Western Australian Native Orchid Study and Conservation Group Inc.

Pressed Orchids

Historical Orchid Pressings

As a club, we do not condone the picking, collecting, or pressing of native orchids, and we strongly support the protection and conservation of our native orchid species in their natural habitats. However, the historical orchid specimens presented here were collected and pressed more than 70 years ago, during a time when practices and attitudes towards collecting native flora were very different from those of today.

These specimens form part of our botanical and cultural history and provide an interesting record of the orchids that were known and appreciated by earlier generations. For this reason, we are making these historical pressings available for club members to view and appreciate, while recognising that such practices are not appropriate today.

 

 

Graeme Farrell

One of my hobbies as a young boy between around 8 to 14 years of age was to collect wild orchids in the
Darling Rangers around Kalamunda W.A. with other close friends.
As I grew older we would travel further to some coastal and southern areas to add more orchids to the collection.
I became very efficient at pressing the freshly picked orchids in many of my mother Joan’s books.
After several weeks I would then select the best orchids and set them out in my Pioneer Sketch books.
They are still in good condition in the Pioneer Sketch books to this day.
My mother forgave me for ruining a lot of her books but loved the wild pressed orchids.