Brewer, Ilma Mary

Ilma Pidgeon was born in Sydney and educated at North Sydney Girls High School and the University of Sydney, graduating as Bachelor of Science withe first class honours in 1936, Master of Science in 1937 and Doctor of Science in 1942. As Linnean Macleay Fellow in Ecology within the University of Sydney Botany Department from 1937 to 1941, she investigated the ecology of plant communities on the central coastlands of New South Wales (NSW). Her applied research included a statistical analysis of the regeneration of vegetation following grazing at Broken Hill in western NSW; during World War II (1941), she worked with Army Intelligence mapping vegetation with the aim of determining the degree of cover available for military use along the NSW coastlands; in 1942-43, she collaborated with others in the Botany Department and the CSIRO on research into fruit preservation.

In 1943, Ilma Pidgeon married Richard Brewer, a United States (USA) Army officer; they moved to USA in 1944. In 1946-47, Ilma Brewer was director of research for a chemical factory in New Jersey. For some time after the Brewer's return to Australia in 1948, Ilma Brewer devoted much of her time to family commitments, notably rearing the Brewers' two sons. She joined the staff of the University of Sydney Botany Department as demonstrator in 1957, temporary lecturer in 1959, lecturer in 1963 with promotion to senior lecturer in 1970.

By 1968, Brewer had been lecturer in charge of first year students and had experienced the teaching and learning problems inherent in large classes. In 1969, with a special grant from the Vice Chancellor, Brewer established, in the room which had housed the Botany Library collection before its transfer to Badham Library, an audio-visual centre for self-paced independent study in Plant Anatomy for some 130 second year students. Regular interactive group meetings substituted for lectures as part of the learning strategy.

In 1974, Brewer was appointed a staff associate in the Regional Teacher Training Centre for Health Personnel at the University of NSW. After retirment in 1978, Brewer held the position of honorary research affiliate in the University of Sydney Department of Anatomy. During this period (1979-1984), she completed for publication a number of papers and a book "Learning More and Teaching Less" based on her innovations in teaching method. In 1982, the Higher Education, Research and Development Society of Australasia conferred Brewer with honorary life membership in recognition of her contribution to research and development in tertiary education.

For the source of most of this administrative history, see Brewer's autobiographical notes in series 7. Archives personnel spoke with Dr Brewer on several occasions regarding her archives. Brewer has not retained any records of her activity in the field of ecology. It was agreed that some record of this period of her life should be included in her archives. It was decided that the University Archives would make copies of Brewer's reports as Linnean Macleay Fellow in Botany; Brewer collected copies of her published works. When her current project of rewriting material in her DSc thesis for publication is completed, Brewer will write memories of her days as an ecologist.