author and scientist
was born at Oldbury, about three miles from Berrima, New South Wales, on 25 February 1834. Her father, James Atkinson, was the author of an early Australian book, An Account of the State of Agriculture and Grazing in New South Wales, published in 1826. He died in 1834 and Miss Atkinson was educated by her mother. She early developed an interest in science and made collections of botanical specimens for Dr Woolls (q.v.), and Baron von Mueller (q.v.). She also published two novels, Gertrude the Emigrant (1857), and Cowanda, The Veteran's Grant (1859); various other tales by her appeared as serials in the Sydney Mail. Her series of natural history sketches "A Voice from the Country" appeared in the Sydney Mail and Sydney Morning Herald in 1860. Other scientific articles were published in the Sydney Horticultural Magazine of 18645. In 1870 she married Mr James Snowden Calvert (1825-84), a survivor of Leichhardt's (q.v.) expedition of 1844-5. Mrs Calvert died on 28 April 1872 leaving a daughter.
Mrs Calvert was one of the earliest Australian writers of fiction, but her work in that direction is commonplace and now forgotten. Her botanical work was more important. The genus Atkinsonia was named after her, as was also the species Epacris calvertiana.
Miss M. Swann, Journal and Proceedings, Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. XV, p. 1; J. H. Heaton, Australian Dictionary of Dates; George Bentham and F. von Mueller. Flora Australiensis, Preface p. 14; G. B. Barton, Literature in New South Wales, p. 111; E. Morris Miller, Australian Literature.
Dictionary of Australian Biography by PERCIVAL SERLE. Angus and Robertson. 1949.