1997 School Magazine

@iris @ranunar ~clJool ~risllane 1997

and Stratigraphy in her honour. In 1970 she was elected the first female president of the Australian Academy of Science and remains the only woman ever to hold that post. In 1971 she became president of her University's professorial Board and was awarded a CBE in 1971 , an AC in 1993 and in 1983 the ANZAAS Medal. Brisbane Girls Grammar School has been endowed with a prize which will perpetuate her memo1y. The ProfessorDorothy Hill Prize is given annually at Speech Day and is presented to a student proceeding to the University of Queensland to undertake the study of Science or a Science-based course. The prize was awarded last year for the first time to Karen Dancer. Professor Hill 's academic dress as Doctor of Science also remains in the school as a lasting reminder of her outstanding life and career. To conclude, Ken Campbell writes: In ber personal life sbe was totally without ostentation, living quietly and modestly but gracefully accepting the many accolades that came unbidden. The nature ofherprimaryfield ofendeavourmeans hername is not as well known as those sucb as Mary Gilmore, Caroline Chisholm or Leonie Kramer, but she stands among them as one oftbe most eminent women Australia has produced. On 21 August this year one of the Girls Grammar String Ensembles entertained guests at the naming of the Dorothy Hill Physical Sciences and Engineering Library at the University of Queensland to perpetuate her name . We are proud of the part this school played in her formative years, in the amazing life that was Dorothy Hill .

sport and even earned a Class Apilot's licence. Her chosen field was palaeontology and her studies in Britain and Europe quickly established international pre-eminence in the field, a fact that was recognised by her election to a fellowship at Newnham College. Dorothy Hill returned to Queensland in 1937 to take up a research grant offered by the Council for Scientific and Indus- trial Research, however the outbreak ofWorld War II intervened and she enlisted in the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service in 1942 and became a second officer on the RAN Operations Staff, working on codes and ciphers at HMAS Moreton, a most responsible task at the time. In 1945 she was demobbed and returned the next year to her tempora1y research post at the University. Shortly afterwards she was made a temporary lecturer in historical geology, specialising in palaeontology. Thus began a major contribution to education and research that would continue until the mid-1980's . Dorothy Hill considered the best method for developing an inquiring mind was to confront it with real problems and then provide it with appropriate intellectual tools. She considered that the prima,y function of university teaching was to develop inquiring minds and not just to pass on accepted knowledge. In 1956 she became the first female fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and in 1965 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London - the highest scientific accolade, apart from a Nobel Prize that can be awarded to a Commonwealth scientist. She was the first Australian woman to be so honoured. In 1959 her achievements were recognised with her appoint- ment to a research professorship and on her retirement in 1972, the university created the Dorothy Hill Chair of Palaeontology

Vale Yolande Greet

T he BGGS Community has been greatly blessed by the long and distinguished se1vice of Yolande Greet, Head of the Science Department from 1973 to early 1995. A brilliant student herself and a winner of an open Scholarship to the University of Queens- land, she was a dedicated teacher who kept abreast of the ever-expanding research findings in science and in education. She meticulously prepared and guided the learning experiences for the students and was a mentor to many of her teaching colleagues. Above all she was a teacher of people and devoted herself to the education of the whole person. She was an avid photographer of a wide range of school activities. For many years

and logistics, and she still managed to cater for the special needs of individuals and was willing to make a painstaking adjustment to the whole program according to the changed circu in- stances of just one student. Yolande's retirement years were sadly cur short by illness, but she made the most of every day that she was spared and she remai ned cheerful. With profound faith she could look fo,ward to life after death with eve1y confi - dence . She continues as a shining example of a great scholar and teacher, a gracious la ly, 11 witty and fun-loving companion, and a kind and thoughtful friend to her family, colleagues, students, neighbours and many people who

Yolande Greet

she organised the Extension Education Activities program for all Year 11 and Year 12 girls, a massive exercise in co-ordination

admired and loved her.

HELEN STATHAM

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