Biographical entry
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Bright Sparcs
Biographical entry
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Benham, Ellen Ida (1871 - 1917) |
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| Educator and Botanist | |
| Born: 12 March 1871 Allen's Creek, South Australia, Australia. Died: 27 April 1917 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. | |
| Ellen Ida Benham taught at both the secondary and tertiary level. From 1893 to 1912 she taught science at several schools including the Tormore House School. In 1901 she was asked by a University of Adelaide's ailing professor to take over his botany lectures. He died the following year and Benham was officially appointed as a botany lecturer. In 1908 she went to England to improve her higher education teaching methods and completed the Oxford Diploma of Education. Benham returned to Adelaide the following year and continued her lecturing until 1912 when the university founded its chair of botany. That same year she resigned from Tormore House School and bought Walford School in Malvern. There she taught botany and physiology and greatly raised the school’s academic standards. She also introduced callisthenics and sports to the curriculum. The school thrived and evolved into the Walford Church of England Girls' Grammar School, which honours her with its Benham Wing. |
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Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007 Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre Disclaimer, Copyright and Privacy Policy Submit any comments, questions, corrections and additions Prepared by: Acknowledgements Updated: 26 February 2007 http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P004583b.htm |