| Record Number |
16636 |
| ISBN |
9781925003086 |
| Location |
363.7 JAM |
| Author |
James, Peggy |
| Title |
Cosmopolitan conservationists : greening modern Sydney / Peggy James. [BOOK] |
| Published |
North Melbourne, Vic. : Australian Scholarly, 2013. |
| Collation |
291 p. ; 25 cm. |
| General Note |
Chapter 5, "Thistle Harris cultivates the flower child", about a Teachers Federation member. Reviewed by Janine Kitson in "Education" Vol. 95 No. 2 March 17, 2014, p. 31. Review available at URL below. |
| Summary notes provided by Federation member Janine Kitson. Thistle Harris [1902 -1990]. Member of NSW Teachers Federation and Federation’s Peace Committee [p124]. Taught at: Murwillumbah High School; Broken Hill High School; St George Girls High School, where she established a school wildflower garden and students established a Tree Lovers’ Civic League [p117]. Lecturer at Sydney Teachers College, 1938 until she retired. 1962 founded one of NSW’s first environmental education centres - ‘Wirrimbirra’ Field Studies School / Wirrimbirra Sanctuary, Bargo, managed by the David G. Stead Memorial Wild Life Research Foundation of Australia. Closely associated with following: David Beswick (Federation Life Member and past Organiser NSWTF), representative to the David G. Stead Memorial Wild Life Research Foundation of Australia in the early 1970s. Closely associated with the Forest League’s Schools Branch. Editor of Junior Tree Warden that he NSW Department of Education distributed to schools. Peter Board, Director-General of Education [1905-1922] patron of the Gould League of Bird Lovers. Fred Berman, Headmaster of Five Dock Public School and member of the Teachers Federation Horticultural Society. Active proponent of Nature Studies in schools [p111]. On organizing committee for landmark conference on ‘Education for a Progressive Democratic Australia’ [p108]. Councillor of the New Education Fellowship, influenced by US John Dewey work in experiential learning [p108]. World Peace Campaign Councillor, 1938, with husband David Stead as President. Colleagues included Jessie Street and communist and Castlecrag resident, Guido Barrachi [p109]. Teachers Federation Horticultural Society [p110, p117]. Forest League’s School Branch [p111]. Dobroyd Point Primary School arboretum [p118]. Tree Wardens League [p120]. Councillor of the Australian Peace Council, with colleagues David Stead, Jessie Street and Kathleen Sherrard [p124]. Attended 1946 Conference of the New Education Fellowship. Watched by intelligence informers [p125]. |
| Charles Bean [1879-1968]. Barrister, journalist, WW1 correspondent and historian. After WW1 he advocated for better education for children, where every child could fully develop their potential. 1930 formed the Parks and Playground Movement to advocate for belts of parklands around Sydney arguing that “Large expanses of our most scenic bush and mountain country are more valuable to nation as parks, and hiking and holiday grounds, than for a few sparse farms” [page 89-90]. Joined League of Nations Union that campaigned for the abolition of war and peaceful settlement of international disputes; ratification of the International Labour Organisation [p84]. In 1931 he was given a role in the State Government’s new physical education program. He was a member of NSW National Fitness Council with Dr Harvey Sutton [Principal Medical Officer at the Department of Public Instruction], State Director of Physical Education and Canadian-born Gordon Young as Executive Officer; Dr Harvey Sutton on Council’s Technical Committee [p 91-92]. |
| Maybanke Anderson [p80]. Kindergarten training movement [p80]. Spoke at conferences on child welfare [p81]. Council of the Womanhood Suffragette League [p20]. Campaigned for play spaces in schools [p81]. Friend of Peter Board, Director of Public Instruction ensured more land to extend playgrounds in schools [p82]. Department of Public Instruction worked with Sydney Council to establish a community playground in Victoria Park with a shelter shed, swings and other play equipment [p82]. Parks & Playground Association wound down after she died in Paris in 1920s [p85]. Campaigned for National Fitness camps at Broken Bay, which involved Allen Strom’s vision for outdoor and conservation education, the founder of the National Parks Association. |
| Allen Strom. 1945 established a new bushwalking and conservation education group called the Caloola Club [p47]. National Fitness camp at Narrabeen Lakes [p123] where outdoor and conservation education was undertaken [p47]. 1957 established National Parks Association, that later affiliated with the NSW Teachers Federation. 1967 finishes his appointment as NSW Chief Guardian of Fauna [p47] with the establishment of the 1967 National Parks and Wildlife Act. Then becomes a Conservation Adviser to the Department of Education and helped to develop ‘environmental education’ [p245]. |
| Environmental Education in NSW from 1901: Professor Francis Anderson prompted the education reform process in NSW from 1901. Alexander Hamilton, an Irish background school teacher, successfully argued for more nature study in schools. He was subsequently appointed to lecture on nature study at the new Sydney Teachers College. Its first Principal [p.108] was Alexander Mackie who was President of the Playgrounds Association.[ p. 80] Professor Francis Anderson’s wife Maybanke Anderson was a kindergarten advocate and suffragette. Peter Board, Director of the Department of Public Instruction. Patron of the Gould League. Nature study in schools included Arbor Day tree plantings, cultivation of flowers and produce in school gardens, and annual Bird Day celebrations. Friend of Maybanke Anderson who advocated that he ensure more land for school playgrounds [p 82]. David G. Stead was involved in establishing the Gould League of Bird Lovers in Sydney in 1909. Amy Mack, children’s author & Sydney Morning Herald journalist, wrote popular children’s bushland stories [page 21]. |
| Summary Note |
"The [early 20th-century] conservationists featured include Marie Byles, David Stead, Walter Burley Griffin, Charles Bean, Thistle Harris, Norman Weekes, Myles Dunphy and Annie Wyatt. Each was chosen because they were influential, but there were others who were equally qualified. Some of them may not even have thought of themselves as urban conservationists. However, they all strove to protect and enhance Sydney's beauty and wisely use its land and other resources. They linked to a larger number of people who also wanted to conserve Sydney's environment. Each main chapter of the book is biographical. The personal elements show how personal lives can impact on other commitments, and sometimes enable or constrain one's work. They also show a few of the personal characteristics that Sydney's conservationists generally shared. Most had interstate and international connections, and all participated in the international exchange of environmental ideas." - Preface, x. |
| Subject |
City planning -- New South Wales -- Sydney |
| Nature conservation -- New South Wales -- Sydney |
| Conservationists -- Australia -- Biography. |
| Harris, Thistle Y. (Thistle Yolette), 1902-1990 |
| Internet Site |
Review |
