Bate, Mary Harriet (1855 - 1951)

Miss Bate was born in Sydney, N.S.W., on 1 October 1855 and died at Kyogle, N.S.W., on 29 December 1951.

Daughter of Henry Jefferson Bate, who lived for many years on a dairying property at Tilba Tilba, she collected plant specimens for F. Mueller (q.v.) between the Tilba coast and Mt Dromedary, N.S.W., during the period 1881-84. On 6 September 1886 she married John Vincent Griffiths, a storekeeper at Bombala. In 1921 the Griffiths moved with their son to a Jersey stud farm near Kyogle, remaining there for the rest of their lives. Mary’s later interests were gardening and fine needlework.

Collector of a syntype (but not the lectotype) of Eucalyptus bosistoana F. Muell. (1895).

Source: Hall, N. (1978) Botanists of the Eucalypts. CSIRO, Melbourne.

Family dairy at Tilba Tilba. Married John Vincent Griffiths (storekeeper at Tilba Tilba) Sept. 1886. Collected specimens for Mueller between Tilba Tilba & Mt Dromedary incl. Bermagui R., NSW, 1881-86. Won medal forcollection of pressed ferns & seaweeds at the 1892 Exhibition.

Specimens (many numbered) at MEL, also G, NSW (1).

Commemorated in Myoporum.

Source: George, A.S. (2009) Australian Botanist's Companion, Four Gables Press, WA. [consult for source references]