Newton Turner, Helen (1908–1995)

Australian geneticist and mathematician. Name variations: Helen Newton-Turner; Helen Turner. Born Helen Alma Newton Turner, May 15, 1908, in Sydney, NSW, Australia; died Nov 26, 1995; mother was a university medalist and father worked for the State Children's Relief Department; University of Sydney, DSc, 1970.

A pioneer in sheep breeding and genetics, led a research team on a merino fleece improvement project; at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), worked as secretary to Dr. Ian Clunies Ross (1931–34), as a statistician (1934–36), as a technical officer (1936–38), as aconsulting statistician (1939–41), as a consultant statistician for Division of Animal Health and Production (1945–56) and as a senior principal research scientist for Division of Animal Genetics (1956–76), leading a team of 8 scientists; investigated European and American sheep-breeding programs (1954); introduced population genetics to Australia; during WWII, established the University Women's Land Army with Isobel Bennett (1940), and worked as a Department of Home Security statistician in Canberra (1942) and as a Department of Manpower statistician in Sydney 1943–44); elected to Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (1973) and Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics (1990). Received Order of the British Empire (OBE, 1977), Order of Australia (1987), Farber Memorial Medal for distinguished services to agriculture.