Mary Eleanor Gillham
MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
* Mbe language, a language of Nigeria
* Mbe' language, language of Cameroon
* ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language
Molal ...
(26 November 1921 – 23 March 2013) was a British
naturalist, university lecturer, and writer, who was resident for many years in
Gwaelod y Garth
Gwaelod-y-garth ( Welsh for ''Foot of the Garth'') is a village in the community of Pentyrch, Cardiff in Wales.
Location
Gwaelod-y-garth is located in Taff Valley at the foot of Garth Hill, north of central Cardiff and south of Pontypridd. ...
and then
Radyr
Radyr ( cy, Radur) is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417.
Morganstown is north of Radyr, on the othe ...
, in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
until her death.
Although born in a London suburb, and serving five
wartime years in the
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian organisation created in 1917 by the Board of Agriculture during the First World War to bring women into work in agriculture, replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the ...
working on multiple farms,
Mary Gillham spent much of her time in Wales. As a post-war student in the
University of Wales
The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff †...
at
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
and
Bangor, she gained a degree in agriculture, a first-class honours in
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
, and a PhD in island ecology.
[Mary Gillham – her Life and Times – the first 80 years]
Cardiff Naturalists. Retrieved 21 December 2016 She lectured in the universities of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
(Devon),
Massey
Massey may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Massey, Ontario
* Massey Island, Nunavut
New Zealand
* Massey, New Zealand, an Auckland suburb
United States
* Massey, Alabama
* Massey, Iowa
* Massey, Maryland
People
* Massey (surname)
Education ...
(New Zealand),
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
(Australia),
Kano
Kano may refer to:
Places
*Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria
*Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State
**Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries
**Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
(Nigeria), and worked in the Adult Education Department at
University College Cardiff
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
from 1961 until her retirement in 1988.
As a teacher of adult amateur naturalists, she saw her role as an interpreter of scientific data for the layman, and took to writing books and popular articles. Spray-washed
seabird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...
colonies were her main love, and research on these took her to remote islands in many parts of the world, where she has lived in
tents
A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using gu ...
, huts,
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
s, etc. Her major research projects were around the coasts of West Wales (her PhD thesis), Australia,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and South Africa, and she was one of the first women scientists to join an
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 ...
expedition (in 1959/60).
In 1970, she undertook a research project on
Aldabra
Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
in the Indian Ocean, and subsequently took naturalists to the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
.
In 1979, she was visiting scientist on an American expedition (by sailing ship) to an uninhabited island in the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, and she took parties to
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
,
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
, and the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. Other expeditions were to North, West, East, and Central Africa, and Florida, and she led groups to various parts of Britain and Europe. Active in various natural history and conservation bodies over several decades, Gillham was president of the Glamorgan Naturalists' Trust and of the
Cardiff Naturalists Society.
In 2008, Gillham was awarded an
MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
* Mbe language, a language of Nigeria
* Mbe' language, language of Cameroon
* ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language
Molal ...
for services to nature conservation in South Wales.
Early life and family
Gillham was born and brought up in
Ealing
Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Ealing was histor ...
, West London on 26 November 1921 to mother Edith Gertrude and father Charles Gillham, a secondary school teacher. The family resided at Birbeck Road in South Ealing and she attended Little Ealing Infants and Junior School. In 1927 the family moved to a newly built house at
Gunnersbury Park
Gunnersbury Park is a park in the London Borough of Hounslow between Acton, Brentford, Chiswick and Ealing, West London, England. Purchased for the nation from the Rothschild family, it was opened to the public by Neville Chamberlain, then ...
(which later changed its name to Popes Lane), where she lived until her move to Wales in 1962. Gillham's elder brother, John, lived at this house until his death in March 2009.
During her childhood Gillham enjoyed going on camping trips with her brother and parents, going to places such as
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, the
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
as well as places closer to home. It was unusual to go camping at the time therefore whilst on these trips Gillham had a passion for noting and sketching everything she saw. On the eve of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the family even went on a camping trip to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Gillham left school at age 16 to start work at
London City Council
London City Council is the governing body of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.
Composition
London is divided into 14 wards, with residents in each ward electing one councillor. The mayor is elected citywide, who along with the councillors for ...
office in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
.
This wasn't her natural habitat therefore when war was declared in 1939 she happily signed up to the
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian organisation created in 1917 by the Board of Agriculture during the First World War to bring women into work in agriculture, replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the ...
where she served five years on various farms milking cows, helping the vet on his rounds and learning how to be a hands-on land girl.
Education
![CoW u6LXEAAPBm4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/CoW_u6LXEAAPBm4.jpg)
Gillham attended Ealing County School for Girls, where she earned her Clerical Assistant's Grade I in April 1938, which would qualify her to later work at
London City Council
London City Council is the governing body of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.
Composition
London is divided into 14 wards, with residents in each ward electing one councillor. The mayor is elected citywide, who along with the councillors for ...
office in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
. She was also awarded a 2nd Class Award of the
Royal Life-Saving Society
The Royal Life Saving Society UK is a drowning prevention charity founded in 1891 in the UK. It has had Royal Patronage since 1904.
History
The Royal Life Saving Society UK is a national charity, founded in 1891 by William Henry (swimmer), William ...
in 1937.
When
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
ended in 1945, as a former member of the
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian organisation created in 1917 by the Board of Agriculture during the First World War to bring women into work in agriculture, replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the ...
, Gillham was eligible for a grant to go to university; something her family couldn't have afforded in
peace-time. She became a post-war student at the
University of Wales at Aberystwyth, gaining an
undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
in Agriculture followed by a
first-class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
in
Botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
in 1949.
[ She was also involved in extracurricular activities at university, becoming captain of the gymnastics, folk dance, rowing and swim team.
At university Gillham fell in love with the coast and began a lifelong study of seabird islands, with research on ]Skomer
Skomer () or Skomer Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, in the community of Marloes and St Brides in west Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the At ...
and Skokholm
Skokholm () or Skokholm Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales, south of the neighbouring island of Skomer. The surrounding waters are a marine reserve and all are part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Both islands a ...
. In 1953 she completed her PhD in Island Ecology at the University of Wales, Bangor
Bangor University ( cy, Prifysgol Bangor) is a Public university, public university in Bangor, Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales. It received its Royal charter, Royal Charter in 1885 and was one of the founding institutions of the federal University of Wales ...
, with her thesis researching the effects of seabirds on the vegetation of islands, based on research carried out on the islands off the Pembroke coast.[ Her PhD was supervised by Professor ]Lily Newton
Lily Newton (26 January 1893 – 26 March 1981) was professor of botany and vice-principal at the University of Wales.
Early life and education
Newton was born at Pensford in Somerset in 1893, the daughter of George and Melinda Batten. She a ...
, who Gillham later dedicated her book 'Sub-Antarctic Sanctuary: Summertime on Macquarie Island' to.
Mary as a lecturer
In 1953, Gillham started lecturing in the Botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
department of Exeter University
, mottoeng = "We Follow the Light"
, established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter)
, type = Public
, ...
, where she worked for three and a half years.[Mary's Curriculum Vitae]
On 1 March 1957, she began a one-year Botany exchange lectureship and wardenship at Massey University
Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki PÅ«rehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...
, in Palmerston North, New Zealand
Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
, where she moved into Moginie House.[Mary's personal diary, Volume II, 1–5, 1958] This position, along with small monetary grants from the British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
and from the University of New Zealand
The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 196 ...
, kept her afloat financially whilst in New Zealand – where she could then undertake work on the commercial Muttonbird island of South-East Australia. Gillham then moved to work as a Senior Demonstrator at the Department of Botany at University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
, Australia on 3 March 1958 during an exchange lectureship.[Mary's personal diary, Volume V, 240–241, 1958]
From 1961 to 1988, she lectured at the Adult Education Department at the University of Wales, Cardiff
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
, until her retirement in 1988.
In 1963, Gillham worked as a Staff Tutor in the Biological Sciences at University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
, Department of Extramural Studies. Here she lectured on numerous occasions for numerous courses, some examples including: a series of Travel Talks in 1963 (Tuesdays from 8–8.30 pm, for 11 weeks from 15 January to 9 April, and Fridays from 7-9pm), seven lectures on Coastal Vegetation in 1963, and 20 lectures in the course titled 'Environmental Studies in Natural History'; the latter being an annual course between 1970 and 1974. She gave her Extramural lectures in a range of locations in Wales, including: Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Abergavenny, Risca, Llwynypia, Pontypridd, Gwaelod-y-Garth, St. Donats, Bargoed, Hay, Bridgend, Barry, Cowbridge, Porthcawl, Bassaleg, and Llantwit Major, mostly on topics of botany and natural history. Gillham also led numerous study tours for her students in locations closer to home: Guernsey (1969), the Shropshire Hills (1970), Monmouthshire (1970), Skomer Island (1978), Norfolk (1986), the Heritage Coast (1987), Gower (1987), Merthyr Mawr (1988), and Scilly Isles (1988), as well as further afield: Corfu (1969), Sardinia (1985) and Portugal (1986).
Gillham gave lectures about plants in relation to drought at Kano University in the southern Sahara region of Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, NaìjÃrÃyà , yo, Nà ìjÃrÃà , pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, in the mid-1980s; however, the university was closed while she was there due to outbreak of war. The majority of her students at the time were mature males seeking to learn the key to getting plants to grow in the desert.
International travel
New Zealand
Gillham left London by boat on 19 November 1956, arriving at New Zealand on 22 December 1956, after 33 days of sailing (stopping at Curaçao, Panama and Pitcairn on the way). She spent much of her time here studying New Zealand's natural history, especially the bird life. Whilst in the North Island she paid visits to Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Napier and Cape Kidnappers; studying the Gannet colonies at the latter.
On 12 January 1957 she then moved to the South Island, visiting multiple locations including; Dunedin, Otago Peninsula to study Albatross colonies, Green Island, Southland, Fiordland, Stewart Island to look at the Muttonbird colonies, Muttonbird Island, Christchurch, Hokitika, Westland, Nelson and Picton.
Gillham moved to Massey, where she moved into Moginie House to begin her one-year Botany exchange lectureship and wardenship at Massey University
Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki PÅ«rehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...
on 27 February 1957.
She joined a one-week trip to Rotorua on 18 April 1957, and later headed to Wellington on 9 May 1957 where she spent time at the Animal Ecology section of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development.
* Department of Scientific and Industria ...
.
Later that year in August Gillham visited Auckland, from which she travelled around the Hauraki Gulf visiting Mokohinau, Little Barrier and Rangitoto Islands.
When back in Massey, she attended the New Zealand Ecological Society annual conference on 29 August 1957, where she discussed her research paper "Ecology of some New Zealand seabird colonies".
Australia
Gillham left Auckland, New Zealand by air for Sydney, Australia on 21 December 1957, also visiting Canberra and Corowa in the following days. She began an exchange lectureship working as a Senior Demonstrator at the Department of Botany at University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
, Australia on 3 March 1958. Towards the end of that same month she left for a trip around the Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...
Islands, visiting Flinders, Fisher, Great Dog, Little Dog, Woody and Isabella. She later visited these Islands again in December 1958, with the addition of Tucks, West, East and South Spences, Little Green, Penguin Islet, Apple Orchard and Samphire.
On 25 April 1958 Gillham then set out for a visit to Phillip Island, to see and learn about the koala bears on the Island and the penguin colonies at Phillip Island Nature Park
Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP) is a conservation park located on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. Created in 1996, the park is owned by the Victorian State Government, however it is a self-funding commercial attraction for the purpose of an ...
, or 'Penguin Parade'; visiting the Island again later that year in October to collect penguin guano for the Microbiology Department at University of Melbourne.
Gillham joined a McCoy Society trip to Chinaman Island
Chinaman Island is an uninhabited island located in Western Port, Victoria, south-eastern Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (co ...
on 10 May 1958, in the North-West corner of Western Port
Western Port, (Boonwurrung: ''Warn Marin'') commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay, is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria, Australia, opening into Bass Strait. It is the second largest bay in the state. Geographically, it is do ...
, where she created lists of the Island's grazed and ungrazed plants. Later that month Gillham also holidayed at Albury, moving to Sydney, Kempsey and then to Brisbane. She then also paid visits to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is an koala sanctuary in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland, Australia.
Founded in 1927, it is the oldest and largest koala sanctuary of its kind in the world.
History
The name originates from a l ...
, Lota, Moreton Bay Islands and Enoggera Reservoir.
She took a trip to Cape York, leaving Melbourne by boat a year later on 12 March 1959.
Whilst on Fisherman Island on 1 December 1959, Gillham discovered a species of seal yet to be seen on the island; during a four-day trip around the Jurien Bay islands (Favorite island, a satellite of Long island, Fisherman island and Cervantes island). Once back in Melbourne, the discovery sparked debate between scientists at the Royal Society of Victoria
The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia.
Foundation
In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fou ...
symposium, with some insisting them to be fur seals and others believing them to be hair seals.
Tasmania
On 7 February 1959 Gillham left for a Tasmanian tour. She also spent the three summers of 1958–1960 at Tasmania investigating (as part of a team) the costs and benefits of pastoral farming and muttonbird harvesting, residing at a research hut on Fisher Island, in the Eastern Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia.
Macquarie Island
In December 1959 Mary Gillham, along with Susan Ingham (British), Hope Macpherson and Isobel Bennett
Isobel Ida Bennett AO 1984 (9 July 1909 – 12 January 2008) was one of Australia's best-known marine biologists. She (with Elizabeth Pope) assisted William John Dakin with research for his final book (Australian Seashores) regarded by man ...
(both Australian), became the first female scientists to join a research trip to Macquarie Island, Antarctica with ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition). Leaving from Australia, the four women were present to support the ongoing study of aspects of animal and plant life on the island; with Mary's research analysing the effects of sea birds on the island's vegetation.
The success of these ground-breaking women during this trip paved the way for more female scientists to be able to join future expeditions such as this; had it not turned out so well, the involvement of female scientists on research trips would have been greatly delayed.
Africa
South Africa
Following her travels in Australia Gillham travelled to South Africa, arriving at Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
by boat on 1 May 1960. On 8 May 1960 she moved to Saldanha, from which she took an expedition to three of the Saldanha Bay Islands; Jutten, Malgas and Marcus. Gillham headed back to Cape Town on 13 May 1960, where she spent time at Compton Herbarium and visited Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.
On 24 May 1960 Gillham visited Robben Island, and a few days later she then left for a bird-watching trip at Lambert's Bay.
Gillham joined a two-day trip to Port Elizabeth on 1 June 1960, which she visited again later that month. She also took two trips to both Meeuw Island and Schaapen Island later in June that year.
She left Cape Town for Pretoria on 26 June 1960, stopping at Karoo, Parys and Johannesburg during the journey.
Central Africa
Gillham joined a day trip to Mozambique on 7 August 1960 where she visited the Susengenga (Little River Research Station); an agricultural research station, and the Barragem Oliveira Salazar dam. From here, she travelled to Sabi Valley, to Fort Victoria (now called Masvingo
Masvingo is a city in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The city is situated close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name and close to Lake Mutirikwi, its recreational park, th ...
), back to Johannesburg and then reaching the Congo (after travelling through Angola) on 12 August 1960.
Gillham left the Congo by plane for Ghana, arriving on the same day, but leaving on the following day (13 August) via Nigerian Airways
Nigeria Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Nigeria Airways, was a Nigerian airline. The company was founded in 1958 after the dissolution of West African Airways Corporation (WAAC). It held the name West African Airways Corporation Nigeria ( ...
to get to Lagos, Nigeria. On 14 August 1960 she arrived at Ibadan where she paid visits to tropical forests and the Olokemeji Forest Reserve. Later that month she also travelled to Minna, Nigeria from Jebba railway station to see the savannah zone.
Between 27 January and 5 February 1994, Gillham spent time travelling around Zimbabwe, as well as spending a full day in Botswana, joining a sail along the River Chobe boundary of Namibia and also participating in a walk across Victoria Falls bridge to Zambia.[Mary's personal diary, Garden Journal, 11–15, 1994–1995]
Aldabra Island
In 1970 Gillham took a sabbatical to carry out research on Aldabra Island (CORR) in the Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
; far out in the Indian Ocean and virtually isolated from human activity. The US military wanted to turn the island into an airbase, therefore Gillham was to report information about the island's wildlife back to the Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
and the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
before building could commence. Gillham reported the importance of the island for sea birds, including Frigatebirds
Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...
, as well as for the Aldabra giant tortoise
The Aldabra giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. It is one of the largest tortoises in the world.Pritchar ...
, so the island was never built upon. Today it is listed as a World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
Achievements, awards and recognition
Active in several natural history and conservation bodies over many decades, Gillham was a founder member and subsequent president of Glamorgan Naturalists' Trust (now part of Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Natur De a Gorllewin Cymru) is a Wildlife Trust in south and west Wales, one of 46 such Trusts in the United Kingdom.
History
Forerunner of the WTSWW, the former West Wal ...
) and was also president of the Cardiff Naturalists Society.
In 2008, Gillham was awarded an MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
* Mbe language, a language of Nigeria
* Mbe' language, language of Cameroon
* ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language
Molal ...
in the New Year's Honours list for services to nature conservation in South Wales.
On International Women's day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...
in 2012 she was one of thirteen women to be featured in an exhibition called "Inspirational Botanists – Women of Wales" at the National Botanic Garden of Wales; an exhibition celebrating the contribution of women to the field of Botanical Science in Wales for the past 200 years.
Legacy
During her lifetime Gillham reached thousands of people during her lectures, guided walks and study tours, with whom she shared her wealth of botanical knowledge and interest in our natural heritage. After her death she left behind a huge expanse of scientific data, including species lists and notes on conservation/land-use change, all hand written on paper.
Mary Gillham Archive Project
The Mary Gillham Archive Project (February 2016 – February 2018) was an HLF-funded project aimed at promoting the life and work of Gillham, extracting the biodiversity records and historical memoir from her archive of written notes and physical documents, thereby capturing this information digitally. The project also engaged people with their local biodiversity and heritage through wildlife recording and outreach events, an exhibition, and through the creation of interactive online resource.
Bibliography
Books authored by Gillham include:
* 1963 – ''Sea-Birds''. (Instructions to Young Ornithologists IV). Museum Press: London.
* 1966 – ''A Naturalist in New Zealand''. Museum Press: London.
* 1967 – ''Sub-Antarctic Sanctuary: Summertime On Macquarie Island''. Victor Gollancz: London.
* 1977 – ''The Natural History of Gower''. D. Brown and Sons Ltd: Cowbridge.
* 1982 – ''The Historic Taf Valleys, Volume 2: In the Brecon Beacons National Park. Geology, Social History, Natural History''. Merthyr Tydfil and District Naturalists' Society. (With John Perkins and Jack Evans).
*1982 – ''Swansea Bay's Green Mantle. Wildlife on an Industrial Coast''. D. Brown & Sons: Cowbridge.
* 1987 – ''Sand Dunes''. (Glamorgan Heritage Coast Wildlife Series Volume 1). Glamorgan Wildlife Trust: Bridgend.
* 1989 – ''Rivers. (Glamorgan Heritage Coast Wildlife Series Volume 2).'' Glamorgan Heritage Coast Project, Southerndown.
* 1991 – ''Limestone Downs: Commons, Farms and Woods''. Glamorgan Wildlife Trust: Bridgend.
* 1993 – ''Coastal Downs: Ogmore and Dunraven, Glamorgan Heritage Coast Wildlife Series, Volume 4''. Glamorgan Wildlife Trust: Bridgend.
* 1994 – ''Sea Cliffs Cwm Mawr to Gileston''. (Glamorgan Heritage Coast Wildlife Series Volume 5). Glamorgan Wildlife Trust: Bridgend.
* 1998 – ''Town Bred – Country Nurtured: A Naturalist Looks Back Fifty Years''.
* 2000 – ''Island Hopping in Tasmania's Roaring Forties''. A.H. Stockwell Ltd: Devon.
* 2000 – ''Islands of the Trade Winds: An Indian Ocean Odyssey''. Minerva Press.
* 2001 – ''The Garth Countryside: Part of Cardiff's green mantle, A Natural History''. Lazy Cat Publishing: Cardiff.
* 2002 – ''A Natural History of Cardiff: Exploring along the River Taff, being an account of the animal and plant life in and around our capital city, Volume 2''. Lazy Cat Publishing: Cardiff.
* 2004 – ''A Natural History of Cardiff: Exploring along the Rivers Rhymney and Roath''. Dinefwr Publishers Ltd: Wales.
* 2004 – ''Memories of Welsh Islands''. Gwasg Dinefwr Press: Llandybie.
* 2005 – Salt Wind from the Cape. Lazy Cat Publishing: Caerphilly.
* 2007 – ''A Naturalist on Lundy: The Island Wildlife Over 50 Years''. Halsgrove: UK.
* 2007 – ''Island Life. Discovering Britain's Offshore Gems''. Halsgrove: UK.
Significant publications
*Gillham, M.E. (1953). An ecological account of the vegetation of Grassholm island, Pembrokeshire. The Journal of Ecology 41:84.
*Gillham, M.E. (1955). Ecology of the Pembrokeshire islands: III. The effect of grazing on the vegetation. The Journal of Ecology 43:172.
*Gillham, M.E. (1956a). Ecology of the Pembrokeshire islands: IV. Effects of treading and burrowing by birds and mammals. The Journal of Ecology 44:51.
*Gillham, M.E. (1956b). Ecology of the Pembrokeshire islands: V. Manuring by the colonial Seabirds and mammals, with a note on seed distribution by Gulls. The Journal of Ecology 44:429.
*Gillham, M.E. (1957a). Coastal vegetation of mull and Iona in relation to salinity and soil reaction. The Journal of Ecology 45:757.
*Gillham, M.E. (1957b). Vegetation of the Exe estuary in relation to water salinity. The Journal of Ecology 45:735.
*Gillham, M.E. (1961). Alteration of the breeding habitat by sea-birds and seals in western Australia. The Journal of Ecology 49:289.
*Gillham, M.E. (1963). Some interactions of plants, rabbits and sea-birds on South African islands. The Journal of Ecology 51:275.
*Goodman, G.T. and Gillham, M.E. (1954). Ecology of the Pembrokeshire islands: II. Skokholm, environment and vegetation. The Journal of Ecology 42:296.
References
External links
*
Mary Gillham Archive Project
PDF book on the life of Mary Gillham
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillham, Mary
Alumni of the University of Wales
British women in World War II
British naturalists
Members of the Order of the British Empire
1921 births
2013 deaths
Writers from Cardiff
Welsh scientists
Welsh women scientists
20th-century Welsh scientists
21st-century Welsh scientists
20th-century British botanists
21st-century British botanists
20th-century Welsh women writers
21st-century Welsh women writers
21st-century Welsh writers