Elizabeth Frances Coxen ( 1825–1906) was an Australian

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and

meteorologist A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists ...

. Born in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England, Coxen emigrated to with her family to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Colony of New South Wales The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...

in 1839. She was a collector of shells, insects and birds, as was her husband,

Charles Coxen Charles Coxen (20 April 1809 – 17 May 1876) was a naturalist and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He was a brother-in-law of John Gould who had married his sister Elizabeth. Early ...

, and they donated many specimens to the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum Kurilpa is the state museum of Queensland, funded by the government, and dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museu ...

, where Elizabeth worked as curator. After her husband's death, she became the first female elected a member of the

Royal Society of Queensland The Royal Society of Queensland was formed in Queensland, Australia in 1884 from the Queensland Philosophical Society, Queensland's oldest scientific institution, with royal patronage granted in 1885. The aim of the Society is "Progressing scie ...

Charles Coxen and Elizabeth Coxen plaque

Coxen died in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

on 11 August 1906 and was buried with her husband in the cemetery of Christ Church in

Tingalpa Tingalpa is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tingalpa had a population of 8,461 people. Geography The suburb is bounded to the west by Bulimba Creek, a tributary of the Brisbane River. The suburb has some ol ...

. Her friends commissioned a plaque commemorating her at St John the Baptist Anglican Church at

Bulimba Bulimba is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Bulimba had a population of 7,623 people. Geography Bulimba is located north-east of the CBD on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, but it is by road. Top ...

. She is commemorated in the name of the land snail ''Spurlingia coxenae'' (now known as ''Spurlingia dunkiensis'').

References

External links

* 1825 births 1906 deaths Australian naturalists People from Gloucestershire British emigrants to the Colony of New South Wales Australian curators Conchologists Australian women curators Colony of New South Wales people {{Australia-scientist-stub