Greta Lamprill
Greta Lamprill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 26, 1890 |
| Died | December 11, 1972 (aged 82) |
Greta Stevens Lamprill (September 26, 1890 – December 11, 1972) was the first Tasmanian Baha’i, the inaugural secretary of the Hobart Local Spiritual Assembly, a member and secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand and a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. She was known as the ‘Mother of Tasmania’.
Life[edit]
Greta was a Methodist in her youth, and won a prize for securing the most new members for the Melville Street Methodist Band of Hope, a temperance organisation, in Hobart in 1904.[1]
She displayed a talent for music, performing at the Brownell Bros. Ltd. Annual Picnic in 1904, and at a Concert to aid the Melville Street Methodist Football club in 1906.[2][3][4] She went on to study piano formally, and passed Grade 4 musical theory examinations with honours in 1911, and performed at events in Hobart regularly in the 1910's.[5] She later became a nurse and worked for the Public Health Department, eventually being appointed a Supervisory Sister of the School Medical Services, a position which she held until retirement..[6]
Although Greta had first heard of the Faith between 1908 and 1912[7] from a newspaper article, she did not not become a Baha’i until 1924 when she attended a Baha’i meeting held by Hyde Dunn, Clara Dunn and Effie Baker in Hobart. She later said of the meeting:
"Mr. Hyde Dunn spoke passionately about the Faith. Then and there, with the whole of my inner and outer being, I dedicated my life to Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i Faith.”[8]
In the 1930's she began working for the Tasmanian Education Department, delivering educational talks on health for students via radio.[9][10] By 1939 she was the Secretary of the Tasmanian Sunshine Association, a charity group.[11]
She attended the first Australian Baha’i Summer School in Yerrinbool in 1938 where she met Maysie Almond, a Baha’i who she had corresponded with for twelve years, for the first time.[12] In 1939 she accompanied Martha Root during her visit to Australia, and organised her itinerary in Tasmania. She had first met Martha when she visited Tasmania in 1924.[13]
In October 1940 Greta was questioned about the Baha’i Faith by Government officials, prompting the Baha’i Community to make its attitudes on WWII clearer to public officials.[14] In 1941 she sent a Letter which briefly outlined the teachings of the Faith to the editor of The Mercury, a Hobart newspaper, which was published.[15] In 1944 she was elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Hobart which she had helped establish.[16] In 1946 she personally conducted a teaching campaign in Brisbane, Queensland, establishing a mailing list of interested people.[17] In 1948 she was first elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand,[18] and in 1950 she was appointed as Editor of Bahá'í World for Australia and New Zealand and held the position until 1952.[19] In 1951 she visited Gladys Parke in New Zealand, and conducted a teaching tour of the Australian mainland.[20]
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi requested that pioneers travel to countries which had not yet heard of the Faith and Greta decided to pioneer along with five other members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand. Greta and her friend Gladys Parke sent a request to pioneer to Tahiti to the Holy Land, Shoghi Effendi sent his approval and they arrived in Tahiti in December 1953. As they were not French citizens they occasionally had to leave the country when their visas expired, and taught in New Zealand, Rarotonga and Cook Islands while waiting for them to be renewed.
In 1954 Greta helped secure the site of the Australian House of Worship during a visit to Australia.[21] Lamprill and Parke attended a Regional Teaching Conference in Hobart in June 1957 while waiting for their visas.[22] In 1959 Greta chaired the first Tasmanian Baha’i Summer School from January 30 to February 1 in Dilston.[23]
Greta and Gladys returned to Australia after a Local Spiritual Assembly was established in Tahiti and settled in Launceston.[24] In 1963 they pioneered within Australia and helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly in Devonport. When the community of Devonport reached twelve members they returned to Launceston.
She suffered from memory loss later in life, but reportedly spoke lucidly about the Faith.
Family[edit]
Greta's father was Charles Herbert Lamprill (1868 - 1943), a prominent Hobart businessman who served as a member of the cities Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Derwent Bowling Club.[25] Her mother was Ellen Fenton Bolster (d. 1916).[26]
References[edit]
- In Memoriam Article, Baha’i World, Vol. 15, pp 534-535
Notes[edit]
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9684890
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/176664851
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12815114?
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12776988
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50494960
- ↑ Hassall, G., "Outpost of a World Religion: The Baha'i Faith in Australia 1920-47", The Journal of Religious History, 16(3), 1991, p 319
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. pp 220.
- ↑ Baha’i World, Vol. 15, p 535
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91803131
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25217641
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68533411
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 118
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 496
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/hassall_tasmania_history
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25876659
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. pp 220.
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 192
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. pp 220.
- ↑ Bahá'í World, Vol. 12
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27019721
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 668
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 320
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 339
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. pp 220.
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25966158
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92620462
