Dr Joy McCann’s National Library Fellowship - A Luminous Legacy: Dr Isobel Bennett and the Secrets of Australia's Seashores - examines Dr Isobel Bennett’s experiences as a trail-blazing female scientist in the mid-20th century, her scientific insights, and her motivations for dedicating her life to the study and conservation of our seashores.

Joy has focused on Dr Bennett’s experiences and achievements within the context of Australia’s role in the international postwar expansion of ocean and marine sciences. In recognition of the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), and as the international community celebrates 50 years of women in Antarctica in 2026, this project also reflects on how Dr Bennett’s work helped to shape attitudes to women’s participation in Australia’s marine and Antarctic research programs.

About Dr Joy McCann

Joy McCann is an Australian environmental and public historian with a PhD in history from the Australian National University and a professional background in public history, heritage and public policy. She is currently an adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania, and she held the 2025 State Library and Archives of Tasmania Research Fellowship.

Her research interests include the interwoven histories of people, places, ideas and the nonhuman world, with a particular focus on the oceans, ice, islands and coastlines of the southern hemisphere; the history of Australian ocean and marine sciences; and environmental storytelling.