Emeritus Professor Daphne Lee holding the McKay Hammer, the premier award of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand, that she was awarded in 2017.
In recognition of her outstanding career as one of New Zealand’s most dedicated and passionate palaeontologists, Department of Geology’s Honorary Professor Daphne Lee has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor.
Daphne’s momentous teaching and research career has been forged over several decades during her long association with the Department of Geology, that began as a student in 1969 and continues today.
Clearly ignoring her ‘official’ retirement in 2018, Daphne has continued to lead active research, supervise students, publish papers, present her work widely, and publish a book on the globally-significant fossil research from the Foulden Maar site, near Middlemarch.
As a passionate scientist whose work has shed new light on the natural evolution of southern New Zealand, Daphne’s research and scholarship is highly respected internationally.
Driven by scientific rigour, and with a clear-sighted and unwavering quest for knowledge, at the core of Daphne’s work is her dedication to science.
And it was that scientific acumen which began as a young girl growing up on a Southland farm beside the Mataura River who, by her own volition, made rock and shell collections from around the region.
The after-school geology club
It was during Daphne’s fourth form at Gore High School, when she signed up for an after-school geology club, that the geology-spark became a permanent flame. “From school we could see the Hokonui Hills and, along with my collections, I was riveted by how the teacher brought it all to life,” Daphne says.
As a rare female in the field at the time, Daphne forged her own path to study geology at Otago that led to her PhD graduation in 1981. She has remained an academic staff member in Geology since 1988.
Daphne’s research in the Department began with brachiopods and marine invertebrates and over time, she became a specialist in paleobotany and invertebrate paleontology.
Reflecting on her research journey which has shed new light and knowledge on the natural evolution of southern New Zealand, Daphne feels fortunate to have gained experience across both marine and land-based fossils.
“It’s the knowledge gained from both these sources that have informed the geological, ecological, and paleontological history of southern New Zealand over the last 50 million years,” Daphne says.
“I have always been driven to explain what is going on in the landscape, and unravelling the story behind why plants and animals are here and where they have come from.”
The legacy of Foulden Maar
Since the first postgraduate student carried out her research at the Foulden Maar fossil deposit near Middlemarch in the 1960’s, the Geology Department has developed a long association with the site.
Daphne recalls her first visit to the Maar was in the 1980’s and, in addition to working at many fossil locations during her career, since then she’s been instrumental in unearthing the stories of its extremely rich fossil flora and fauna.
Fossil Treasures of Foulden Maar: A window into Miocene Zealandia, published by Otago University Press.
Containing some of the best-preserved and most significant fossils in the Southern Hemisphere, Foulden Maar contains millions of exquisitely preserved fossils including diatoms, pollen, leaves, flowers, fruits, fish, and insects.
Originally an ancient crater which filled with water, the maar created the perfect environment to preserve the organic material that fell into its depths and sank to the bottom. It entombed an ancient rainforest ecosystem and a rich history of life that holds a wealth of information and data about nature’s evolutionary past.
Over the last two decades, and largely supported by four Marsden grants, Daphne has been instrumental in leading a coordinated research programme at Foulden Maar.
In addition to publishing more than 40 papers to-date from this body of research, Daphne and her international colleagues have also published a book as a comprehensive written and visual record of the sheer diversity of fossils collected from the site.
More recently, Foulden Maar was a topic of national and international attention due to a proposed mining operation that would have severely impacted the fossil record at the locality.
Daphne’s research and tireless publicity involved in highlighting its scientific importance played a significant role that led to the site’s eventual acquisition by Dunedin City Council.
Looking ahead, Daphne’s looking forward to returning to the site. “So far we have only just scraped the surface of maar’s hidden treasures,” Daphne says.
“Every time we go there we uncover new and really exciting fossils that reveal stories which help us to better understand the past and our future.”
A distinguished and purposeful career
Daphne’s work has been well-recognised by the national and international science community. The quality and volume of her research contributing to geology was acknowledged in 2017 by the Geoscience Society of NZ with the McKay Hammer Award. The Society’s premiere award covered the period 2014-16 during which Daphne published 29 peer-reviewed papers and a book chapter.
Since 1995, she’s supervised many postgraduate students many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in palaeontology or other fields.
Her work with the Geology Museum in the Department also continues, where she’s supporting the process of curating the vast collection of plant and animal fossils, hundreds of which she’s collected over the decades.
Division of Sciences Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Barker says Daphne’s recognition as Emeritus Professor is well earned following her decades of work, commitment and contribution she continues to make in the field of palaeontology.
“Emeritus Professor Lee’s research has revolutionised our understanding of the evolution of life on Zealandia – New Zealand’s continental landmass - and in particular has investigated the roles of changing environments and ecological complexity in our part of the world.”
“The implications of her work are felt globally due to the unique fossil record that she has introduced to the rest of the world.”
Reflecting on her long and productive career in the Department of Geology, Daphne says she’s enjoyed every moment since first arriving in Geology as a student.
“There’s always something new to discover and opportunities to find unexpected treasures and surprises during the course of scientific research.”
She also says it can be very challenging for female scientists in academia, so she’s grateful to have both raised a family and built a satisfying national and international career.
“I’m keen to complete a few unfinished research projects and spend and enjoy as much time with my seven grandchildren as possible.”
– Kōrero by Guy Frederick (Communications Adviser Sciences)
A special issue event
Daphne would like to acknowledge her long-time colleague and fellow palaeontology powerhouse, the late Professor Ewan Fordyce (FRSNZ), who left a massive legacy for the field of research and his 40-year association with the Department of Geology.
The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand is soon publishing a special issue as a celebration of Ewan’s work, and it will also recognise Daphne’s important contributions to palaeontology.
The launch of the special issue will be celebrated in an event at the Geology Museum, where many of the fossils featured in the journal will be on display, on Tuesday 3 September 5pm.