1928 and All That! — A Talk by Helen McNeil

We're delighted to welcome Helen McNeill, recently retired from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), who introduced LIPS to a wonderful photo album that belonged to Sheina Marshall — one of the women scientists on the 1928–29 Great Barrier Reef Expedition to Low Isles.

Helen's research began during the 2020 Covid lockdown, when the SAMS Ocean Explorer Centre she managed was closed. Interviewing former staff from two metres apart soon became a passion project, and her discoveries in the archive have now led her all the way to the Great Barrier Reef. She is making a brief visit to Australia in late October, partly to visit Low Isles.

Helen's talk begins with early photographs from Millport Marine Station, where Scotland's marine science story started. She then introduces some of the characters from Millport and beyond who joined the groundbreaking expedition, and takes a closer look at artefacts from the expedition itself — and what is being done to archive, protect and share them.

With the expedition's centenary approaching in 2028, this is a rare chance to see its story through fresh eyes.