Minard Fannie Crommelin
Encyclopedia
Minard Crommelin MBE
(1881–1972) was an Australian postmistress and environmental conservationist.
Crommelin was born on 29 June 1881 at Aston Station, near Bombala
, New South Wales
.
Crommelin was appointed an Order of the British Empire (M.B.E), Civil member, in recognition of service to the flora and fauna on the 1st of January 1959.
Both Crommelin Crescent, St Helens Park
and Crommelin Place, Chisholm
, have been named in her honour.
Crommelin died at her home in Pearl Beach on 14 February 1972, aged 90.
for a year. She was one of the early operators of the Morse Telegraph Key. Eventually Crommelin became an assistant at Moss Vale
post office. From 1906 Crommelin was the acting postmistress at Woy Woy
for 5 years during which time she took public service examinations. She visited Pearl Beach
for the first time with her friend Charles Pryce in a small cedar sailing boat in approximately 1910. Over the proceeding 20 years Crommelin was a relieving postmistress at over 150 towns. In 1937, aged 56, she retired from the public service.
. In 1938, after canvassing support from various societies to which she belonged Warrah Sanctuary was proclaimed with Crommelin the founding trustee. In 1937 she had bought 2.8 hectares of land adjoining the sanctuary at Pearl Beach and moved there in 1939.
Crommelin unsuccessfully lobbied politicians, government departments and newspaper editors for the establishment of a national botanic garden, fauna park and arboretum and for a national ecological conservation authority.
Crommelin constantly protested against the local destruction of flora and fauna, careless back-burning and debatable infrastructure developments.
with one condition: she could live out her remaining years on the land. The University accepted and developed a biological and natural field station for research and named it the Crommelin Biological Field Station.
The Field Station accommodates for up to 26 bunk-style beds. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, a small unequipped laboratory area and a common room. At present the facility is available to employed research workers and educators from the tertiary education system only. Children under 18 years of age are not permitted to use the station. As of December 2010, the lodging
charge was $16.50 per head per day.
to establish the Crommelin Ecological Conservation Fund. She was a member of the Society of Australian Genealogists and the Huguenot Society, London. She helped to form local branches of the Australian Red Cross
, the Country Women's Association
of New South Wales and the Business and Professional Women's Club of Sydney.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1881–1972) was an Australian postmistress and environmental conservationist.
Crommelin was born on 29 June 1881 at Aston Station, near Bombala
Bombala, New South Wales
Bombala is a town in the Monaro region of south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Bombala Council. It is located approximately south of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma. The name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "Meeting of the waters". The town lies on the...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Crommelin was appointed an Order of the British Empire (M.B.E), Civil member, in recognition of service to the flora and fauna on the 1st of January 1959.
Both Crommelin Crescent, St Helens Park
St Helens Park, New South Wales
St Helens Park is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Helens Park is located 56 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region.-History:St Helens Park draws...
and Crommelin Place, Chisholm
Chisholm, Australian Capital Territory
Chisholm is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Tuggeranong, named after Caroline Chisholm.It was gazetted on 5 August 1975, and streets are named after notable women....
, have been named in her honour.
Crommelin died at her home in Pearl Beach on 14 February 1972, aged 90.
Postmistress
At 12 years of age Crommelin left Pipe Clay Creek Public School and assisted the Burrawong postmistress who later sent her to the Sydney Church of England Grammar SchoolSydney Church of England Grammar School
Sydney Church of England Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
for a year. She was one of the early operators of the Morse Telegraph Key. Eventually Crommelin became an assistant at Moss Vale
Moss Vale, New South Wales
Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast via Macquarie Pass...
post office. From 1906 Crommelin was the acting postmistress at Woy Woy
Woy Woy, New South Wales
Woy Woy is a coastal town and a southern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney...
for 5 years during which time she took public service examinations. She visited Pearl Beach
Pearl Beach, New South Wales
Pearl Beach is a suburb of Gosford City on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Pearl Beach was assigned 'suburb' status by the Geographical Names Board of NSW on the 25th October 1991.-History:...
for the first time with her friend Charles Pryce in a small cedar sailing boat in approximately 1910. Over the proceeding 20 years Crommelin was a relieving postmistress at over 150 towns. In 1937, aged 56, she retired from the public service.
Environmental conservation
Crommelin paid £84 for land in Pearl Beach adjoining the Brisbane Water National ParkBrisbane Water National Park
Brisbane Water National park is a national park in New South Wales, , 47 km north of Sydney.The park has many pleasant and interesting walks that can vary from mild to rugged. One walk that can be easily accessed via public transport, is the walk to Pindar Cave on the escarpment above...
. In 1938, after canvassing support from various societies to which she belonged Warrah Sanctuary was proclaimed with Crommelin the founding trustee. In 1937 she had bought 2.8 hectares of land adjoining the sanctuary at Pearl Beach and moved there in 1939.
Crommelin unsuccessfully lobbied politicians, government departments and newspaper editors for the establishment of a national botanic garden, fauna park and arboretum and for a national ecological conservation authority.
Crommelin constantly protested against the local destruction of flora and fauna, careless back-burning and debatable infrastructure developments.
Crommelin Biological Field Station
In December 1946, Crommelin offered her Warrah Sanctuary to the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
with one condition: she could live out her remaining years on the land. The University accepted and developed a biological and natural field station for research and named it the Crommelin Biological Field Station.
The Field Station accommodates for up to 26 bunk-style beds. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, a small unequipped laboratory area and a common room. At present the facility is available to employed research workers and educators from the tertiary education system only. Children under 18 years of age are not permitted to use the station. As of December 2010, the lodging
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
charge was $16.50 per head per day.
Other community interests
Crommelin donated and bequeathed to the Australian Academy of ScienceAustralian Academy of Science
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
to establish the Crommelin Ecological Conservation Fund. She was a member of the Society of Australian Genealogists and the Huguenot Society, London. She helped to form local branches of the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
, the Country Women's Association
Country Women's Association
The Country Women’s Association of Australia is the largest women's organisation in Australia. It has 44,000 members across 1855 branches. Its aims are to improve the conditions for country women and children and to try to make life better for women and their families, especially those women...
of New South Wales and the Business and Professional Women's Club of Sydney.