Biography

New Zealand botanical artist and conservationist. Audrey Eagle (née Brodey) is the author of Eagle's Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand in Colour. Born to English parents, she spent some of her childhood in Wellington and Dunedin before attending secondary school in England. Remaining in the country, from 1944-1948 she worked as an engineering draughtsperson while studying electrical engineering, and then attended Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire (1948-1949) before returning to New Zealand in 1949. There she worked in the draughting office of the State Hydro-Electricity Department for five years, where she was influenced by her colleague Athol Caldwell, a keen plantsman and amateur botanist. Over the next two decades she accompanied Caldwell on many botanical expeditions, sometimes joined by Michael Gudex.

Eagle's first series of Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand was published in 1975, comprising 228 paintings. Another 405 were published in the second series, which appeared in 1982. She was much aided in this endeavour by the botanist Tony Druce of New Zealand's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In 2006 Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand was published.

As well as being a member of the Wellington Botanical Society, Eagle has been involved in the National Executive of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and the Nature Conservation Council. She was a member of the committee of the New Zealand conservation award, the Loder Cup (1981-1983). She has received a number of awards for her work including the Loder Cup (1985) and was made Associate of Honour of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture in 2002.

Sources:
A.D. Thomson, 2001, "Mrs Audrey Eagle, leading botanical artist and conservationist", New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter, 64(June): 36-38.

Biography

New Zealand botanical artist and conservationist. Audrey Eagle (née Brodey) is the author of Eagle's Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand in Colour. Born to English parents, she spent some of her childhood in Wellington and Dunedin before attending secondary school in England. Remaining in the country, from 1944-1948 she worked as an engineering draughtsperson while studying electrical engineering, and then attended Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire (1948-1949) before returning to New Zealand in 1949. There she worked in the draughting office of the State Hydro-Electricity Department for five years, where she was influenced by her colleague Athol Caldwell, a keen plantsman and amateur botanist. Over the next two decades she accompanied Caldwell on many botanical expeditions, sometimes joined by Michael Gudex.

Eagle's first series of Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand was published in 1975, comprising 228 paintings. Another 405 were published in the second series, which appeared in 1982. She was much aided in this endeavour by the botanist Tony Druce of New Zealand's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In 2006 Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand was published.

As well as being a member of the Wellington Botanical Society, Eagle has been involved in the National Executive of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and the Nature Conservation Council. She was a member of the committee of the New Zealand conservation award, the Loder Cup (1981-1983). She has received a number of awards for her work including the Loder Cup (1985) and was made Associate of Honour of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture in 2002.

Sources:
A.D. Thomson, 2001, "Mrs Audrey Eagle, leading botanical artist and conservationist", New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter, 64(June): 36-38.