Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Forde, Helena

Botanical illustrator who with her sister, was an acclaimed recorder of the insect life and botany of the colony.

Milestone
Born
Sydney
1832
Died
Harris Park
24 Nov 1910
Buried
25 Nov 1910
Name
Alternate
Forde, Nellie
Birth
Scott, Helena
Occupation
Position
Relationship
Sibling
Child of
Child of
Relative of
Sibling
Spouse
1864 - 1866

Harriet and Helena Scott

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2015

Harriet and Helena Scott were the foremost natural science painters in New South Wales in the second half of the nineteenth century. Their illustrations of native butterflies, moths, plants, reptiles, mammals, shells and flowers, many of which are held by the Australian Museum and Mitchell Library, were scientific and artistic masterpieces that illuminated important scientific publications, and earned them professional recognition in a field of study that was traditionally considered a gentleman's pursuit.