Rica Erickson died on 8 February 2009 in Western Australia at the age of 100.
Rica Erickson died on 8 February 2009, having lived to the remarkable age of 100. Her death marked the end of a century-long life dedicated to documenting, illustrating, and interpreting the natural and social history of Western Australia.
By the time of her passing, Erickson was widely celebrated as one of Western Australia's most significant self-taught naturalists and historians. She had authored numerous seminal texts on native orchids and insectivorous plants, contributed extensively to botanical illustration, and produced detailed genealogical and social histories of the colonial period, particularly concerning women pioneers and convict settlers.
Her death was mourned by the scientific and historical communities of Western Australia, with tributes noting her unparalleled contribution to the state's natural sciences despite her lack of formal university training. Institutions such as the State Library of Western Australia and the Australian National Botanic Gardens have since maintained archives and biographical tributes to her life's work, ensuring her legacy as a pioneering woman scientist and historian endures. Her research materials, correspondence, and illustrations remain valuable resources for botanists, historians, and genealogists studying Western Australia.