Georgiana Leake's Wildflower Album. Western Australia's First Botanical Artist. 2010. 89 col. illus. 59 maps. 286 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

In 1833 to escape the recession, Samuel Kingsford, miller, embarked with his family for the largely unknown continent of New Holland, to become one of the pioneering settlers in the newly established Swan River colony. After the premature death of him his daughter Georgiana Mary married one of the colonies most influential settlers, George Leake. The marriage was a good one; despite George being much older than his bride. In the short time they had together, it appears Georgiana had time to pursue her favourite pastime, painting the profusion of wildflowers, which abounded throughout the area. The surviving collection of paintings found their way from England back to the Royal Western Australian History Society in the 1930s as a gift from one of Georgiana's descendants. This makes it the first collection of Australian botanical paintings made by a resident artist. This book tells the story of Georgiana's early life, her time in the Swan River, and return to England. It also reproduces the entire collection of surviving illustrations, with notes on their provenance. It will be of interest to botanists, art historians and all those interested in the early history of Western Australia.