Phyllis Mary Nicol
1932 edition of Booth's and Nicol's Physics book, 2nd edition
Born2 March 1903
Thirroul
DiedJune 13, 1964 (aged 61)
Sydney
NationalityAustralian
EducationNorth Sydney Girls High School, University of Sydney
EmployerUniversity of Sydney School of Physics

Phyllis Mary Nicol (2 March 1903 – 13 June 1964) was an Australia lecturer and demonstrator in physics. She was a stalwart of the University of Sydney's physics department who was undervalued and overlooked.

Life

Nicol was born in Wollongong's seaside suburb of Thirroul in 1903. She was the first child of Florence (born Reeves) and Walter George Phillip Nicol. They were both born in Australia and her father was a Bullocky. She left the North Sydney Girls High School and entered the University of Sydney to study physics. From 1921 she lived at The Women's College. She graduated in 1925 and she then took a master's degree in 1926 in maths and physics in a department that welcomed men.[1]

She did research on the properties of selenium which was published in 1926.[2]

She and a fellow demonstrator at the university, Edgar Booth wrote a textbook together about physics for high school students.[3] Their book, Physics, Fundamental Laws and Principles with Problems and Worked Solutions was published in 1931.[4][5] She was still living at the Women's College and in 1933 she became its sub-principal. She was known as Philly Nic and for being a spinster in a hurry and dressing without care. Conversely she told her students that they would gain confidence if they dressed smartly for examinations. Nicol was undervalued and overlooked.[1] The leading cricketer Betty Archdale was the college's principal from 1946 and she also served on the university's senate.[6]

Harry Messel joined the University of Sydney as Professor of physics in 1952 and in that year Nicol applied to be a senior lecturer. Her application was unsuccessful. All the departments staff designed as temporary had their grades assessed by a senate committee in 1953. Messel wrote well of Nicol's ability to coach students but he did not consider her a lecturer. In the same year she had a mastectomy. She left the Women's College in 1954, and her position as sub-principal ,to move to the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove to live with her sister.[1]

Death and legacy

Nicol's physics 1931 book with Edgar Booth achieved its 16th edition in 1962.[5] She died in her home in Lane Cove in 1964 of cancer. She had resigned from the department, that she had joined in 1921 as a student, a few days before her death.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Annable, Rosemary, "Phyllis Mary Nicol (1903–1964)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2024-01-01
  2. ↑ An investigation of the optical properties of selenium in the conducting form. Royal Society of New South Wales. Journal and Proceedings., 60 (1926), 60–72.
  3. ↑ Mitchell, Bruce, "Edgar Harold Booth (1893–1963)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2024-01-01
  4. ↑ "New Text Book". Sun. 1931-12-26. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  5. 1 2 Matthews, Michael R. (2014-09-19). Science Teaching: The Contribution of History and Philosophy of Science, 20th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-33676-8.
  6. ↑ "Betty Archdale". The Guardian. 2000-02-16. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  7. ↑ Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. "Nicol, Phyllis Mary – Person – Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
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