D'Arnay, Edna ( - )

Assistant to Dr Nancy Burbidge in the 1950s and 1960s when she headed the CSIRO herbarium.

Reference to Edna is made in this quote from an article about Nancy in the ACT National Parks Association Bulletin in March 2007, written by Judy Kelly:

"On hot summer days punctuated with the shrill reverberations of cicadas, a soporific calm would descend on the Herbarium. Bustling steps and a call of "Edna!" would give the lie to any thoughts that staff might be enjoying an extended siesta. Nancy had a deep, distinctive voice. "Ghost!" Edna D'Arnay murmured at the end of one of her lunch breaks as she swung her feet from desk to floor, ready for action. Edna, Nancy's assistant, would then spend the next few hours scrutinising plant specimens, checking their characteristics while Nancy read out the descriptions. Both worked doggedly, checking specimens, probably against Nancy and Max Gray's key for the Flora of the ACT. They would stop only for tea or to answer inquiries via the phone or from visitors."

Source: Extracted from: Kelly, Judy (2007) 'Nancy Burbidge: botanist and visionary - Part 1' NPA Bulletin--March 2007, Canberra

Herbarium specimens collected by 'D'Arnay, E.' from AVH (8/12/2017)

937 specimens (first collection: 25 Nov 1956; last collection: 26 April 1977; one specimen labelled 1932)