Grant, Alexander (c. 1845–1906)

Born in Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland in c. 1845; arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1878; died in Sydney on 25 December 1906. Buried in the Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery.

He served his apprenticeship in the gardens of the Earl of Seafield, Cullen House, Banffshire and later at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. After arriving in Sydney Grant worked as a gardener for Thomas Walker, at 'Yaralla', Concord; Alexander Campbell of 'Rosemont', Ocean Street, Woollahra; and Mr Tooth of 'Swifts', Darling Point.

From 1882 Grant was employed in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney as a propagator. He specialised in fungi and was employed as a mycologist by the Department of Agriculture. In 1899, Grant added some 120 glass jars of fungi in spirits to what was then the Sydney Garden�s Botanical Museum Collection. He was vice-president of the Horticulture Association from its foundation.

Sources:
Catalogue details from archival materials related to Alexander Grant, State Library of New South Wales: https://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110043417 [accessed 27 May 2021]
Death notice (26 December 1906), Sydney Morning Herald newspaper p. 6. Available online at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14815696 [accessed 27 May 2021]
Funeral notice (27 December 1906), Sydney Morning Herald newspaper p. 8. Available online at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14817538 [accessed 27 May 2021]
Desmond, R. (1994), Dictionary Of British And Irish Botanists And Horticulturists. Taylor & Francis and The Natural History Museum, London. [gives Grant's year of birth as 1848, conflicting with the age stated in death and funeral announcements]
Gilbert, L. (1986), The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney: a history. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.