Barrier Island flowers

Press, 25 June 1983, Page 18

Barrier Island flowers

Fanny Osbourne’s Flower Paintings. By Jeanne H. Gouldirig. Heinemann, 1983. 84 pp. 48 colour plates. $29.95.

(Reviewed by

Thelma Strongman)

It seems unlikely that a woman living for most of her life on Great Barrier Island, and bringing up a family of 13 children, should be one of our greatest botanical painters. Yet the delicacy and precision of Fanny Osbourne’s work has rarely been surpassed. As a child of a similarly large family, Fanny grew up on the island where she was first taught to draw by her mother, in the sand of the seashore. She then went on to live a life similar to that of her parents as she married a subsistance farmer who lived on the island. Alfred Osbourne had been educated in Britain and Germany, he was a skilled cabinet maker, and with Fanny shared an interest in the flora of Great Barrier Island. He found two unusual forms of flowering trees which were later promoted by horticulturalists. One of these, Hoheria poppulnea “Osbournei”, which Fanny Osbourne also painted, was initially propagated from cuttings

from a plant on their own land. Fanny Osbourne’s best work probably occurred after her fortieth birthday and between the years 19111916. She also began to paint water colours which were sold to visitors to the island. Some of her paintings were later given to Auckland Museum by a relative and others have been lent from private sources for the compilation of this book; they are all delightful. A number of plants which were painted occur only rarely in some locations, so it is pleasing to see good illustrations of less common wild plants. As well as presenting the flower paintings, the author has provided personal notes concerning each plant which are useful and interesting additions. There is also an introduction to the paintings where Fanny Osbourne’s work is put into the perspective of the history of botanical illustration of New Zealand native plants. Another section describes her life and further notes are supplied on some of the features of Great Barrier Island flora. A reference section completes a work of thoroughness and quality which the publishers have reproduced in a most attractive form.