Thistle Yolette Harris

Thistle Yolette Harris (29 July 1902 – 5 July 1990), was born as Yolette Thistle Harris, but mostly known as Thistle Stead, was an Australian botanist, educator, author and conservationist.

Biography

She was one of three daughters born to Charles Thomas Harris and Illma Richardson Harris (née Rokes). She was educated at SCECGS Redlands, Cremorne, where she was taught by the English teacher, Constance Le Plastrier (1864–1938), who was a member of the Naturalists Society of New South Wales and co-author of Botany for Australian Students (1916), and helped foster Harris' interest in native plants. Harris died in 1990 at a nursing home in Summer Hill, New South Wales.

Education

Harris studied botany at the University of Sydney, graduating with a degree in botany in 1924 followed by a diploma of education in 1925 from Sydney Teachers College. After several years as a science teacher in secondary schools, she became a lecturer in science education at Sydney Teachers' College (1938–61). In 1945 she was awarded a Master of Education degree from the University of Melbourne and studied for a Diploma in Landscape Design at the University of New South Wales between 1968 and 1969. Harris later featured her efforts to revegetate the mine-workings at the Central Mine of the Sulphide Corporation in her book Australian Plants for the Garden (1953). Harris also lectured on Biological Science at University of Sydney and on Botany at Sydney Technical College.

According to John Walter, her interest in Australian plants was also developed when she met Albert Morris (1886-1939) while she taught at the school in Broken Hill between 1929 and 1930.