Vera-Scarth Johnson
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Vera Scarth-Johnson, (b. 1912 d. May 19, 1999), was a British artist and botanist who taught others to love the environmental treasures of Cooktown and the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula.
Early Life
Vera Scarth-Johnson was born in 1912 in Morley, near Leeds, Yorkshire England. She attended school very near the birthplace of James Cook. She was always keen to pursue a career in horticulture. An avid botanist from childhood, she studied art at both the Leeds College of Art and the St. Albans College of Art, and when her grandfather saw the level of her determination to be a farmer he provided her with the finances to develop a piggery and market garden of her own.Life in Australia
Vera moved to Australia in 1947 and after a short stint in Victoria moved north and commenced farming near Bundaberg. Initially she grew vegetables and tobacco but soon changed to sugar cane, being only the second woman to obtain a sugar assignment. Vera was no slouch when it came to being involved in the hard work of farming and had a fund of lively tales of her life as a cane farmer.Vera made many trips around Australia collecting specimens for herbariums within Australia and for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London. Entranced by the beauty of the Endeavour River valley, in 1972, at the age of 60 Vera settled in Cooktown and began collecting and recording native plants of the region. With Aboriginal friends from the local Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, Vera made extensive trips locating species and recording information on their uses.
The people of Cooktown are the proud guardians of her priceless collection of botanical illustrations, In 1989 Vera donated 140 of her botanical illustrations to the people of Cooktown of the flowering plants found in this unique region. The originals are held at Nature’s Powerhouse in the beautiful Cooktown Botanic Gardens.
Legacy
Vera's wish was that the Interpretive Centre would educate both current and future generations about the wonders and the importance of the environment and the need to protect the few remaining pristine parts of the planet.Vera was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 1996. Her name is commemorated in the shrub Argophyllum verae.
The book of Vera’s collection, entitled “National Treasures,” enhances Cooktown’s international reputation and its important contribution to botanical history and Australia’s history. “National Treasures” includes 152 full-colour reproductions of Vera’s illustrations, her notes, and lots of other information.
Sources
- Australian National Botanic Gardens
- Cooktown powerhouse museum
- Cooktown Local News, Issue No.200, May 20, 1999
External Links
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