Carter, Margery

Emigrated to New Zealand in  mid 1950s.  Initially worked as a herd tester in the Waikato area.  Was granted a Veterinary Services Council bursary to study Veterinary Science  at Sydney University (only the second woman to receive the bursary: Barbara Smith the first). Margery, plus her trusty motorbike, joined  the Faculty in second year in 1957.  Graduated BVSc with honours  from University of Sydney 1961.

Returned to work in large animal practice in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.  Joined the NZ Department of Agriculture Ruakura Diagnostic Laboratory in 1963.  Gained postgraduate diploma in microbiology from Victoria University, Manchester 1965.  Returned to New Zealand to head the Department of  Microbiology at Ruakuara Animal Health Laboratory 1966 to 1978.

Taught Microbiology at the College  of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia, USA and at the veterinary schools in Zimbabwe and  the West Indies during the 1980s before joining the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College, Dublin where she spent 12 years and completed her teaching career.  Margery returned to New Zealand , took up residence in Hamilton, where she had had a house built for her in anticipation of retirement but died, after a long battle with cancer on 16 July 2001.

During her life Margery was passionate in everything she took up. During her student years she was involved in athletics, becoming an Australian Universities athletics champion in several sports.  She competed in javelin, discus and shotput.

Margery was also highly artistic -illustrating her student notes with  neat illustrations  and,  later, Christmas cards enriched with examples of her pencraft or photography.

She co authored and illustrated three  veterinary textbooks :  Clinical Veterinary Microbiology and Microbial and Parasitic Diseases of the Dog and Cat and a third book, written in retirement and yet to be published.