Celia Rosser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Celia Rosser
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| Born | 1930 Melbourne, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Known for | Botanical Illustration |
| Awards | Medal of the Order of Australia (1995) |
Celia Elizabeth Rosser OAM (born 1930) is a famous Australian botanical illustrator. She is best known for painting every single type of Banksia plant. These amazing paintings were published in a three-book series called The Banksias.
Contents
Celia Rosser's Art Journey
Celia Elizabeth Prince, as she was known at birth, started painting Australian wildflowers early in her career. She began painting Banksia flowers after seeing a Banksia serrata near her home. This was in Orbost, Victoria. Her first art show was in Melbourne in 1965. It featured three of her beautiful Banksia paintings. A few years later, she published a book called Wildflowers of Victoria.
Working at Monash University
In 1970, Celia Rosser became an artist for the Science Faculty at Monash University. She helped illustrate books about different plants. These included "The Saltmarsh Plants of Southern Australia" and "The Mosses of Southern Australia".
In 1974, she was given a special job: to paint every single Banksia species. This huge project took more than 25 years to finish! All her paintings were put into a three-volume book series called The Banksias. A botanist named Alex George wrote the text for the books. When the last book came out in 2000, it was the first time such a large group of plants had been completely painted.
Awards and Recognition
Celia Rosser has received many important awards for her work. In 1997, she won the Jill Smythies Award for botanical illustration. This award comes from the Linnaean Society of London. In 1995, she was given a Medal of the Order of Australia. Monash University also honored her with special degrees. She received an honorary Master of Science degree in 1981 and an honorary PhD in 1999.
Her Lasting Legacy
Celia Rosser's work has left a big mark on the world of plants and art.
Plants Named After Her
In 1978, a special type of Banksia canei plant was named after her. It was called Banksia 'Celia Rosser'. This plant had unique deeply cut leaves and grew low to the ground.
In 2001, two plant experts, Peter Olde and Neil Marriott, discovered a new Banksia species. They named it Banksia rosserae to honor Celia Rosser. This plant grows in the dry shrublands of Western Australia.
The Celia Rosser Medal
Since 2002, the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne have given out the "Celia Rosser Medal for Botanical Art". This medal is awarded to artists who show outstanding botanical illustrations at their exhibitions.
See also
- List of Australian botanical illustrators
