{{Short description|Australian artist (1896–1966)}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} {{Infobox person | name = Joyce Allan | image = Joyce Allan, ca. 1930s.jpg | caption = Allan in the 1930s | honorific_suffix = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|04|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Balmain, [[Sydney]], Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|1966|08|31|1896|04|08|df=y}} | death_place = [[Mosman, Australia]] | occupation = [[Conchologist]], museum curator and scientific illustrator | spouse = Hector Walker Kirkpatrick }}
'''Joyce Allan''' (8 April 1896 – 31 August 1966) was an Australian [[conchologist]], [[curator|museum curator]] at the [[Australian Museum]] and a [[scientific illustrator]].
==Early life and education==
Allan was born Catherine Mabel Joyce Allan on 8 April 1896 in [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]], Sydney.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014">{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Prue|title=Joyce Allan, Conchologist|url=http://australianmuseum.net.au/joyce-allan-conchologist|website=Australian Museum|access-date=8 November 2015}}</ref> She was the eighth child of Florence Fountain Allan née Hesketh and Joseph Stuart Allan.<ref name="ADB 1993">{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |last1=McMichael|first1=D. F.|title=Allan, Catherine Mabel Joyce (1896–1966)|id2=allan-catherine-mabel-joyce-9329/text16377|access-date=8 November 2015}}</ref> Allan's education was initially private but she went on to attend [[Fort Street High School|Fort Street Girls' High School]].<ref name="ADB 1993" /> During her time at secondary school she often visited the Australian Museum and would sort shells for [[Charles Hedley]].<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" />
==Career== [[File:Joyce Allan arranging mollusks for the Australian Museum, New South Wales, 9 March 1933, 1.jpg|thumb|Allan examining specimens at the Australian Museum]] Allan was appointed as a temporary employee at the Australia Museum in February 1917 and worked as an assistant to Charles Hedley.<ref name="ADB 1993" /> She was initially responsible for assisting with the curation of the conchology collection as well as providing illustrations for scientific papers written by other museum staff.<ref name="ADB 1993" /> Allan was a talented artist<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /> and exhibited artwork with the [[Royal Art Society of New South Wales]].<ref name="ADB 1993" /> As time progressed she gained more expertise in molluscs and began writing scientific articles.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /> She signed both her artwork and her scientific papers "Joyce K. Allan".<ref name="ADB 1993" /> Most of her published papers were related to the subclass [[Opisthobranchia]].<ref name=EAS>{{cite web|title=Allan, Catherine Mabel Joyce (1896–1966)|url=http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004901b.htm|website=Encyclopedia of Australian Science|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref> [[File:Mollusca, New Zealand.jpg|thumb|New Zealand Mollusca by Joyce K. Allan]]
In 1920 Allan obtained a permanent position at the museum, and upon the resignation of Hedley in 1924, was responsible for the Australia Museums's conchology section with [[Tom Iredale]] as her assistant.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /> In 1925 Allan and Iredale's positions were reversed.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" />
In addition to writing scientific papers on molluscs, Allan wrote articles in the [[Australian Museum Magazine]]<ref name="Trove 28 February 1939">{{cite web|title=Museum Magazine|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95482662?searchTerm=Miss%20Allan%20Museum&searchLimits=|newspaper=Northern Star| date=28 February 1939 |publisher=National Library of Australia|access-date=8 November 2015}}</ref> and contributed to the [[Australian Encyclopaedia]].<ref name="ADB 1993" /> She also undertook speaking engagements.<ref name="Sydney Herald">{{cite news|title=Museum Lecture|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17241956|access-date=8 November 2015|agency=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> Allan frequently appeared as the subject of articles in newspaper and magazines, not only as a result of being a woman scientist, but also because of her talent at science communication.<ref name="Australian Museum Blog">{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Pru|title=Joyce Allan – well-respected scientist|url=http://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/museullaneous/joyce-allan-well-respected-scientist|website=Australian Museum|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref>
In 1931 Allan was appointed to the position of scientific assistant. During the Second World War she worked in the National Emergency Services and was appointed assistant to the superintendent of air-raid precautions.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /> In 1943 Allan was elected a fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, and in doing so became the first woman to achieve this honour.<ref name="Australian Museum Blog" /> In 1944 she returned to the Australia Museum and, upon the retirement of Iredale, was chosen to succeed him.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" />
In early 1949 Allan was appointed curator of shells for the Museum and while holding that position attended gatherings of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1949 she also attended the Pacific Science Congress in New Zealand and in 1953 travelled to Copenhagen to attend the International Congress of Zoology.<ref name="ADB 1993" />
In 1950 Allan authored ''Australian Shells'', the first book to attempt to describe the majority of Australian molluscs.<ref name="ADB 1993" /> It was well regarded by both the scientific community and mollusc collectors.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" />
Allan retired from her position at the Museum of Australia in June 1956 as a result of suffering from ill health. However she was appointed an honorary zoologist and as such continued to work on a voluntary basis at the museum. She also authored further scientific texts.<ref name="ADB 1993" /> It was not until 1962 that she ceased working in any capacity at the museum.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" />
==Personal life==
On 18 May 1949 Allan married Hector Walker Kirkpatrick in [[Mosman Village Church|St Clement's Anglican Church]], Mosman.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /> Joyce Allan's father Joseph Stuart Allan was a well-known artist in New Zealand and the UK, and contributed cartoons to the Australian magazine, ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'', among many other publications. Joyce's grandfather was a noted artist and member of the Edinburgh Academy whilst working as a judge in Wellington.
==Death==
Allan died on 31 August 1966 aged 70 at Mosman, of cerebrovascular disease. She was survived by her husband and was cremated.<ref name="Australian Museum 2014" /><ref name="ADB 1993" />
==Selected publications==
* 1936. Victorian sea shells : a handbook for collectors and students / by Charles J. Gabriel; with numerous illustrations by Joyce K. Allan Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia * 1950. Australian shells, with related animals living in the sea, in fresh-water and on the land / by Joyce Allan. Georgian House Pty., Ltd., Melbourne, Australia * 1956. Cowry Shells of World Seas / by Joyce Allan. Charles T. Branford Co., Boston * 1958 The sea-horse and its relatives / by Gilbert Whitley and Joyce Allan.Georgian House, Melbourne, Australia
==Species named in honour of Joyce Allan==
At least three shells, a fish and an insect have been named in Allan's honour.<ref name="ADB 1993" /> These include:
* ''[[Astele allanae|Coralastele allanea]]'' Iredale, 1930<ref name="AWW 1939">{{cite news|title=What Women Are Doing – She studies life story of shells|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51591994#pstart4624958|access-date=9 November 2015|agency=Australian Women's Weekly|publisher=Australian Consolidated Press|date=25 February 1939}}</ref> * ''[[Microcanthus joycei]]'' Whitley, 1931<ref name="AWW 1939" /> * ''[[Phosinella allanae]]'' Laseron, 1950<ref name="Conchology Inc">{{cite web|title=Allan, Joyce K.|url=http://www.conchology.be/?t=9001&id=14403|website=Conchology Inc.|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=WoRMS>{{cite web|title=Rissoina allanae Laseron, 1950|url=http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=598017|website=World Register of Marine Species|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref>
== References == {{Sister project auto}} {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Joyce}} [[Category:1896 births]] [[Category:1966 deaths]] [[Category:Conchologists]] [[Category:Australian malacologists]] [[Category:20th-century Australian illustrators]] [[Category:Australian natural history illustrators]] [[Category:Australian curators]] [[Category:20th-century Australian zoologists]] [[Category:Australian women illustrators]] [[Category:Biologists from Sydney]] [[Category:Australian women curators]] [[Category:20th-century Australian women scientists]] [[Category:People educated at Fort Street High School]]