ARCHER, MARY ELLINOR LUCY (1893-1979), librarian and scientist, was born on 13
November 1893 at Malvern, Melbourne, daughter of Oakeley Archer, a civil engineer
from England, and his Victorian-born wife Lucy Georgina Elizabeth, née Gaunt. Lucy
was a sister of Cecil, (Sir) Ernest, (Sir) Guy and Mary Gaunt, and in 1906-18 was
principal of Trinity College Hostel (later Janet Clarke Hall). Educated at the
Church of England Girls' Grammar School, Melbourne, and the University of
Melbourne (B.Sc., 1916; M.Sc., 1918), Mary added Ellinor Lucy to her name, but was
to be known as Ellinor Archer professionally. After graduating she became a
government research scholar in botany and joined the teaching staff of Trinity
College.
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Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
Mary Archer was CSIRO's first woman scientist, and chief librarian from 1923-1954. She was appointed MBE - The Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) - 2 January 1956 for her work as the CSIRO's chief librarian.
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Australian Women's Register
Mary Archer was CSIRO's first woman scientist, and chief librarian from 1923-1954. She is commemorated by the Library Association of Australia's Ellinor Archer award, first bestowed in 1984.
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1916
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Melbourne
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1918
Education - Master of Science (MSc) completed at the University of Melbourne
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1918 - 1923
Career position - Secretary and Investigator to the Special Committee on Seed Improvement of the Advisory Council of Science and Industry (Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry from 1920)
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1923 - 1929?
Career position - In charge of the Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry's library (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research from 1926)
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1929 - 1946
Career position - Librarian and Scientific Assistant at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
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1945 - 1946
Career position - President of the Australian Institute of Librarians, Victorian branch
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1946 - 1954
Career position - Chief Librarian at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1949)
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1948 - 1949
Career position - Federal President Australian Institute of Librarians
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1956
Award - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
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Encyclopedia of Australian Science