Margaret Alison Cameron AM, FRAOU (1937 – 2023) was a noted

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...

, administrator, and amateur

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

. She was the foundation librarian of Deakin University between 1977 and 1996, and pro vice-chancellor of the University from 1986 to 1990. She joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) in 1969 which she served as President from 1986 to 1989.

Personal life

Cameron was born in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia on 10 September 1937. As a child, her interest in birds was fostered by her father and life in the country. However, this initial interest remained dormant until opportunities through becoming a librarian for

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

arose for field trips and educational lectures that a deeper passion for birding and conservation was sparked. Following her stint at Flinders, Cameron moved on to

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...

from 1969 to 1977. It was here that she honed her skills in field ornithology, and inspired other birders with her enthusiasm and enquiring mind.

Career

Cameron began her career as a librarian at the

Public Library of Queensland The State Library of Queensland is the main reference and research library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988. It contain ...

from 1959 to 1962. She spent the following year in the United States of America at the Australian Reference Library in New York. She returned to Australia in 1964 to be Thatcher Librarian at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

. From 1965 to 1969 she worked at Flinders University. Following this, she moved to New South Wales to be a Reader Services Librarian at Macquarie University where she stayed until 1977. In 1977 Cameron became the foundation librarian at Deakin University where she worked until her retirement in 1990. During this period between 1980 and 1987 she was also the editor of the Geelong Naturalist, a publication of the Geelong Field Naturalists Club. She returned to Queensland before her death in September 2023.

Awards and recognition

Cameron has received the following awards and recognicion; * 1987 Fellow of the Library Association of Australia and appointed a * 1990 Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for "service to library services, education and to ornithology" * 1993 Fellow of the RAOU * 1999 honorary Doctor of the University from Deakin University * 1999 was awarded Australian Natural History Medallion Cameron was the recipient of an Australian American Education Foundation (Fulbright) University Administrator Grant as well as a British Council Cultural Visitor.

References

*Anon. (1993). RAOU Fellow: Citation. Margaret Alison Cameron. ''Emu'' 93: 299. *Robin, Libby. (2001). ''The Flight of the Emu: a hundred years of Australian ornithology 1901-2001''. Carlton, Vic. Melbourne University Press. Australian ornithologists Women ornithologists Members of the Order of Australia Australian librarians Australian women librarians People educated at St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School 1937 births 2023 deaths {{Australia-scientist-stub