el, ἴχνος ''ikhnos'' "trace, track"), is a fossil record of biological activity but not the preserved remains of the plant or animal itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, ...

s in both New Zealand, Antarctica and Australia. Bradshaw was a curator at the Canterbury Museum and her initial trips to Antarctica were to collect fossils and rocks for the Antarctic display. Bradshaw was the curator of Geology at the Canterbury Museum for 17 years. Her first trip to Antarctica was from 1975 to 1976 to collect specimens for the museum's Antarctic Hall. Bradshaw was the first woman to lead an Antarctic deep field party in her 1979 to 1980 field season to the remote Ohio Range and she was the first to discover new fish fossils in the exposures of the

Cook Mountains The Cook Mountains is a group of mountains bounded by the Mulock and Darwin glaciers in Antarctica. Parts of the group were first viewed from the Ross Ice Shelf by the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04). Additional portions of t ...

in her 1988 to 1989 field season. Bradshaw was the president of the

New Zealand Antarctic Society New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed in 1933 by New Zealand businessman Arthur Leigh Hunt and Antarctic explorers Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Sir Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) ...

for 10 years until 2003. She is a member of the Association of Australian Paleontologists.

Awards and honours

Bradshaw is the second woman to win the Queen's Polar Medal, and the first New Zealand woman to be awarded this medal, in 1993. She received the

Royal Society of New Zealand Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

Science & Technology Medal in 1994. Bradshaw is a New Zealand Antarctic Society Life Member, nominated in 2006. In 2017, Bradshaw was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "

150 women in 150 words Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

", celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.

Bradshaw Peak Bradshaw Peak () is a peak rising to , south east of Turk Peak, Churchill Mountains. It is situated on the south west side of McLay Glacier. The peak was named in honor of Margaret Bradshaw, geological scientist, University of Canterbury. Marg ...

, situated on the south west side of the McLay Glacier in Antarctica, is named in her honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradshaw, Margaret 1941 births Living people People from Nottingham English emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand recipients of the Polar Medal New Zealand Antarctic scientists Academic staff of the University of Canterbury Women Antarctic scientists 20th-century New Zealand women scientists 20th-century British women scientists 20th-century New Zealand geologists Women geologists Female recipients of the Polar Medal Naturalised citizens of New Zealand 21st-century New Zealand geologists