Curdie, Frances Niel (née Purves) (1829 - 1900)

Born at Thurdistoft, Caithness, Scotland, 12 May 1829; died in Vic, 25 June 1900.

Born to James Purves and his wife in Scotland. In 1853, Frances married Daniel Curdie (1810-1884), a physician and squatter at 'Tandarooke' near Camperdown, Vic. They had ten children.

Mueller was a personal friend of the Curdies and stayed at 'Tandarooke' in 1873.

Frances collected MEL specimens at Curdies River, 1887-1890, 1896; and Gellibrand 1888-1889. Her husband also collected MEL specimens.

Frances died in Vic. in 1900 aged 71.

Mueller gave Frances an inscribed copy of E. Cooper (1876) Forest culture and Eucalyptus trees.

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]
Portrait Photo: c.1875, extracted from above, from State Library of Victoria.