Person

Evans, Obed David (1889 - 1975)

Born
1889
Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Died
26 July 1975
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Botanist

Summary

Obed Evans was a botanist who for nearly 40 years worked at the Botany School of the University of Sydney. Initially Laboratory Attendant, he became head of the technical staff, with responsibility for the day-to-day organization of the courses given in the School. As Curator of the John Ray Herbarium, he developed it into the largest university herbarium in Australia. After retiring Evans became part-time botanist at the National Herbarium of New South Wales (NHNSW). Working with other Herbarium botanists, particularly Lawrie Johnson, Evans prepared accounts of a number of plant families, particularly monocotyledons, for publication in the Flora of New South Wales. He also made a major contribution to the Handbook of the Vascular Plants of the Sydney District and Blue Mountains (1962). Appointed honorary curator of Cyperaceae and other monocotyledons, he remained at the Herbarium until 1971. Plant specimens collected by Evans are in the John Ray Herbarium and the NHNSW.

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Details

Chronology

1916 - 1954
Career position - Laboratory Attendant (later Senior Laboratory Attendant), Botany School, University of Sydney
1924 - 1954
Career position - Curator, John Ray Herbarium, University of Sydney
1957
Education - BSc, University of Sydney
April 1959 - June 1971
Career position - Botanist (part-time), National Herbarium of New South Wales

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • Beadle, N. C. W., Carolin, R. C., and Evans, O. D., Flora of the Sydney Region (Sydney: Reed, 1072), 724 pp. Details
  • Beadle, N. C. W., Evans, O. D. and Carolin, R. C., Handbook of the vascular plants of the Sydney district and Blue Mountains (Armidale, N.S.W.: Brown Gem Print, 1962), 597 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Carolin, R. C. and Johnson, L. A.S., 'Obituary: Obed David Evans', Telopea, 1 (2) (1976), 87-90. Details
  • Evans, O. D., 'Some observations on the Lemnaceae or 'Duckweeds' of New South Wales', Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium, 4 (1970), 87-94. Details
  • Johnson, L. A. S. and Evans, O. D., 'A revision of the Restio gracilis complex', Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium, 3 (1963), 200-17. Details
  • Johnson, L. A. S. and Evans, O. D., 'Restionaceae', Flora of New South Wales, 25 (1966), 2-28. Details

See also

Helen Cohn

Created: 15 January 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P007941b.htm

This Edition: 2026 February - 1926 Centenaries
Kooyang - Gariwerd calendar - Late summer: late January to late March - season of eels
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