Lydia Annie Suckling (later Hickmott; 3 January 1890 – 10 March 1979) was a New Zealand botanist.
Lydia Annie Suckling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 January 1890 Christchurch |
| Died | 10 March 1979 |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Other names | Lydia Annie Hickmott (married name) |
| Education | MA in Botany with second class honours, Canterbury University College |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Employer(s) | Canterbury University College Napier Girls High School Auckland Girls' Grammar School |
Early life and education
editSuckling was born on 3 January 1890 in Christchurch, to parents Evelyn and Walter, and attended Richmond Primary School and Christchurch Girls' High School. In 1907, Suckling was a Senior National and Gammack Scholar.[1][2] She obtained a BA in 1911, and in 1912 achieved Second Class Honours in botany from Canterbury University College.[3][1]
Suckling's Masters' thesis was on plant ecology of the forests on the Port Hills, and she published a paper from this work in 1913. In her paper, she thanks Leonard Cockayne for his assistance.[4] The paper was communicated on Suckling's behalf by zoologist Charles Chilton, who was the Chair of Biology at the College at the time.[5]
Teaching career
edit
As was common for university-educated women in New Zealand at the time, Suckling entered teaching after completing her studies. She was employed as a student assistant at Canterbury University College in 1910, and then taught at Napier Girls' High School from 1912 to 1915. She worked at Auckland Girls' Grammar School 1916–17.[1]
On 8 May 1918 Suckling married Ewin John Bramwell Hickmott and had three sons.[3] Hickmott was a fruit-grower who later became the "biggest breeder and producer of pigs in the South Island".[6][7] Suckling died on 10 March 1979.[8][9]
Recognition
editIn 2017, Suckling was selected to be profiled as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "150 women in 150 words" project.[5]
Publications
edit- "Leaf-anatomy of Trees and Shrubs on the Port Hills" (1913) Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute
References
edit- ^ a b c Thomson, A.D. (2000). "Some pioneer women graduates in botany from Canterbury University College" (PDF). Journal of the Canterbury Botanical Society. 34: 54–63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "North Canterbury Education Board". The Press. 12 March 1908. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ a b James Hight; Alice M. F. Candy (1927), A short history of the Canterbury College (University of New Zealand) ; with a register of graduates and associates of the college, Whitcombe & Tombs Limited, Wikidata Q105152203
- ^ "Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute For The Year 1913 [electronic resource]". rsnz.natlib.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Lydia Suckling". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "Called for Service". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 September 1917. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Armed Forces Appeals". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 May 1943. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "ATL: Unpublished Collections". tiaki.natlib.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ Death certificate 1979/27648 available from Department of Internal Affairs.