Florence (Fay) Vivienne Murray (b.1908, d.1970): scientist, librarian, scientific illustrator, photographer, collector, collection researcher, and collection donor, worked at the National Museum of Victoria (predecessor institution of Museums Victoria) as an Honorary Associate from 1969 until 1970. Her marine snail egg collection was donated to the National Museum. The following account of Fay's life has been gathered from the people who knew her well - her family, Reg Murray, and colleagues Tom Darragh and Bob Burn, and from Fay's correspondence with Hope Black nee Macpherson. Fay sadly died from complications related to the painkillers and cortisone she took to treat rheumatoid arthritis in 1970.

Student years at University of Melbourne, 1927-1933

Fay excelled in her studies at University of Melbourne from 1927 to 1933, receiving Bachelor and Master of Science degrees, and was awarded the McBain Research Scholarship for her degree thesis. Following the completion of her degrees, Fay worked as a demonstrator at the University, as well as conducting research with notable zoologist Dr Oscar Werner Tiegs.

Librarian, 1936-1964

Fay was a librarian at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from 1936 in Melbourne, then a short time in Sydney, before returning to Melbourne in 1941 where she transferred to the Animal Health Division in 1955. In 1964, after 28 years of service as a librarian at CSIR, Fay retired from this work. Fay had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and used crutches to walk. The physical aspects of library work were no longer possible.

Scientific illustrator

In addition to providing scientific data and research for publications she authored and co-authored with other scientists, Fay was also an accomplished scientific illustrator. An example of her scientific illustrations can be viewed in about 70 plates illustrated by Fay in Pelagic Tunicates of Australia by Dr Harold Thompson, published by CSIR in 1948. Fay also provided data for the publication. Fay was not properly acknowledged as a co-author of the publication by Thompson. Fay wrote to Thompson on 2 December 1947 when he was then Chief, Division of Fisheries: 'The clear fact remains that, despite all the work involved in the preparation of the illustrations and in the collection of data referred to in the last paragraph of my previous letter, you did not even have the courtesy to inform me that you were about to publish an account of the tunicates incorporating my drawings and data, or even to send me the proofs of the plates. I consider your behaviour in this respect not only remarkable but inexcusable.'

Photographer

In 1925, at the age of 17, Fay won first prize in the Fintona Girls' School camera club competition. Fay continued her interest in photography throughout her life, taking her camera on holidays, as well as using her camera to document specimens of molluscs discovered on field trips, as well as specimens in her home aquarium. Some of her photographs included accidental self-portraits reflected in the glass of her home aquarium.

Malacological Society of Australasia Inc., Victorian Branch, 1953-1970

Fay's interest in molluscs began on a holiday to Hayman Island in Queensland in 1953. In the same year, Fay joined the Malacological Society of Australasia Inc, Victorian Branch, the year the Society was formed. Fay was Secretary-Treasurer from 1969 until her death in 1970.

Bob Burn met Fay through the Malacological Society when she first joined. Bob remarked that Fay was badly affected by rheumatoid arthritis - she had regular cortisone treatments - but that did not stop her from fieldwork and going out on the reef. Fay was unable to snorkel or dive, so she concentrated on collecting and studying specimens from the intertidal.

Dr Tom Darragh, Curator Emeritus at Museums Victoria, who conducts research on Australian Tertiary mollusca in the Palaeontology Collection, said that Fay 'didn't consider herself a real scientist', however 'discussion with her helped Tom understand fossils better'. Dr Darragh's research is in fossil bivalves (a class of marine and freshwater molluscs) and snails. He stated that Fay's 'arthritis was quite crippling, but she still managed to tease out egg cases under the microscope'.

Tom met Fay in the 1960s at a Malacological Society meeting when he was in his 20s. Malacological Society had monthly night meetings at the old museum [i.e. National Museum of Victoria] at Russell Street's theatrette. Dr Alan Beu and Tom had a query about a peculiar scar that was created in the formation of a particular fossil mollusc, and Tom remembers that he mentioned it to Fay at one of the Malacological Society meetings. Alan and Tom visited Fay's house to view her aquarium, and a study she was working on that she never published. Tom thought her work was quite ground-breaking. Fay's study helped Alan and Tom to better understand fossil molluscs. Tom said that Fay's work was 'first class', and he considered there to be no doubt that she was a qualified scientist.

Fay was documenting each life stage of the molluscan eggs during their development in her home aquarium. Tom said that Fay would stay up all night to keep the eggs alive in the petri dish by stirring, creating air bubbles, which kept the eggs alive.

The Malacological Society of Australia created a Fay Murray Memorial Fund to support illustrations for molluscan papers. This Fund supported several papers published in the Journal of the Malacological Society in the early 1970s. An obituary including a list of Fay's publications was published by the Society in 1971.

National Museum of Victoria, 1956-1977

Before Fay became an Honorary Associate at the National Museum of Victoria, supervised by Curator of Invertebrates Dr Brian John Smith, she had been in correspondence with Hope Black nee Macpherson from 1956 until 1964. Hope was Curator of Molluscs from 1946 to 1965, answering Fay's enquiries regarding identifying specimens, but over time their relationship grew into one of Hope mentoring Fay in her scientific research. Fay often sent scientific manuscripts to Hope for her to review and provide feedback. Hope would always encourage Fay to publish her findings and discoveries, and often drove her home from fieldwork where they discussed their joint research expertise in molluscs. The correspondence ends in 1964 but Hope and Fay's relationship continued throughout 1969 when they were Honorary Associates together at the Museum.

After Hope married in 1965, due to the marriage bar, she retired from the Museum, but stayed on as an Honorary Associate. Hope then became a science high school teacher, inspiring generations of young women into pursuing a career in science. After Fay passed away in 1970, Hope compiled Fay's unpublished research and co-authored a book chapter.

Fay donated 10 accession lots of specimens to the National Museum of Victoria, starting in April 1960, and the final lot was received in June 1971, after her death. The marine snail egg collection that Fay donated to the Museum is an important collection including 600 lots of molluscan egg masses. Unusually, Fay's collection is stored together rather than by taxonomy which is how most specimens are arranged in the Marine Invertebrate collections. Fay and Margery's shell collection was donated to the Museum by Michael Murray following Margery's death in 1977. The Marine Invertebrate department also has files containing colour slides of Fay's specimens (photographs taken by Fay), a correspondence file from 1956 - 1970, as well as reprints of Fay's papers. Handwritten research notes by Fay are held amongst Hope Black nee Macpherson research notes in Museums Victoria Archives.

Continuing Fay's work, 1970-1989

Fay passed away in 1970. 'The death of Miss F V Murray during the year brought to an end her valuable work on the breeding of marine gastropods. The Curator, with the help of honorary staff, is preparing her notes for publication as the data they contain is of very great scientific significance' - Annual Report 1971.

After Fay's death, her unpublished research was collated and published in 1989 by Dr Brian John Smith, Hope Black nee Macpherson and Scoresby Shepherd. They wrote a book chapter entitled Molluscan Egg Masses and Capsules in Marine Invertebrates of Southern Australia, Part 2. They dedicated the chapter to the memory of Fay and her sister Margery Murray. Margery had passed away in 1977.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Reg Murray, Fay Murray's nephew, for reaching out to the Discovery Centre at Museums Victoria many years ago with an enquiry about Fay, for providing photographs from the family archive, and sharing personal memories of Fay. On behalf of Reg Murray and Fay's extended family, it's important to acknowledge Margery Murray for all the work she did to assist Fay in her scientific research and field work. Thank you to Melanie Mackenzie and Chris Rowley, Collection Managers, Marine Invertebrates, Museums Victoria, for providing access to Fay's collections and supporting this research. Thank you to Bob Burn (OAM) and Dr Tom Darragh for sharing personal insights and memories about Fay. Thank you to Rob Birtles at CSIRO for providing valuable information and a photograph of Fay from the CSIRO Archives.

References

Burn, R 1971, 'Obituary Florence V Murray, 1908 - 1970', Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 2(2): 97 - 99

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation c.1940, 'Image 447.065.1 - CSIR staff Miss Bishop, Mabel Mazzoletti, Maggie Murphu, Pat Glancy, Miss Fay Murray', CSIRO Archives

Murray, F 1961 - 1970, Research Notes and Manuscripts, Museums Victoria Archives, ARCHIVE-1128, ARCHIVE-1132 and ARCHIVE-1134

National Museum of Victoria 1956 - 1975, File - National Museum of Victoria - Invertebrates - Murray, Miss F V (1956 -, Marine Invertebrate Collection, Museums Victoria, OLDERSYSTEM~04540

National Museum of Victoria 1971, Report of the National Museum of Victoria Council 1970 - 1971, Museums Victoria Archives

Smith, B, Macpherson, H and Shepherd S 1989, 'Chapter 15 Molluscan Egg Masses and Capsules' in Marine Invertebrates of Southern Australia, Part 2, South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences) in conjunction with the Flora and Fauna of South Australia Handbooks Committee, Adelaide

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