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King, Ethel Anna   (1879 - 1939)

Born in Lismor, NSW, in 1879, died on 1 January 1939 in Darlinghurst, NSW.

King moved to Sydney to study painting and drawing with Julian Ashton and Dattilo Rubbo.

In 1922 she was appointed assistant to Margaret Flockton, artist working for Joseph Maiden, director of the Botanical Gardens in Sydney to illustrate his work.

Many examples of her work are held in the Australian Museum, where she worked on commission in the 1920s and 30s.

In 1925 she was commissioned to prepare fish exhibits for display at the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition, including a 250 lb (113.4 kg) Giant groper (Epinephelus lanceolatus).

She contributed illustrations to the first edition of the Australian Encyclopedia and made 137 colour illustrations for J. R. Kinghorn's "Snakes of Australia", described by David G. Stead, President of the Naturalists' Society of NSW as "render[ing] the work quite unique and absolutely invaluable to naturalist and bushman alike, as with their aid it is easily possible to identify every species" These plates are initialed 'EAK'.

It is presumed she illustrated several CSIR phamphlets in the 1930s, including "Some Important Poison Plants of North Australia" in 1934, where the artist has initialed the plates 'EK' in the same style, as well as some original artwork held by the CSIRO Herbarium, also with initials 'EK'.

Shortly before her death she was appointed to serve as anatomical artist at the Institute of Anatomy in Canberra.

King died on 1 January 1939 at a private hospital in Darlinghurst, NSW and was cremated.

Link to full-size image of her coloured wildflower plate [link to full-size image]

Source: Extracted from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_A._King
Pers.Comm. M.Fagg (2025).
https://australian.museum/blog-archive/museullaneous/ethel-king-painter-of-all-things-natural/
https://publications.csiro.au/publications/publication/PIlegacy:4865
Portrait Photo: 1926, extracted from Australian Museum article above.
Wildflower plate: ex 'Australian Encyclopaedia', Angus & Robertson, (1926) Vol.2, opposite p.46, signed 'E.A.King' .