Person

Erickson, Frederica Lucy (Rica) (1908 - 2009)

AM FRWAMS

Born
10 August 1908
Boulder City, Western Australia, Australia
Died
8 September 2009
Occupation
Naturalist, Botanical artist and Teacher
Alternative Names
  • Erickson, Rica (Also known as)

Summary

Rica Erickson gained renown as a naturalist, botanical artist, historian, author and genealogist and was awarded many honours. In 1980 she was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters for her work in the fields of Literature and Botany, and in the same year was WA Citizen of the Year for outstanding service to the Arts, Culture and Entertainment. She became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987 for her services to the Arts particularly as an author and illustrator. The Department of Conservation and Land Management named a bush reserve after her (1996), and a commemorative plaque was laid in her honour in St Georges Terrace, Perth (1999). Throughout her life and career her work was strongly linked to the development of the collections at the J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History.

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Details

Chronology

1926
Career position - Monitor and Teacher at Kendenup School in Western Australia
1927 - 1928
Education - Student at Claremont Teachers' College
1928 - 1934
Career position - Teacher at Aurora School then Youngs Siding in Western Australia
1934 - 1936
Career position - Teacher in Bolgart
1951
Career position - Orchids of the West - her first self-illustrated book published
1979
Career position - The Dictionary of Western Australians 1829-1914 published
1980
Education - Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon DLitt), University of Western Australia
1987
Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
1996
Award - Rica Erickson Nature Reserve named in her honour by the Department of Conservation and Land Management
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to the arts, particularly as an author and illustrator

Related People

Archival resources

J S Battye Library of West Australian History (Battye Library), State Library of Western Australia

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

  • McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Books

  • Erickson, R., Orchids of the West (Perth: Paterson Brokensha, 1951), 109 pp. Details
  • Erickson, R., Triggerplants (Perth: Paterson Brokensha, 1958), 229 pp. Details
  • Erickson, R., Plants of Prey of Australia (Osborne Park, W.A.: Lamb Paterson Pty Ltd, 1968), 94 pp. Details
  • Erickson, R., The Drummonds of Hawthornden (Osborne Park, W.A.: Lamb Paterson, 1969), 183 pp. Details
  • Erickson, Rica, A Naturalist's Life (Crawley: University of Western Australia Press, 2005), 144 pp. Details
  • Erickson, Rica; edited by Lenore Layman, Rica's stories (Nedlands, W.A.: Royal Western Australian Historical Society, 2001), 255 pp. Details
  • Gooding, J., Brush with Gondwana: Botanical Artist's Group of Western Australia (North Fremantle, W.A.: Fremantle Press, 2008), 142 pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Erickson, Rica, 'Drummond, James (1784-1863), botanist and plant collector' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966), pp. 325-326. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010309b.htm. Details
  • Erickson, Rica, 'Georgiana Molloy (1803-1843) botanist' in 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology, Heather Radi, ed. (Sydney: Women's Redress Press Inc, 1988). Details
  • Erickson, Rica, 'Serventy, Dominic Louis (1904-1988), Ornithologist and Conservationist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z, Melanie Nolan, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2012), pp. 406-7. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/serventy-dominic-louis-15496. Details

Journal Articles

  • Erickson, R., 'History of the Western Australian Naturalists' Club', Western Australian Naturalist, 9 (6) (1964), 122-145. Details
  • Keighery, Bronwen, 'Frederica (Rica) Lucy Erickson, August 1908- September 2009', Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter, 141 (2009), 30-32 . Details

Resources

See also

Annette Alafaci

Created: 8 September 2005, Last modified: 15 June 2022

EOAS ID: biogs/P004587b.htm

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