Shirley Aldythea Marshall Seymour Andrews (5 November 1915 – 15 September 2001) was an
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 ...
n
biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
, dancer, researcher and
Aboriginal rights activist.
Early life and education
Andrews was born on November 5, 1915, to Doris Andrews and Arthur Andrews. Andrews grew up in
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Bayside local government area. Sandringham recorded a population of 10,926 at the 2021 census.
History
...
, living with her mother, grandmother and uncle. She attended school at Miss Montford's school, in Sandringham, until the age of eleven. Later, she boarded at St Michael's grammar in
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner seaside suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 6 km (4 miles) south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip Local governmen ...
. After graduating from St Michael's, Andrews enrolled in a science course at the
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 ...
, from 1934 to 1937.
In her first years at university she rented houses and apartments with her mother in the Melbourne area.
Andrews also began to learn
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
during her time at university. She took lessons from
Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky (24 February 1902 – 18 December 1959) was a Czech-born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife, Xenia, settled in Australia where they established the ...
and later became interested in Australian
folk dance. Andrews helped establish the folk dance society and the Victorian
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
club, meanwhile continuing her studies at university. She wrote a book on traditional dancing in Australia. In 1994 she was awarded the
Medal 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 ...
(OAM) for "service to folklore through the study of Australian traditional social dancing".
After completing her
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree, Andrews was offered a Caroline Kay scholarship to the
veterinary school
Veterinary education is the tertiary education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian, one must first complete a veterinary degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM , V.M.D. , BVS, BVSc, BVMS, BVM, cand.med.vet).
In the United States and ...
at Melbourne University. After accepting the scholarship offer, Andrews worked at the Veterinary School for six years, doing biochemical testing on animal tissue and fluids.
Career
Following her time at Melbourne University, Andrews joined the
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...
(Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in 1947, as a research officer. Later on, the organisation (CSIRO) became aware of a relationship that had developed between Andrews and Bill Bird, the secretary of the
Seamen's Union. The
ASIO
''Asio'' is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and S ...
(Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) informed the CSIRO of the connection, causing Andrews to find it difficult to continue her works at the organisation. Andrews left the CSIRO in 1953.
After leaving CSIRO, Andrews took a position as Senior
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
at the Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. She held this position for over twenty years, leaving in 1977. At Royal Park she worked to establish safe methods of using
lithium
Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...
to treat symptoms of
manic depressive illness (now
bipolar disorder). It was while working in this area that she discovered that
bromureide (
bromide
A bromide ion is the negatively charged form (Br−) of the element bromine, a member of the halogens group on the periodic table. Most bromides are colorless. Bromides have many practical roles, being found in anticonvulsants, flame-retardant ...
) drugs — widely used as a
tranquilliser
A tranquilizer is a drug that is designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and disturbances of the mind, specifically to reduce states of anxiety and tension.
Etymology
Tranquilizer, as a term, was first used by F.F. Yonk ...
at the time — instigated symptoms of mental illness. This led to significant reduction in the use of bromide.
Political activity
Andrews was active in a number of leftist social organizations over the course of her life. She was a member of the
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been i ...
in the 1940s, though she left in 1951 due to dissatisfaction with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
In 1951, Andrews became a founding member and secretary of the
Council for Aboriginal Rights
The Council for Aboriginal Rights (CAR) was founded in Melbourne in 1951 in order to improve rights for Indigenous Australians. Although based in the state of Victoria, it was a national organisation and its influence was felt throughout Australi ...
(CAR). The CAR was a confederation striving for equal rights for Aborigines. The CAR also contributed to the establishment of the
1967 referendum, when Australia voted to count Aborigines in the census. Andrews worked tirelessly to provide a political focus on Aboriginal rights for the next 20 years.
Personal life
She never married and never had children.
Although Andrews preferred to work in the backroom, she was a self-confident leader. She showed these qualities and many more while working throughout her life to make significant changes to Australian society. Andrews referred to herself as a liberated woman and believed strongly in women's rights.
See also
*
Aboriginal land rights in Australia
Indigenous land rights in Australia, also known as Aboriginal land rights in Australia, relate to the rights and interests in land of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and the term may also include the struggle for thos ...
*
Further reading
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References
External links
Andrews, Shirley (-2001) at the
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Shirley
1915 births
2001 deaths
Australian indigenous rights activists
Women human rights activists
Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
People from Sandringham, Victoria
Activists from Melbourne
Scientists from Melbourne
20th-century Australian women scientists
Australian biochemists
University of Melbourne alumni
CSIRO people