Auriol Batten was born in 1918. She studied botany at Natal University and during the Second World War studied art part-time at the Durban Technical College. She was mentored by Nils Andersen, an outstanding watercolourist.

She has collaborated on numerous botanical books throughout her career, to date spanning 70 years, and is currently painting work in collaboration with Dr. John Manning for his latest book on the Freesia genus. Some books she has contributed towards recently are: Crocosmia and Chasmanthe (2004), Gladiolus in Southern Africa (1998), Dierama: The Hairbells of Africa (1991) and she has completed numerous plates for The Flowering Plants of  Africa and Curtis’s Botanical magazines.

Auriol has worked consistently in the field of botanical illustration and has made a huge contribution towards the art form and towards botany. In 2008 SANBI acknowledged her contribution by honouring her with the inaugural Kirstenbosch Biennale Lifetime Achievement Award