Brooks, Sarah Theresa (1850 - 1928)

Born on board ship, Plymouth, England, on 19 September 1850, died in Norseman, Western Australia, on 23 September 1928.

Arrived with her family in Victoria in 1851, and moved to Western Australia in 1873. In 1883 she was recruited by Mueller as a collector, and collected for him until his death in 1896. Her collections are from the Israelite Bay - Mt Ragged-Pine Hill district Western Australia, and can be found in MEL.

Source: Extracted from: A.E.Orchard (1999) A History of Systematic Botany in Australia, in Flora of Australia Vol.1, 2nd ed., ABRS. [consult for source references]
Portrait Photo: Victorian Naturalist, Vol.113, p.192 (1996)

Sister of John Brooks. Arrived Melbourne 31 Jan. 1851, lived in Vic. 1851-1873, then moved with brother to SE WA, first on Lynburn [sometimes given as Lynbourne/Lynnburn] Station N of Thomas River, then late in 1874 to Marlburnup Station near Point Malcolm; from 1877-83 lived at Israelite Bay; finally (1898) to Balbinia Station.

From 1883 collected plants for Mueller. In 1886 explored with John to Hampton Range, Mt Ragged, Pine Hill, Balbinia & edge of Nullarbor. Also collected algae (sent to J.G.Agardh), fungi.

Specimens at MEL, NSW (1), PERTH.

Commemorated in Hakea, Rhodophyllis,Scaevola.

Name often cited as Brooke.

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

Born in England, the second of two children, to Henry Ferby Brooks (died 1851) and Emily Henrietta née Donovan (c.1833–1911). The Brooks migrated to Vic. in 1851, and settled in Geelong after the death of Henry Brooks. The Brooks moved to WA in 1874 and took up land at Port Malcolm where they built the residence 'Marlburnup'. In 1877, the Brooks moved to Israelite Bay and lived in 'Waratah' cottage. Sarah responded to a call for collectors placed by M in the West Australian, and collected MEL specimens (including fungi) at Israelite Bay, 1883 - 1893; Mount Ragged, 1886; and Hampton Plains, 1890.

She collected types of Scaevola brookeana F.Muell. (1884), Hakea brookeana F.Muell. (1886), Melaleuca seorsiflora F.Muell. (1886), Haloragis pycnostachya F.Muell. (1887), and Lycoperdon stellatum Cooke & Massee (1887), two of which were named for her. Mordecai Cooke and George Massee identified Sarah's fungal specimens for Mueller. Sarah's brother (John Paul Brooks) also collected MEL specimens. There are also Sarah Brooks specimens at NSW and PERTH. After Sarah's house in Israelite Bay burned down in 1898, she moved in with her mother and brother at 'Balbinia Station'.

She never married and died in Norseman in 1928 aged 78.

One letter from Sarah to Mueller survives.

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