Rosa Catherine Fiveash was born in Adelaide, the youngest daughter of Robert A Fiveash. From 1881-188 she trained at the Adelaide School of Art. Her first commission was to illustrate "The Forest Flora of South Australia" by John Ednie Brown published in 1882. This commission established her reputation as a botanical illustrator. Her skills as a scientific illustrator were highlighted when commissioned to illustrate the paper by Professor E C Stirling titled "Description of a New Genus and Species of Masupialia, Notorycytes Typhlops." published 1891 (RSA Transactions 14 1890-91). Her watercolurs of copies of coloured drawings of Toas by H J Hillier accompanied the paper "Description of Toas or Australian Aboriginal Direction Signs" by E C Stirling and E R Waite (based upon the manuscript written and collection made by Rev J G Reuther) published Rec of SAM Vol1 No2 August 1919. She pioneered china-painting in Adelaide attending to the whole process, including firing. She collaborated with Dr R S Rogers for 30 years, illustrating his publications on orchids, including his section on them in J M Black's "Flora of South Australia Part I" 2nd edition. Apart from 2 years overseas, she lived all her life in the family home, Gable House, North Adelaide, with her sister. She was considered the foremost botanical artist in Australia and continued painting until the age of 80.

The South Australian Museum Archives contains an oil painting, coloured drawing and lithographic illustrations of the Notorycytes Typhlops (Marsupial Mole), and a coloured drawing of the insect Cyphocrania Goliath Gray - SAMA970 Rosa Catherine Fiveash Collection. 69 watercolours of Toas - AA266 Rev J G Reuther Collection.

Further reading on the works of Rosa Fiveash 'A guide to the locations and references for the works of Rosa Catherine Fiveash in Adelaide, South Australia' by Hugh Grenfell Orr, Sept 2022