Ryan, Clara Oakley (née Graham) (1866 - 1945)

Born in SA, 1866; died in WA, 1945.

One of ten children, to a postmaster, William H. Graham (1842-1912), and his wife Emily (c.1840-1916). The family settled at Kadina, 1869-1875, before moving to WA where Clara's father became the telegraph station master at Eyre's Patch. In 1889, Clara married Michael Ryan, post and telegraph master at Ashburton, and they had seven children. Clara's husband was the master of the post and telegraph office at Israelite Bay, 1890-1895, and at Eucla, 1895-1907.

Clara collected MEL specimens at Eucla, 1895-1896.

One of her daughters (see MISS RYAN) also collected MEL specimens.

In 1945, Clara died in WA aged 79.

Seven letters from Mueller to Clara survive.

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]