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The Wasp and The Orchid: The Remarkable Life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman
'Have you met Mrs Edith Coleman? If not you must - I am sure you will like her - she's just A1 and a splendid naturalist.'
In 1922, a 48-year-old housewife from Blackburn delivered her first paper, on native Australian orchids, to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. Over the next thirty years, Edith Coleman would write over 300 articles on Australian nature for newspapers, magazines and scientific journals. She would solve the mystery of orchid pollination that had bewildered even Darwin, earn the acclaim of international scientists and, in 1949, become the first woman to be awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion. She was 'Australia's greatest orchid expert', 'foremost of our women naturalists', a woman who 'needed no introduction'.
And yet, today, Edith Coleman has faded into obscurity. How did this remarkable woman, with no training or connections, achieve so much so late in life? And why, over the intervening years, have her achievements and her writing been forgotten?
Zoologist and award-winning writer Danielle Clode sets out to uncover Edith's story, from her childhood in England to her unlikely success, sharing along the way Edith's lyrical and incisive writing and her uncompromising passion for Australian nature and landscape.
In 1922, a 48-year-old housewife from Blackburn delivered her first paper, on native Australian orchids, to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. Over the next thirty years, Edith Coleman would write over 300 articles on Australian nature for newspapers, magazines and scientific journals. She would solve the mystery of orchid pollination that had bewildered even Darwin, earn the acclaim of international scientists and, in 1949, become the first woman to be awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion. She was 'Australia's greatest orchid expert', 'foremost of our women naturalists', a woman who 'needed no introduction'.
And yet, today, Edith Coleman has faded into obscurity. How did this remarkable woman, with no training or connections, achieve so much so late in life? And why, over the intervening years, have her achievements and her writing been forgotten?
Zoologist and award-winning writer Danielle Clode sets out to uncover Edith's story, from her childhood in England to her unlikely success, sharing along the way Edith's lyrical and incisive writing and her uncompromising passion for Australian nature and landscape.
432 pages, Hardcover
Published March 27, 2018
9 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Clode
15 books67 followersDanielle is the author of several narrative non-fiction books including Voyages to the South Seas, which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Prize for nonfiction in 2007 and The Wasp and the Orchid which was shortlisted for the National Biography Award in 2018. She has also written books on Australian palaeontology, killer whales, bushfires and museums as well as publishing essays and academic papers.
Her latest book, Koala, was published internationally in Australia by Black Inc and in the US/UK by WW Norton. It won a Whitley Award for Popular Ecology.
Danielle grew up on a boat and studied zoology at university, giving her an abiding interest in natural history and the environment, which is apparent in all her writing.
Her latest book, Koala, was published internationally in Australia by Black Inc and in the US/UK by WW Norton. It won a Whitley Award for Popular Ecology.
Danielle grew up on a boat and studied zoology at university, giving her an abiding interest in natural history and the environment, which is apparent in all her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 10, 2018
What a wonderful book this is to include in my Australian Women Writers Challenge for this year – a book about a forgotten Australian woman writer! From an early encounter in her career with the work of Edith Coleman, scientist and writer Danielle Clode, hung on to a fascination with naturalist Edith Coleman. Who was she, and why had her work faded into obscurity? Almost twenty years later, Danielle has pieced together what little is known about Edith’s personal life, scoured the archives for her work, tracked down family members, visited past residences, and produced a remarkable book about a woman who solved a mystery of naturalism that confounded even Charles Darwin.
Part biographical, part speculation, and part social history, The Wasp and The Orchid is also the story of how Danielle pieced together the puzzle that was Edith Coleman’s life. The biographer has a strong presence within this account, and in many instances, she writes of herself within the context of Edith’s story and experiences. It’s a technique that allows the reader to feel as though they are on this journey with the biographer, a team uncovering facts and filling in gaps. Early on in the book, Danielle raises the question of Edith’s modern day obscurity:
“It is tempting to think that Edith has been forgotten because she was a woman, but it’s more complicated than that. She’s been forgotten because she was a scientist, and because she was an amateur. She’s been forgotten because she wrote for newspapers, magazines and academic journals, rather than books. She’s been forgotten because she was Australian, because she wasn’t Australian enough, and most of all because she was a nature writer.”
Much later, she offers this theory:
“Women’s voices are being lost when we anthologise, analyse and criticise the literature. In this case, it’s not a question of what’s written, but who we have chosen to hear.”
That makes a lot of sense to me and is something the Australian Women Writers Challenge seeks to redress.
The highlight of this book for me was the inclusion of Edith’s own writing. For a scientist, she was incredibly artful and her prose could almost be described as flowery (yes, I did just describe the writings of a naturalist as flowery!):
“It is a wonderful land – a land of striking contrasts. To those of us who have fallen under its spell it will stretch out invisible hands to draw us back to its blossoming wilderness – to follow again elusive trails across silvery plains; over white, dry beds of winding watercourses, over rock-strewn hills, painted in unbelievable colours, which only a few artists have dared to put on canvas – colours which must be seen to be believed, best of all, to enjoy again the colour and perfume of its vegetation, and to marvel again at its wonderful fertility.” – Magic rain carpets the ‘inland’: Many and brave are the flowers of inland – blooms of a ‘desert’ that is no desert. Edith Coleman, 1938.
I found Edith’s words utterly sublime. They evoked such a strong imagery and conveyed her love of the natural world so completely. You have the impression from her writing that she was a lovely woman, a gentle and appreciative soul with an inquisitive mind that was sharp as a tack. I can understand Danielle’s fascination with her.
Each new chapter of the book begins with a fictional narration based on some fact uncovered. I will admit that I enjoyed these passages above all in the book, with the exception of Edith’s own writing. I couldn’t help but ponder on how a fictional account based on fact might have been better than a biography. So little was known about Edith and Danielle speculates heavily on quite a lot of Edith’s life. It could be just my preference for fiction coming through, but these chapter starters were highly engaging and I think Danielle has a talent for story telling as much as for writing non-fiction. I kept imagining Edith’s story being brought to life in the tradition of The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley.
Anyone with an interest in Australian women writers from the past will enjoy this book, as will nature enthusiasts. I will admit to being captivated by Edith’s discovery linking wasps with orchids. The book itself is a be-ribboned hardback beauty with extensive images throughout in both colour and black and white. It resembles a keepsake and would make a lovely gift to those who love gardens and reading.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Wasp and The Orchid for review.
Part biographical, part speculation, and part social history, The Wasp and The Orchid is also the story of how Danielle pieced together the puzzle that was Edith Coleman’s life. The biographer has a strong presence within this account, and in many instances, she writes of herself within the context of Edith’s story and experiences. It’s a technique that allows the reader to feel as though they are on this journey with the biographer, a team uncovering facts and filling in gaps. Early on in the book, Danielle raises the question of Edith’s modern day obscurity:
“It is tempting to think that Edith has been forgotten because she was a woman, but it’s more complicated than that. She’s been forgotten because she was a scientist, and because she was an amateur. She’s been forgotten because she wrote for newspapers, magazines and academic journals, rather than books. She’s been forgotten because she was Australian, because she wasn’t Australian enough, and most of all because she was a nature writer.”
Much later, she offers this theory:
“Women’s voices are being lost when we anthologise, analyse and criticise the literature. In this case, it’s not a question of what’s written, but who we have chosen to hear.”
That makes a lot of sense to me and is something the Australian Women Writers Challenge seeks to redress.
The highlight of this book for me was the inclusion of Edith’s own writing. For a scientist, she was incredibly artful and her prose could almost be described as flowery (yes, I did just describe the writings of a naturalist as flowery!):
“It is a wonderful land – a land of striking contrasts. To those of us who have fallen under its spell it will stretch out invisible hands to draw us back to its blossoming wilderness – to follow again elusive trails across silvery plains; over white, dry beds of winding watercourses, over rock-strewn hills, painted in unbelievable colours, which only a few artists have dared to put on canvas – colours which must be seen to be believed, best of all, to enjoy again the colour and perfume of its vegetation, and to marvel again at its wonderful fertility.” – Magic rain carpets the ‘inland’: Many and brave are the flowers of inland – blooms of a ‘desert’ that is no desert. Edith Coleman, 1938.
I found Edith’s words utterly sublime. They evoked such a strong imagery and conveyed her love of the natural world so completely. You have the impression from her writing that she was a lovely woman, a gentle and appreciative soul with an inquisitive mind that was sharp as a tack. I can understand Danielle’s fascination with her.
Each new chapter of the book begins with a fictional narration based on some fact uncovered. I will admit that I enjoyed these passages above all in the book, with the exception of Edith’s own writing. I couldn’t help but ponder on how a fictional account based on fact might have been better than a biography. So little was known about Edith and Danielle speculates heavily on quite a lot of Edith’s life. It could be just my preference for fiction coming through, but these chapter starters were highly engaging and I think Danielle has a talent for story telling as much as for writing non-fiction. I kept imagining Edith’s story being brought to life in the tradition of The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley.
Anyone with an interest in Australian women writers from the past will enjoy this book, as will nature enthusiasts. I will admit to being captivated by Edith’s discovery linking wasps with orchids. The book itself is a be-ribboned hardback beauty with extensive images throughout in both colour and black and white. It resembles a keepsake and would make a lovely gift to those who love gardens and reading.
Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of The Wasp and The Orchid for review.
August 15, 2020
‘It is tempting to think that Edith has been forgotten because she was a woman, but it’s more complicated than that.’
Recently I learned of an Australian naturalist, Edith Coleman. I learned of her by reading a review of this book. I added this book to my reading list, sad that I had not heard of her before. What a fascinating woman she was.
So, what is the story of Edith Coleman?
Edith Coleman (1874-1951) was 48 years old when she delivered her first paper, on native Australian orchids, to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in 1922. Between 1922 and her death in 1951 she wrote over 300 articles about Australian nature for various newspapers, magazines, and scientific journals. She also solved a mystery concerning orchid pollination and was the first woman to be awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion.
In this book, scientist and writer Danielle Clode sheds light on Edith Coleman’s life from her childhood in England to her passion for the Australian landscape and nature. Ms Clode has undertaken extensive research to piece together the little that is known about Edith Coleman’s personal life, to visit places where she lived, and find her work. Ms Clode also tracked down surviving family members.
The result is a book which combines known biographical facts with possibilities, a social history of the times with examples of Edith Coleman’s own writing. Ms Clode speculates about why Edith Coleman has been forgotten and does her best to bring her back into view. She writes:
‘Women’s voices are being lost when we anthologise, analyse and criticise the literature. In this case, it’s not a question of what’s written, but who we have chosen to hear.’
I agree. If you are interested in Australian gardens and nature, if you have an interest in earlier Australian women authors and their work, then you may enjoy this book as much as I did. It is beautifully presented and left me wondering about other Australian women who’ve slipped into the shadows.
‘The poetry of the earth is never still.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Recently I learned of an Australian naturalist, Edith Coleman. I learned of her by reading a review of this book. I added this book to my reading list, sad that I had not heard of her before. What a fascinating woman she was.
So, what is the story of Edith Coleman?
Edith Coleman (1874-1951) was 48 years old when she delivered her first paper, on native Australian orchids, to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in 1922. Between 1922 and her death in 1951 she wrote over 300 articles about Australian nature for various newspapers, magazines, and scientific journals. She also solved a mystery concerning orchid pollination and was the first woman to be awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion.
In this book, scientist and writer Danielle Clode sheds light on Edith Coleman’s life from her childhood in England to her passion for the Australian landscape and nature. Ms Clode has undertaken extensive research to piece together the little that is known about Edith Coleman’s personal life, to visit places where she lived, and find her work. Ms Clode also tracked down surviving family members.
The result is a book which combines known biographical facts with possibilities, a social history of the times with examples of Edith Coleman’s own writing. Ms Clode speculates about why Edith Coleman has been forgotten and does her best to bring her back into view. She writes:
‘Women’s voices are being lost when we anthologise, analyse and criticise the literature. In this case, it’s not a question of what’s written, but who we have chosen to hear.’
I agree. If you are interested in Australian gardens and nature, if you have an interest in earlier Australian women authors and their work, then you may enjoy this book as much as I did. It is beautifully presented and left me wondering about other Australian women who’ve slipped into the shadows.
‘The poetry of the earth is never still.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
August 31, 2020
There was a lot that attracted me to this book before I’d even opened the cover. Let’s start with the name ‘The Wasp and the Orchid’. Now there’s an interesting sounding collaboration and not one that I’d immediately think of. Following on from this is ‘The remarkable life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman’. That makes Edith Coleman another noteworthy figure in Australia whose name I’d never heard. Add to this that her life is described as remarkable and my interest was well and truly piqued.
Then there’s the cover. I do like botanical illustration and loved the design on both the front and the back of the book. My copy is a hardcover and I was pleased to find that the beauty continued once I opened the pages.
I struggled to describe the writing style used in the book and that of the subject, Edith Coleman. Then, in Chapter 10, the author, Danielle Clode, provided the answer. Having read the chapter, I decided that I was comfortable with my first impressions. These being, that the book was gently written with many beautiful quotes and excerpts from materials written by Edith. I found her writing style quite charming and, I think, universally engaging. Interestingly, I felt the authors writing style was well matched to that of her subject. Certainly more modern but no less pleasantly written and accessible to a broad audience.
Throughout the book the author openly discusses the points at which finding information on Edith Coleman’s life has presented challenges. At times she has provided a speculative view based on accounts from others with similar experiences. I found this refreshing and the honestly in sharing information on the gaps in the available data gives the book an overall feel of transparency. The challenges and stumbling blocks the author faces in research are also shared with us. I enjoyed the sense this gave that we were sharing the journey.
The book delves beyond Edith’s achievements to include those of her husband, James, and, perhaps more significantly, her daughters, Dorothy and Gladys. Each having led interesting and productive lives it broadens the scope of the book and we gain a more wide ranging experience. It all adds to the richness of the content. The inclusion of diverse aspects of nature, nature writing (and writing in general) and the tendency for women’s contributions in this field of science to be undervalued or overlooked and we have a book with impressive breadth.
The volume of work produced by Edith Coleman and her significant contribution to her subject makes her relative anonymity today a topic explored in the book. Near its end, on page 382, there is a succinct and powerful statement that I think positions Edith, her work and the memory of it wonderfully and provides the reader with a timely prompt for reflection:
“Edith was no more important than other nature writers of her time, but her work is no less important than that of many others whom we do chose to remember.”
An interesting observation that sums up an important theme featured in the book.
Overall, I found The Wasp and the Orchid: The remarkable life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman an engaging and enlightening read.
Then there’s the cover. I do like botanical illustration and loved the design on both the front and the back of the book. My copy is a hardcover and I was pleased to find that the beauty continued once I opened the pages.
I struggled to describe the writing style used in the book and that of the subject, Edith Coleman. Then, in Chapter 10, the author, Danielle Clode, provided the answer. Having read the chapter, I decided that I was comfortable with my first impressions. These being, that the book was gently written with many beautiful quotes and excerpts from materials written by Edith. I found her writing style quite charming and, I think, universally engaging. Interestingly, I felt the authors writing style was well matched to that of her subject. Certainly more modern but no less pleasantly written and accessible to a broad audience.
Throughout the book the author openly discusses the points at which finding information on Edith Coleman’s life has presented challenges. At times she has provided a speculative view based on accounts from others with similar experiences. I found this refreshing and the honestly in sharing information on the gaps in the available data gives the book an overall feel of transparency. The challenges and stumbling blocks the author faces in research are also shared with us. I enjoyed the sense this gave that we were sharing the journey.
The book delves beyond Edith’s achievements to include those of her husband, James, and, perhaps more significantly, her daughters, Dorothy and Gladys. Each having led interesting and productive lives it broadens the scope of the book and we gain a more wide ranging experience. It all adds to the richness of the content. The inclusion of diverse aspects of nature, nature writing (and writing in general) and the tendency for women’s contributions in this field of science to be undervalued or overlooked and we have a book with impressive breadth.
The volume of work produced by Edith Coleman and her significant contribution to her subject makes her relative anonymity today a topic explored in the book. Near its end, on page 382, there is a succinct and powerful statement that I think positions Edith, her work and the memory of it wonderfully and provides the reader with a timely prompt for reflection:
“Edith was no more important than other nature writers of her time, but her work is no less important than that of many others whom we do chose to remember.”
An interesting observation that sums up an important theme featured in the book.
Overall, I found The Wasp and the Orchid: The remarkable life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman an engaging and enlightening read.
February 26, 2020
This was a really interesting read! Focused on the life of one of Australia’s lesser known botanists, this book combines autobiography and biography as well as snippets of Edith’s writings. I found the authors voice within this somewhat unnecessary and a little out of place, but including the excerpts of Edith’s work was wonderful to read. The half-imaginings about Edith’s life were well written and realistic, and completely plausible as facets of her life. I appreciated the fact that there was also a focus on the Indigenous connection to land and the concept of ‘naturalist’, but did find that the view the author took to Edith’s behaviour perhaps too sympathetic. I think one of the saddest things is being able to name so many men from that era and so few women, making this a very important book in that respect.
February 18, 2022
I wanted it to be more about Edith, and the science of the wasps and the orchids that she helped pioneer.
August 30, 2020
Readable but too much ‘I’ from the author and too many digressions from the topic at hand. Shame, as it had so much potential.
April 24, 2018
Who knew the seductive wiles of orchids! After hearing the author interviewed on radio, I knew I had to read more. I loved this book, which is in part a biography about a fascinating woman who deserves to be better known in her own country. It's also a memoir about the writer, because we learn a great deal about her along the way. Much to enjoy on both counts and beautifully produced to boot.
April 19, 2018
The Wasp and the Orchid: the Remarkable Life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman by Danielle Clode is the culmination of 20 years of research into the life of this little known and largely forgotten woman. A fascination initially sparked by her discovery as a graduate research student in the Museum of Victoria inspired Danielle to embark on a decades long quest to refocus attention on Edith Coleman and her remarkable contributions to the study of Australian natural history.
For my complete review - see
http://annejenner.net/the-wasp-and-th...
For my complete review - see
http://annejenner.net/the-wasp-and-th...
August 4, 2018
Firstly the book itself is the most gorgeous physical object. Bound with a book marker (which my cat enjoyed stalking and killing) and a beautiful cover, it is a joy to possess.
Edith's story is fascinating in its recreation of a forgotten notable author and biologist but also sad in the sense of how much habitat has been lost in a short period of time.
The only part I didn't enjoy, but the review I've just read loved so go figure, were the fictionalised parts of Edith's life that opened each section along with some of Edith's wonderful prose.
Edith's story is fascinating in its recreation of a forgotten notable author and biologist but also sad in the sense of how much habitat has been lost in a short period of time.
The only part I didn't enjoy, but the review I've just read loved so go figure, were the fictionalised parts of Edith's life that opened each section along with some of Edith's wonderful prose.
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June 2, 2018A wonderful read about how a woman who could be considered an early 19th Century housewife, was actually observing and writing about plants and insects, discovering that a wasp pollinates a particular type of orchid, as per the title.
April 9, 2020
An excellent, well-written book which I thoroughly enjoyed
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews