Gunness, Ann G. (née Morton) (fl.1970s - 2010s)
As Ann Morton she was an Agricultural Science graduate from Melbourne University.
She was collecting for vegetation surveys in Victoria from 1974 before moving to Queensland.
She was Comalco's (Conzinc Riotinto, Aust.) 'Regeneration Research Officer' in
Weipa, Cape york, from 1980 to 1984.
She worked for Comalco on contract,
developing land unit vegetation maps.
She was was an avid plant collector
gathering significant information on an area with poorly known
botany.
In her own words:
"Cape York intrigued me, it is a
wonderful area with so much potential for botanical
studies.
"When I first got there plant collecting was an
obsession with me, I spent all my spare time, weekends
and holidays getting samples."
Ann built up the majority of specimens
in Weipa's herbarium, collecting over 1,000 samples and
creating a valuable reference source for the area.
After leaving Comalco she moved to Gladstone, Queensland.
She married Graeme Gunness and continued her collecting under the name Ann G. Gunness.
The couple moved to Geraldton, WA, in about 2002, and in more recent years made a name for themselves as underwater photographers and marine
advocates.
They featured in a major Western Australian Museum exhibition and lecture series on
'Fathoming the Abrolhos: An
Underwater Exploration'.
The genus Gunnessia (Apocynaceae) was named after Ann by botanist Paul Forster in 1990.
Footnote:
In the early 2000s the herbarium that Ann established at the Comalco Regeneration Centre (CRC) in Weipa was not being maintained and was subject to insect damage. It was gifted to the Australian Tropical Herbarium (CNS) in Cairns, on provision that they could decide to keep only what was considered suitable. Some CNS Associates sorted through what was still in reasonable condition in Weipa, boxed them up, and about 900 were received by CNS in 2013. (They are labeled 'Comalco Weipa', or 'RTA Weipa').
Source: Extracted from:
Pers.Comm. F.Zich to M.Fagg, 18/5/2026
Pers.Comm G.Wharton to F.Zich, 2026
'CRA Gazette' December 1990 (Conzinc Riotinto of Australia)
https://anpsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/50years.pdf
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-02/abrolhos-island-photographer-coral-reef-protection-/100871418
https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-02/WAMuseumAnnualReport2023-24Volume1-2.pdf
Portrait Photo: 1990, 'CRA Gazette' December 1990 .
Collecting localities for 'Morton, A. and Morton, A.G.' from AVH (2026)
Data from 1,982 specimens
Collecting localities for 'Gunness, A. and Gunness, A.G.' from AVH (2026) [below]
Data from 2,329 specimens
