When Emerita Professor Lyn Abbott first stepped foot on UWA’s Crawley campus half a century ago, she recalls a very different scene to the University of today.

“For the whole time I’ve been here, I have been based in the Soil Science Building at the south end of campus, which was then a bit like a farm in the early days,” she reminisces. 

“There were sheep in paddocks, and a researcher in the animal science area had ducks nearby.”

Lyn, an Emerita Professor after retiring 11 years ago, has enjoyed an incredible five-decade-long period at UWA, which began when she joined the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition as a Research Fellow in 1974.  

Image: Cutting the cake on fifty fabulous years, Emerita Professor Lyn Abbott.

Her academic path began at the University of Sydney with a botany degree, the place she met fellow student Ian Abbott, who would later become her husband. 

The academic pair attended Monash University together where Lyn completed her PhD in soil microbiology before they spent four months together on the Galapagos Islands studying Darwin's finches, an experience she describes as “pretty unbelievable really”.

But it was in Western Australia that Lyn found her true calling, establishing herself as a global leader in soil biology.

“I felt like I was coming home when I arrived in WA, and of course being a botanist initially, the plants just blew my mind – Ian and I have never had a desire to live anywhere else,” she says.

“(The late) Alan Robson had come to the University just a few months before I arrived which was incredibly lucky for me. 

“Alan had extraordinary knowledge and skills in plant nutrition and soil science, which complemented my discipline of soil microbiology.

“We were fortunate to be able to conduct our research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the highly-weathered Western Australian soils in a challenging Mediterranean climate in the most isolated city in the world – it provided a lot of opportunities.”

Image: Some familiar faces among the Soil Science and Plant Nutrition group of 1979 .

Over the years Lyn’s research has earned her numerous accolades, including the inaugural General Jeffery Soil Health Award (2021) and Fellowships from Soil Science Australia and the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology. 

Despite her many awards and recognitions, she remains humble and deeply connected to her work.

“My parents were teachers and, for the time, were very aware people,” she says. “My father was principal of a primary school in a small town in northern NSW, and he knew that if I attended the local school there wouldn’t be a path through to university. 

“He was very keen for me to have that opportunity and managed to get a transfer to another school near Sydney.

“But to do science at the new high school, I needed Latin. Somehow Dad knew this, so he arranged for me to learn Latin by correspondence in that last year before we moved.

“He was very proud of my research. He followed all of my papers, reading everything I wrote – he always kept track.”

Reflecting on her time at UWA, Lyn recalls the transformation of the campus, from the early days of handwritten academic papers to the establishment of the Barry J Marshall Library cafe. 

Image: "Ian and I never had a desire to live anywhere else," Lyn says of her beloved Western Australia.

“I was on a committee investigating the new biological sciences library and the idea of putting a coffee shop in that building was really high on a lot of people's agenda because there was nothing available at the south end of campus,” she laughs of the popular move.

Head of the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, Associate Professor Matthias Leopold, says Lyn, who is mum to daughter Bryony and has two adored grandchildren, Madeleine and Liam, has profoundly influenced countless students and colleagues.

“Her work isn’t just academic but deeply practical,” he says. “Even today she’s actively involved in extension activities related to soil management that supports contributions of soil organisms.

“Her development of a Soil Health App and regular farmer workshops highlight her commitment to translating scientific theory into practice.”

Image: The highly weather WA soils an ideal environment for fieldwork.

UWA Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Colmer said Lyn was also a pioneer of culture change.

“She was the first Chair of the planning group of the UWA Leadership Development for Women Program, playing a fundamental role in its establishment. This program continued at UWA for 20 years,” he says.

“In collaboration with other parents, she was involved in advocating for childcare facilities and worked closely with the University architect on building plans for this. 

“Lyn also established a mentoring program for agricultural science students in collaboration with Ag Institute Australia to pair students with industry mentors at a time when mentor schemes were in their infancy at UWA. 

“One of the six female scientists celebrated at Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra, she is very connected with farming communities across Australia, including local Landcare bodies.

“She served as a member of Australian Government Domestic Off-sets Integrity Committee and contributes to other initiatives, including Graduate Women WA which has been providing support for women in education since 1923.”

Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott’s Golden Jubilee of service and research was formally recognised in a ‘Grounded in Soil Science’ symposium: Celebrating 50 years of Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott’ at UWA on  November 18 attended by current and former colleagues, friends and family.

Lyn’s legacy at UWA – a blend of groundbreaking research, dedication to student mentoring and a lifelong commitment to advancing soil science and environmental sustainability – will be recognised with a UWA Chancellor’s Medal, to be presented at a graduation ceremony on December 13.

Image: Past and current students and colleagues, friends and family joined in the 50 year celebrations.