Dr. Balázs Dénes szerk.: Földrajzi Múzeumi Tanulmányok 12. (Magyar Földrajzi Múzeum; Érd, 1993)

IN MEMORIAM - Farkas Edit (1921-1993) Balázs D. - R. Munster

véne kutyáját, Portiát is. 1993. február 3-án hajnali négykor az ágya mellett őrködő Portia nyüszíteni kez­dett, majd csaholva kirohant a szobából. A zajra előkerült ügyeletes orvos nem sokkal később megállapította: az elkerülhetetlen vég bekövetkezett... Az új-zélandi magyarság, a meteorológiai szolgálat dolgozói, rokonok, barálok és ismerősök 1993. február 8-án vettek végső búcsút Farkas Edittől a wellingloni Karori temető kremalóriumának kápolnájában. A Ma­gyar Közösség nevében Szcntirmay Pál méltatta az elhunyt pályafutását: konyhai mosogatólányból lelt nem­zetközi hírű tudós, aki idegen földön, idegen környezet­ben szerzett igaz megbecsülést magának és nemzetének. A meteorológusokon kívül Farkas Editet a magyar geográfusok is magukénak vallják, hiszen ő volt a Déli­sarkvidék első női földrajzi kutatója. Emiékél kegyeletlel megőrizzük és gondját viseljük a Magyar Földrajzi Múzeumra hagyott utazási relikviáinak. Balázs Dénes Az Antarktika jégvilágában (1975) Edith Elisabeth Farkas 1921-1993 When she entered university in Budapest as an undergraduate student in 1939, Edith Farkas liltle thought that her future would lie in a country on the other side of the World. In 1944 she graduated in mathematics and physics from the Péter Pázmán}' Uni­versity. Soon after, Edith, with her parents and sister sought refuge in Austria. They were to remain in Austria, in refugee camps, till 1949 when they sailed for New Zealand on a refugee ship, the Dundalk Bay. In New Zealand Edith worked first as a kitchen hand at Palmerston North Hospital, then as a library assistant with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Resc­Farkas lulltj'őműszerével, ti Dobson-jéle ózon-szpektro­Jhtométerrel (1958) arch in Wellington. In this way she picked up English, a language in which she had had no formal training. She then undertook the course for MSc in Physics, which she completed at Victoria University in 1952. In the following year she was appointed as a meteoro­logist in the Research Section of the New Zealand Meteorological Service. During 1960s her work shifted increasingly to the study of atmospheric ozone including the measurement of total ozone with the Dobson ozone speclrophometer. She became one of a small internatio­nal group of atmospheric scientists dedicated to the study of atmospheric ozone - interest in which, in that era, was largely in ils use as a tracer to aid atmospheric circulation studies. It was some years later that depletion of the ozone layer became a matter of general concern. Her interest in atmospheric ozone measurement led naturally to the application of her expertise to the monitoring of surface ozone as pan of air pollution studies and also to the measurement of atmospheric turbidity. Edith Farkas was one of the first women to visit and to study Anlartica. She completed about 40 scientific papers and reports. Within the New Zealand Meteorological Service she was a recipient of the Henry Hill Award, recognising her dedication and enthusiasm. Following her retirement in 1986 her colleagues of the International Ozone Commis­sion honoured her wilh a special citation which was presented to her al the 1988 Session. Edith died in Wellington on 3 February 1993 after a long illness which she bore wilh the same fortitude that helped her through the difficult ..refugee" years. She will be missed by her many friends and colleagues. R. Munster Wellington. New Zealand

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