Beal, Amy (née Murch)   (1827 - 1925)

Born, one of at least three children, to George Murch and Eliza nee Spiers. In 1855, Amy married a settler, Charles Beal (1821- 1888), and they had seven children. The family ran 'Mount Gellibrand' sheep station, Winchelsea, 1853-1860, and then lived at the residences 'Bleak House' in Birregurra, followed by 'Varna' in Lorne. Amy cultivated native ferns, and collected MEL specimens, at Loutit Bay, 1879-1884, and Lorne, 1883. A daughter (see MISS BEAL) also collected MEL specimens. Jacob Agardh identified Amy's algal specimens for M.

Conostylis bealiana F.Muell. (1875) was named for her.

Amy died in Lorne in 1925 aged 98. One letter from Amy to Mueller survives, and two letters from Mueller to Amy.

Source: Maroske, Sara and Vaughan, Alison (2014) 'Ferdinand Mueller's female plant collectors: a biographical register', Muelleria Vol.32 [consult for source references]