Forde, Helena (née Scott) (1832-1910)

New South Wales. Botanical and entomological artist. Painted for a 'Flora of the Darling River' (unpublished). Best known for the insect illustrations, together with their food plants, in Australian Lepidoptera with their Transformations, drawn from the life by Harriet and Helena Scott, with Descriptions General and Systematic, by A.W. Scott M.A. (1864)

By 1862 Helena Scott and her elder sister Harriet, were already well established in ther careers as professional artists, natural science collectors and illustrators. They were the daughters of entomologist and entrepreneur Alexander Walker Scott of Ash Island, Hexham, on the Hunter River in New South Wales. As a result of their work the Scott sisters were elected honorary members of the Entomological Society – a unique honour for women of their time.

Source: M.Ord Historical Drawings of Native Flowers (1988); J.Kerr The Dictionary of Australian Artists (1992); H.Hewson Australia - 300 Years of Botanical Illustration (1999)