Marguerite Winifred Crookes (18 January 1899 – 26 January 1991) [1] [2] was a botanist and conservationist from New Zealand and founder of the Auckland Natural History Club. Her best known work is Plant Life in Maoriland: A Botanist’s Note Book. [1]
Crookes was born in Derbyshire, England, one of four children. Her family emigrated to New Zealand in 1906. She earned a B.A. and M.A. from Auckland University College. [3] Her writing career began when she authored articles about native plants in the Auckland Star and the Lyttelton Times. [3]
In the 1920s, Crookes founded the Workers Education Association Natural History Club, which became the Auckland Natural History Club. [2] Crookes' early newspaper articles were collected and published as Plant Life in Maoriland: A Botanist’s Note Book in 1926. She published articles on botany in the New Zealand Smallholder [3] and the Auckland Botanical Society newsletter [2] as well as academic articles in journals including the American Fern Journal. [4] Her research on ferns led her to produce three new editions of New Zealand Ferns, first published in 1921 by H. B. Dobbie. [3] In later life, she lectured on native plants at the Auckland Botanical Society and was a member of the Auckland Philosophical Society. [3] She was also active in conservation, arguing against development that would have harmed areas around the Waitākere Ranges. [2] Specimens that Crookes collected remain in the collections of the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa). [5]
In 2017, Crookes was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's " 150 women in 150 words", a project celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand. [6]
Marguerite Winifred Crookes (18 January 1899 – 26 January 1991) [1] [2] was a botanist and conservationist from New Zealand and founder of the Auckland Natural History Club. Her best known work is Plant Life in Maoriland: A Botanist’s Note Book. [1]
Crookes was born in Derbyshire, England, one of four children. Her family emigrated to New Zealand in 1906. She earned a B.A. and M.A. from Auckland University College. [3] Her writing career began when she authored articles about native plants in the Auckland Star and the Lyttelton Times. [3]
In the 1920s, Crookes founded the Workers Education Association Natural History Club, which became the Auckland Natural History Club. [2] Crookes' early newspaper articles were collected and published as Plant Life in Maoriland: A Botanist’s Note Book in 1926. She published articles on botany in the New Zealand Smallholder [3] and the Auckland Botanical Society newsletter [2] as well as academic articles in journals including the American Fern Journal. [4] Her research on ferns led her to produce three new editions of New Zealand Ferns, first published in 1921 by H. B. Dobbie. [3] In later life, she lectured on native plants at the Auckland Botanical Society and was a member of the Auckland Philosophical Society. [3] She was also active in conservation, arguing against development that would have harmed areas around the Waitākere Ranges. [2] Specimens that Crookes collected remain in the collections of the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa). [5]
In 2017, Crookes was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's " 150 women in 150 words", a project celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand. [6]