[1] She went to the University of Cambridge for doctoral studies, where she researched the sea anemone and worked as an assistant to zoologist Carl Pantin.

[1] In 1947, Batham won the Royal Society of New Zealand's Hamilton Memorial Prize, which recognises outstanding work by an early-career researcher.

[2] In 1951, after the University of Otago took over the fisheries facility that became known as the Portobello Marine Biological Station, Batham was named its director and served there for 23 years.

[1] In 1952 Batham joined the Second Galathea Expedition as it passed around the south of New Zealand, providing local scientific expertise in exchange for the opportunity to collect specimens from deep water.

[8] The ocean glider operated from 2015 onwards by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is named "Betty" in honour of Batham.