obitoftheday: Obit of the Day: Queen of Bees While attending the University of Sydney, Gretchen Wheen discovered a swarm of bees and did what any college student would do - she collected the bees and set up a hive on her balcony. Thus began her career as an apiarist. Wheen, who was raised in England but sent to Australia during World War II, became internationally known for her commercial beekeeping. She would raise and then ship entire hives across the country and around the world. Realizing that hives were rather heavy, Wheen began focusing on he cultivation and export of queen bees, as well as a developing techniques for artificial insemination of the queens. She also helped establish Australia’s Honeybee Quarantine Facility for the importation of bees in 1980. (The country closed the facility in 2001, which infuriated Wheen.) Wheen recognized the importance of honeybee to Australia’s food supply and donated her farm, “Gretchen’s,” for research and food supply preservation, while she was still living. Wheen died at the age of 82. Note: Wheen’s father worked as Keeper of the Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum and translated Erich Maria Remarque’s World War I classic, All Quiet on the Western Front into English. (Image of Ms. Wheen at her farm is courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald)
View Separately

obitoftheday:

Obit of the Day: Queen of Bees

While attending the University of Sydney, Gretchen Wheen discovered a swarm of bees and did what any college student would do - she collected the bees and set up a hive on her balcony. Thus began her career as an apiarist. Wheen, who was raised in England but sent to Australia during World War II, became internationally known for her commercial beekeeping. She would raise and then ship entire hives across the country and around the world.

Realizing that hives were rather heavy, Wheen began focusing on he cultivation and export of queen bees, as well as a developing techniques for artificial insemination of the queens. She also helped establish Australia’s Honeybee Quarantine Facility for the importation of bees in 1980. (The country closed the facility in 2001, which infuriated Wheen.) Wheen recognized the importance of honeybee to Australia’s food supply and donated her farm, “Gretchen’s,” for research and food supply preservation, while she was still living.

Wheen died at the age of 82.

Note: Wheen’s father worked as Keeper of the Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum and translated Erich Maria Remarque’s World War I classic, All Quiet on the Western Front into English.

(Image of Ms. Wheen at her farm is courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald)

(via discoverynews)

Source: smh.com.au

72 Notes/ Hide

  1. katiesknits reblogged this from obitoftheday
  2. scienceandrollerskates reblogged this from izzymar
  3. seerofnight reblogged this from discoverynews
  4. drunkpinkelephants reblogged this from discoverynews and added:
    Gretchen. Wheen. Just sayin’
  5. theeightschronicle reblogged this from discoverynews
  6. cheesebeast reblogged this from discoverynews
  7. themonstermuffin13 reblogged this from discoverynews
  8. hickster55 reblogged this from discoverynews
  9. bethfoolery reblogged this from discoverynews
  10. raptorix reblogged this from discoverynews
  11. izizm reblogged this from discoverynews
  12. urvogel reblogged this from discoverynews
  13. notabittamed reblogged this from discoverynews and added:
    For all you bee enthusiasts.
  14. inspirement reblogged this from discoverynews
  15. analgesicrhymes reblogged this from discoverynews
  16. steamscience reblogged this from discoverynews
  17. oneheadtoanother reblogged this from obitoftheday
  18. anicebabyforeverymeal reblogged this from discoverynews
  19. ofpaperandponies reblogged this from obitoftheday and added:
    I wonder if her quarantine facility influenced...Varroa mite hasn’t established within...
  20. wayoftherabbit reblogged this from obitoftheday
  21. chrystinanteater reblogged this from discoverynews
  22. hypercubic reblogged this from discoverynews