Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972)

Field of activity
Conservationist and Postmistress; benefactor; conservationist; park ranger; postmaster/mistress; public servant
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-743065

Biographies

CROMMELIN, MINARD FANNIE (1881-1972), postmistress and conservationist, was born on 29 June 1881 at Aston station, near Bombala, New South Wales, eldest daughter of George Whiting Crommelin, station manager, and his wife Frances Emily, née Dawson. At 12 Minard left Pipe Clay Creek Public School to help the postmistress at Burrawong who, to compensate for her tyranny, later sent her for a year to the Sydney Church of England Grammar School for Girls. After assisting in the post office at Moss Vale in 1906, Minard became acting postmistress at Woy Woy, where she remained five years. She then took public service examinations and over the next twenty years was relieving postmistress at over 150 towns. She was described in 1916 as 'tall and thin, with very thin features and very black hair'.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Minard Crommelin, generally known as "Crommy", was educated at Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School at Darlinghurst. She began work at fourteen as an unpaid assistant to the postmistress at Mittagong and eventually became an official member of the Postal Service. She worked as a postmistress for over 25 years and was one of the early operators of the "Morse Telegraph Key". She was the first postmistress at Woy Woy (1906-1910) and it was during this period that she grew to love the bush of the New South Wales central coast area. After her retirement in the mid 1930s she visited England and Europe, contacting many conservation and natural history societies (she was a member of 154 of them). On her return to Australia she bought seven acres of land at Pearl Beach, which she donated to the University of Sydney in 1946 to establish the Crommelin Biological Field Station, known as Warrah. She continued to be interested and active in nature conservation and from 1960 onwards donated a total of $17,768 to the Australian Academy of Science, some of which still exists as the Crommelin Conservation Fund. A road in Campbelltown has been named in her honour. She was appointed MBE - Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) - 1 January 1959 for flora and fauna.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Minard Fannie Crommelin, generally known as "Crommy", was educated at SCEGGS at Darlinghurst. She began work at fourteen as an unpaid assistant to the postmistress at Mittagong and eventually became an official member of the Postal Service. She worked as a postmistress for over 25 years and was one of the early operators of the "Morse Telegraph Key". She was the first postmistress at Woy Woy (1906-1910) and it was during this period that she grew to love the bush of the New South Wales central coast area. After her retirement in the mid 1930s she visited England and Europe, contacting many conservation and natural history societies (she was a member of 154 of them). On her return to Australia she bought seven acres of land at Pearl Beach, which she donated to the University of Sydney in 1946 to establish the Crommelin Biological Field Station, known as Warrah. She continued to be interested and active in nature conservation and from 1960 onwards donated a total of $17,768 to the Australian Academy of Science, some of which still exists as the Crommelin Conservation Fund. A road in Campbelltown has been named in her honour. She was appointed MBE - Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) - 1 January 1959 for flora and fauna.

View the full record at Encyclopedia of Australian Science

Resources for Minard Fannie Crommelin

Selected resources (14)

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Australian Women's Register

  1. The Pearl Beach legacy: Minard Crommelin - visionary
    Webb, Joan
    [1994]
    Published: Surrey Beatty & Sons in association with Sydney University
  2. Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972), Biographical EntryBright Sparcs : Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972), Biographical Entry
    [2002]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biog/P001555b.htm
  3. Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
    Series: http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/honours/honours.html
  4. Where are the Women in Australian science?
    Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
    Series: http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html
  5. 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology
    Radi, Heather
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press
  6. Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972)Australian Dictionary of Biography Online : Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972)
    Teale, Ruth
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
    Series: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080172b.htm
  7. University of Sydney, Archives: Minard Fannie Crommelin - Records (1881 - 1970)
    Crommelin Biological Research Station records 1939-68; Warrah sanctuary trust correspondence 1940-55; Gosford District Flora and Fauna Protection Society Records 1948-55; Mosman Tree Lovers Civic League records 1932-34; general conservation research records 1931-66; letters from Nina Campbell 1912-70; personal documents 1881-1969 including correspondence and a typescript autobiography; diaries 1915, 1949-70; photographs 1887-1967; press cuttings 1904-66.
    P 51
  8. Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales: Minard Fannie Crommelin - Records (1947 - 1954)
    'Deed of gift of land and effects' of Crommelin to the University of Sydney for the establishment of the Crommelin Biological Station, Pearl Beach, Woy Woy 1947 with an inventory of household goods and library contents, the layout of the building and a letter1954 [A3637].
    A3637

Encyclopedia of Australian Science

  1. 200 Australian Women: a Redress Anthology
    Radi, H.
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press Inc
  2. Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972)Australian Dictionary of Biography Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 8 155-156 : Crommelin, Minard Fannie (1881-1972)
    Teale, Ruth
    [1981]
    Published: Melbourne University Press
  3. Minard Crommelin (1881-1972) conservationist200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology Heather Radi : Minard Crommelin (1881-1972) conservationist
    Teale, Ruth
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press Inc
  4. Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales: Minard Fannie Crommelin - Records (1947 - 1954)
    'Deed of gift of land and effects' of Crommelin to the University of Sydney for the establishment of the Crommelin Biological Station, Pearl Beach, Woy Woy 1947 with an inventory of household goods and library contents, the layout of the buildings and a letter 1954 [A3637].
    A3637
  5. University of Sydney, Archives: Minard Fannie Crommelin - Records (1881 - 1970)
    Crommelin Biological Research Station records 1939-68; Warrah Sanctuary trust correspondence 1940-55; Gosford District Flora and Fauna Protection Society records 1948-55; Mosman Tree Lovers Civic League records 1932-34; general conservation research records 1931-66; letters from Nina Campbell 1912-70; personal documents 1881-1969 including correspondence and a typescript autobiography; diaries 1915, 1949-70; photographs 1887-1967; press cuttings 1904-66, [2.8 m, P 51].
    P 51

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  1. Website: 200 Australian Women
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  1. The Pearl Beach legacy : Minard Crommelin - visionary / by Joan Webb
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  1. Papers
    Crommelin, Minard Fanny, 1881-1972
    [ Unpublished : 1842-1883 ]
    At National Library
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  2. Papers
    Crommelin, Minard Fanny, 1881-1972
    [ Unpublished : 1887-1970 ]
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  3. [Biographical cuttings on Minard F. Crommelin, former conservationist, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
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