Lydia Annie Suckling (later Hickmott; 3 January 1890 – 10 March 1979) was a New Zealand botanist.

Lydia Annie Suckling
Born3 January 1890
Christchurch
Died10 March 1979
NationalityNew Zealand
Other namesLydia Annie Hickmott (married name)
EducationMA in Botany with second class honours, Canterbury University College
OccupationTeacher
Employer(s)Canterbury University College
Napier Girls High School
Auckland Girls' Grammar School

Early life and education

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Suckling 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

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Diagram of the leaf structure of Parsonsia heterophylla (New Zealand jasmine) as drawn by Lydia Suckling

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

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In 2017, Suckling was selected to be profiled as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "150 women in 150 words" project.[5]

Publications

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  • "Leaf-anatomy of Trees and Shrubs on the Port Hills" (1913) Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "North Canterbury Education Board". The Press. 12 March 1908. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ a b "Lydia Suckling". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Called for Service". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 September 1917. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Armed Forces Appeals". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 May 1943. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. ^ "ATL: Unpublished Collections". tiaki.natlib.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  9. ^ Death certificate 1979/27648 available from Department of Internal Affairs.