University recognises trailblazing geologist and advocate for women in science
Professor Beryl Nashar AO OBE, a trailblazing geologist, educator, and one of the founding figures of the University of Newcastle, has been recognised at Callaghan Campus with the GP (General Purpose) Building named in her honour.
Professor Nashar was the University’s Foundation Professor of Geology (1955), and later Dean of Science (1965), the first female Dean of Science at any Australian university. She was also a tireless advocate for women in science, and for equity and access to higher education.
University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO said Professor Nashar had helped shape the University’s identity.
“The naming of this building ensures that Professor Nashar’s pioneering spirit, scientific excellence, humanity and commitment to equity continue to inspire future generations at the University of Newcastle and beyond.”
“As a scholar, she had a distinguished career in petrology and mineralogy, and as a leader, she was a role model on campus and beyond. She was renowned for her empathy and generosity. Her door was always open to both students and colleagues,” Professor Zelinsky said.
“She was a trailblazing female leader at a time when there were few in sight, whose impact continues to shape our University and our region. It is fitting that we recognise her as we celebrate the University’s 60th anniversary.”
Born in Maryville and educated locally, Professor Nashar was the first in her family to attend university, graduating from the University of Sydney with First Class Honours. She topped her class in geology for each year of her undergraduate degree, and was awarded the University Medal in Science.
She returned to Newcastle in 1955 to take up a role in what was then a College of the University of New South Wales. Located at Tighes Hill, on the same site as the TAFE NSW Hunter Institute, conditions were cramped, and Professor Nashar’s “office” was a flimsy partition in the typing pool.
Her distinguished career in petrology and mineralogy was matched by her tireless advocacy for women’s participation in science and education. Having benefited from scholarships in her own education, she had great empathy for students suffering difficult circumstances.
Professor Nashar was the first woman in Australia to win a Rotary Foundation Fellowship (which she took in Cambridge), and only the third Australian to receive the fellowship overall. In 1952, she earned Australia’s first PhD in geology from the University of Tasmania.
Professor Nashar’s legacy extends beyond academia. She served on numerous boards, including those of the Royal Newcastle Hospital and the Greater Newcastle Building Society, and held leadership roles in international organisations such as the Federation of Business and Professional Women. She worked on many academic and community committees, including for the Australian Red Cross, the NSW Police Department, for the creation of the new Medical Faculty at the University of Newcastle and for the creation of the University of Western Sydney.
Her contributions were recognised with numerous honours, including Officer of the Order of the British Empire for service to education and international relations and later an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community.
A ceremony was held outside the building on Tuesday 11 November, with Professor Nashar’s son, Tarek, and other family members in attendance, along with University leaders.
Professor Nashar is also remembered through the University of Newcastle’s prestigious Beryl Nashar Young Researcher Award – an annual Alumni Award recognising the emerging research achievements of early and mid-career alumni researchers.
The naming of the Beryl Nashar Building follows the honouring of other foundational figures, including journalist Dr Vic Levi; Founding Principal of Newcastle Teachers’ College, Mr Griffith Duncan and Foundation Dean of the School of Medicine, Professor David Maddison.
Professor David Maddison, distinguished psychiatrist and visionary leader in medical education, was recognised in October through the renaming of the MSW (Medical Sciences West) Building at Callaghan campus.
Under his leadership, the Faculty of Medicine introduced pioneering approaches to teaching, including community-connected, problem-based learning and innovative admissions and evaluation systems.
For further information please contact MarthaTattersall on 0413 129 503 or martha.tattersall@newcastle.edu.au.
For the University of Newcastle media line, please call: 0438 837 166 or email media@newcastle.edu.au.
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- Martha Tattersall
- Email: martha.tattersall@newcastle.edu.au
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