Robertson, Enid Lucy (née Ashby) (1925 – 2016)

Born Unley, Adelaide, South Australia on 20 November 1925; died Belair, Adelaide, South Australia on 10 July 2016.

Grand-daughter of Edwin Ashby (1861–1941); daughter of (Arthur) Keith Ashby (1896–1971) and Edith Mary Walker. Edwin developed extensive gardens at his property 'Wittunga' near Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills. In 1965 Keith and his family donated 35 acres (14 hectares) of the property to the Board of Governors of the Botanic Garden, Adelaide. This was subsequently opened to the public in 1975 as the Wittunga Botanic Garden.

Enid was appointed to the Waite Institute, South Australia, as Systematic Botanist in 1947, replacing Con Eardley as curator of the ADW herbarium.

From 1953-1955, She was a Senior Research Fellow at the Botany Department, University of Adelaide.

In 1967, she took up a key position supporting Bryan Womersley's world-leading phycological studies at the Botany Department, The University of Adelaide. She managed the research infrastructure which included a major herbarium and an algal culture facility. During this time, she focussed on seagrasses, writing them up as a Chapter in Womersley's exemplar, The Marine benthic flora of southern Australia.

Enid was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1997 for services to botany and to the community, particularly the conservation and management of native vegetation in South Australia.

She published on Asteraceae, Danthonia, and revised Part 4 of J.M.Black's Flora of South Australia (2nd edn). Her herbarium was lodged at ADW, which was subsequently transferred to AD.

Sources:
A.E.Orchard (1999) A History of Systematic Botany in Australia, in Flora of Australia Vol.1, 2nd ed., ABRS. [consult for source references]
Enid Ashby birth announcement, The Register, Adelaide, 21 November 1925
Keith Ashby Scholarship information, The Friends' School, North Hobart: http://www.friends.tas.edu.au/enrolments/2017-scholarships/named-scholarships/keith-ashby-scholarship/
E.L.Robertson, "Ashby, Edwin (1861–1941)", Australian Dictionary of Biography vol. 7 (1979), Melbourne University Press [consulted online at http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ashby-edwin-5066, 5 August 2016]
Wittunga Botanic Garden history, http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/botanicgardens/visit/wittunga-botanic-garden/history
Enid Robertson death notice, Adelaide Advertiser, 16 July 2016
Barker, Robyn (2017) 'In Memoriam - Commemorating Enid L. Roberson', Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 171 (June 2017)
Photo Portrait: 2003, Bob Baldock, SA

Collecting localities for 'Robertson, E.L.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 689 specimens