Wild flowers of South Australia

Fanny Elizabeth de Mole's Wild Flowers of South Australia (1861) was the first book published to illustrate the flora of South Australia. Born in England in 1835, Fanny was raised in London. After her father's death, her family migrated to South Australia in 1856.

Fanny's botanical illustrations featured plants mostly found in the locality of Burnside, near her home. For the book production, her art work was sent to London for printing. The lithographs were returned to the colony for her to hand colour. Less than one hundred copies of Wild Flowers of South Australia were produced, with variations between copies. This book was the only work published by de Mole. She also exhibited works at the South Australian Society of Arts. De Mole died in 1866.

William Dampier collected a specimen of this plant on Rosemary Island off the coast of Western Australia in 1699. Sturt's Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa) was declared South Australia's floral emblem on 23 November 1961. The popular name for the plant acknowledges explorer Charles Sturt, who noted numerous occurances of it on expedition from Adelaide to the arid central regions of Australia. Nowadays a protected species, Sturt's Desert Pea may only be collected in the wild with a permit.

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