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Australian zoologist (1895–1982) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marguerite Henry (12 November 1895 – 9 December 1982) was an Australian zoologist known for her research on freshwater crustaceans; she was active in the early 20th century. Henry's work contributed to the taxonomy and ecology of Australia's freshwater entomostracans, describing dozens of new species and establishing a new genus of copepods, Gladioferens. Her research, supported by the Australian government and the Linnean Society of New South Wales, focused on cladocerans, copepods, ostracodes, and phyllopods, with her findings published in a series of detailed monographs between 1919 and 1924.[1][2][3][4]
Marguerite Henry | |
|---|---|
 Henry in 1916 | |
| Born | 12 November 1895 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 9 December 1982 (aged 87) Brisbane, Australia |
| Other names | Marguerite Cooper |
| Education | Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Botany (1917) |
| Known for | Australian zoologist, freshwater crustacean researcher; first woman in Australia to undertake formal zoological research |
Henry was among the first women in Australia to undertake formal zoological research, earning a Bachelor of Science in zoology from the University of Sydney in 1916. She contributed to understanding parasitic nematodes' life cycles before shifting her focus to freshwater crustaceans. Her scientific career ended following her marriage in 1924, after which she disappeared from the academic world.[1][5]
Henry was born in 1886 in Sydney, Australia. Known as Madge at school, she began her education at MLC School in 1907 at the age of 11. In her final year at MLC, she was awarded the 1913 Speech Night prizes for Senior French and Senior Botany Science Diagrams. She achieved honors in English and Botany in the Leaving Certificate and won a University Exhibition scholarship to the University of Sydney.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Henry pursued higher education and enrolled at the University of Sydney, where she studied zoology. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Botany degree in 1917, focusing her studies on parasitology and marine biology. She focused on parasitic nematodes for her early research projects, which was an emerging field at the time.[6][13][14][15][16]
After completing her studies at the University of Sydney, Henry embarked on an academic career centred on parasitology and marine biology. She started as a lecturer at the university. Henry's research focused primarily on parasitic nematodes, particularly those affecting native Australian fauna. Her work helped to expand the understanding of host-parasite relationships and the ecological roles of these organisms. Among her notable achievements was the identification and documentation of several new nematode species, which garnered her recognition within the scientific community.[1]
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 February 1917, titled "Girl Scientists", reported that two outstanding women graduates of the University of Sydney, Miss Marguerite Henry from the Public Health Department and Miss Eleanor Chase, both Bachelor of Science graduates, spent the beginning of the year engaged in an unusual occupation for women. They were dissecting March flies along the Manning River at Kew, near Taree, with Miss Chase assisting Miss Henry in the work.[17]
Henry later worked as an assistant zoologist for a special committee of the Commonwealth Advisory Council of Science and Industry, focusing on the life history of the nematode Onchocerca gibsoni, a parasite of cattle. This research took place at an experimental station in Kendall, located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, with off-season work carried out at the university’s zoological laboratory. Over the course of three years, the findings were published in the 1920 Proceedings of the Linnean Society with descriptions of new species.[6]
From 1919 to 1924, Henry also conducted research on freshwater entomostracans (crustaceans) from Australia and New Zealand. During this time, she identified seven species in the copepod subclass and the calanoid genus Gladioferens (published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1919). Additionally, she described twelve new species of cladocerans, eight new ostracodes, and six new phyllopods.[6][18]
Henry was known for her contributions to the fields of parasitology and marine biology. Her work primarily focused on parasitic nematodes and their impact on native Australian wildlife, a relatively underexplored area during her time. She investigated host-parasite dynamics, and examined the balance between parasites and their hosts in Australian ecosystems.[1]
Contributions by Marguerite Henry include the following:
In 1921 Henry was elected a fellow in zoology at the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[19][1]
In 2014 the Journal of Crustacean Biology published a retrospective view of Henry and her research.[1]
On 30 October 1924, Henry married Dr. Arthur Cooper, a radiologist, in Hampstead, London. After their marriage, she largely withdrew from scientific work to support her husband's career and raise their family. The couple lived in various locations, including rural New South Wales and New Zealand, before settling in Brisbane, where Arthur became the director of the Queensland Radium Institute. Marguerite Cooper died in Brisbane on 9 December 1982. She was survived by her husband and three children: Joan Meyers, Dr. Lorna Ruffle, and Dr. David Cooper.[1][6][20][21][22][23]
Marguerite is commemorated in the names of two freshwater crustacean copepod species: Gladioferens henryae (Brehm, 1950) and Canthocamptus henryae (Hamond, 1988).[6]
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