Betty Temple Watts facts for kids

Betty Temple Watts (1901–1992) was an amazing Australian artist. She was known for her detailed scientific illustrations. These were mostly beautiful watercolor paintings of birds. She worked for the CSIRO. This is a big science organization in Australia.

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Betty started learning art when she was young. She trained in art during her youth. However, her first published work didn't appear until 1952. She met many scientists in Canberra, Australia's capital city. She moved to Canberra in 1958 to continue her important work.

Famous Bird Books

Betty Temple Watts created illustrations for several important books. These books helped people learn about Australian birds. Her detailed paintings were very important for these scientific publications.

Some of her well-known works include:

• Birds in the Australian high country (1969, with a second edition in 1984)
• Pigeons and doves of Australia (1982)

Both of these books were put together by Harry Frith. He was a chief scientist at the CSIRO. Many of Betty Temple Watts' original artworks are kept safe. You can find them at the National Library of Australia.

Her illustrations for Diurnal birds of prey (1960) are especially famous. These pictures showed birds of prey, like eagles and falcons. She captured them doing natural things. This included hunting for food or caring for their young. She also showed them in typical poses and while flying. This helped people understand how these birds live.

Designing Stamps

Betty Temple Watts also used her artistic skills for something else. In 1965, she designed three new postage stamps for Australia. These stamps were for the new decimal currency.

The stamps she designed featured:

• A 6¢ blue-faced honeyeater
• A 13¢ avocet
• A 24¢ kingfisher

She had also designed five earlier stamps. These older designs were updated for the new decimal currency. They included:

• A 5¢ yellow-tailed thornbill
• A 15¢ galah
• A 20¢ golden whistler
• A 25¢ scarlet robin
• A 30¢ straw-necked ibis

Her life and amazing artworks are so important. They are even the subject of a special book.