Groom, Matilda Emma (née Minnitt) (1818 - 1894)

Born in Dublin, Ireland, 31 October 1818, died 5 February 1894,

One of at least four children, to Paul and Deborah Minnitt. The family migrated to Tas. and acquired a large property near 'Gaters' on the Liffey River. In 1839, Matilda married a settler Francis Groom (1817–1890), and they had eleven children. The Grooms settled at 'Harefield', a property near St Mary's, owned by Matilda's father-in-law.

Matilda collected MEL specimens at 'Harefield', 1873.

She died in Burnie in 1894 aged 76.

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: source: (as Matilda Emma Minnitt) http://andrewbrownell.net/p13.htm viewed 22.12.2014