The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Scientific illustration

As two of the few government-employed illustrators in Australia, Catherine Wardrop and Lesley Elkan have spent the last 20 years creating black-and-white scientific illustrations for the publication of many New South Wales plants and other new species as described by fellow botanists.

The scientific illustrators at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Following in Flockton's footsteps

Their work follows in the footsteps of Margaret Flockton, who, at the beginning of their tenure, was little known outside of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney's walls. The creation of the Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration 15 years ago has allowed Margaret’s name to become well known in the botanical illustration field and pays homage to one of the finest botanical illustrators and lithographers Australia has seen.

The Flockton Award has also brought together solitary illustrators working in herbaria around the world and allowed their illustrations, rarely seen by the public, to be exhibited and awarded. This effect has driven further excellence and brought scientific illustration into the public realm for admiration and education.

Watch the video below to learn more about Catherine, Lesley and the botanic illustration industry.