Joan Margaret Monahan (née Hastings, 27 February 1925 – 6 April 2004) was a New Zealand swimmer, botanist and school teacher.

Born in 1925, Hastings was educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Auckland University College, from where she graduated Master of Science with first-class honours in 1950. Her thesis was titled A fungal disease of Meryta sinclairii.

Joan Hastings

At the 1950 British Empire Games she won the silver medal as part of the women's 440 yard freestyle relay. Her teammates in the relay were Norma Bridson, Winifred Griffin and Kristin Jacobi.

Joan Hastings

She worked as a botanist at the Forest Research Institute, and later returned to teach at Auckland Girls' Grammar School. She retired as head of science there in 1979.

Joan Hastings

In her later years, Hastings was active in Masters swimming, and broke several world Masters records, including the 1500 m world record for the 60–64 years category in 1987, and numerous New Zealand Masters records.

References

1925 births

2004 deaths

People educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School

University of Auckland alumni

20th-century New Zealand botanists

New Zealand schoolteachers

New Zealand female swimmers

Swimmers at the 1950 British Empire Games

Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand

Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming

Swimmers from Auckland

New Zealand women botanists

20th-century New Zealand women scientists

Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games