Barbara Kidman leads way in 20th Century science for women at Adelaide University in physics and computing
Barbara Kidman with Adelaide University's physics department electron microscope in 1953.
Image courtesy University of Adelaide Archives.
Barbara Kidman was an inspirational pioneer for women in science at cutting-edge 20th Century areas of physics and computing at Adelaide University.
Born in 1927 to Thomas Kidman (a nephew of Sidney Kidman) and wife Leticia (Lettie), Barbara Kidman spent her early years on the remote Oaken Hills Station, near Woomera in far north South Australia, where she was schooled by correspondence.
Wanting to give their children a more rounded education, Kidman’s parents bought a property at North Shields on the Eyre Peninsula. Kidman went to the one-teacher local primary school and then Port Lincoln High School. She studied physics and chemistry, at that time usually only available for boys. She passed with credits and was awarded a university scholarship. She completed her leaving honours at Walford Anglican School for Girls, where she was dux in her final year.
At Adelaide University, Kidman became the first woman in South Australia to study physics for a bachelor of science degree, graduating in 1949 with first class honours. Kidman joined fiancee Renfrey Potts, a university colleague and Rhodes scholar, at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom.Oxford’s academic culture supported women and Kidman did a three-year research assistant project on the biological effects of radioactive fission products, under the leadership of eminent scientist Janet Vaughan.
Returning to Adelaide University, Renfrey Potts was appointed lecturer in mathematical physics at the university while Kidman became a research assistant. Kidman continued her doctoral work and became, with fellow researcher Barbara Possingham, the joint first woman to be awarded a PhD in physics in 1956
Kidman then transferred to the new and rapidly developing area of computing science. In 1970, Kidman was appointed the first lecturer in computing at Adelaide University and was promoted to senior lecturer in 1978. Over the next 20 years, Kidman contributed significantly to developing computer science at the university before retiring in 1987. With her husband, she wrote the book Paper Tape and Punched Cards: The Early History of Computing and Computing Science at the Universitv of Adelaide.
Her achievements led to the University of Adelaide Barbara Kidman women's fellowship scheme, providing financial support for up to eight female academics each year.
Kidman was also an Australian grand master of contract bridge and an avid traveller, visiting many unusual locations throughout the world. In retirement, Kidman became a volunteer at the university, where she was involved with the alumni association and the university archives.
