Bridget Yelverton Lee Steere, also Lady Lee Steere

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(24 February 1884, Wellington, NZ - 23 July 1979, Perth, Western Australia) was State Commissioner for Western Australia Girl Guides from 1931 to 1953. She was a recipient of the

Silver Fish Award The Silver Fish Award is the highest adult award in Girlguiding. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding combined with service to world Guiding. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarde ...

, Girl Guiding's highest adult honour. She was a lifetime member of the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

Early life

Bridget Yelverton O'Connor was born in New Zealand to Susan Laetitia and Charles Yelverton O'Connor. She was one of seven children, including Lady Julius. The family moved to Western Australia in 1891.

Girl Guides

Lee Steere was enrolled into Girl Guiding by Chief Guide

Lady Baden-Powell Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell (''née'' Soames; 22 February 1889 – 25 June 1977) was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and co-founder o ...

during her visit to Australia in 1931. From 1931 to 1953 she was Acting State Commissioner, and then State Commissioner for Western Australia Girl Guides. In 1934 she represented Australia at the 8th WAGGGS World Conference at

Our Chalet Our Chalet is an international Girl Guide/Girl Scout centre and one of five World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). The others are Our Cabaña, Sangam, Kusafiri and Pax Lodge. Our Chalet is just outside A ...

, Switzerland. In 1935 she attended a Commissioner Training Camp at Foxlease, New Forest, England. In reference to her Guiding activity in 1937 she was called “one of the busiest women in the west” by '' The Australian Women's Weekly''. As part of her 1931 trip to Australia, Lady Baden-Powell brought a Cenotaph flag to present to Australia's Girl Guide Association. These were flags that had been retired from their role at the Cenotaph in London, donated to the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

and subsequently redistributed to relevant organisations around the world. Steere carried this flag to many parts of Australia during her tenure as State Commissioner. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

she set up a War Time Work Party, to help Britain's bombed areas. She initiated fundraising towards the cost of two air ambulances, a lifeboat for Red Cross Polish Relief work, and the

Australian Comforts Fund Australian Comforts Fund (ACF) was an Australian umbrella organisation for voluntary bodies set up after the outbreak of World War I. Many men and women worked at the ACF, including Alice Berry and Cyril Docker in WW2. World War I The Australi ...

, an initiative to "Keep the Fit Man Fit" by providing items such as soap and razors for soldiers. The ''Lady Lee Steere Training Centre'' was built in

Boyup Brook, Western Australia Boyup Brook is a town in the south-west of Western Australia, south-southeast of Perth and northeast of Bridgetown. The town lies on Kaniyang land within the Noongar nation. The name ''Boyup'' is derived from the name of a nearby pool "Booyup ...

. Upon her retirement as State Commissioner in 1953, she was presented with a silver sugar spoon with a miniature Brownie on the top as a gift from the 1,600 Brownies in the state. In 1958 the second phase of work began on ''Paxwold'', Western Australia's Girl Guide campsite and training centre. The main training room was named after her and she formally opened the building on 19 March 1960.

Other work

Lee Steere was a lifetime member of the

. From 1922 to 1928 she was on the board of governors, from 1930 to 1939 she was President. She retired as Vice President in 1950. She was a founder of the ''Flying Angel Guild'', to work for

Missions to Seamen The Mission to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen) is a Christian welfare charity serving merchant crews around the world. It operates through a global Mission 'family' network of chaplains, staff and volunteers and provides practical, em ...

. In 1946 Lady and Sir Lee Steere donated £2,000 to the Flying Angel's Missions to Seamen to endow a chapel in memory of two of their sons who were killed in action in World War II. The ''Lee Steere Memorial Chapel'' was located at the Mariner's House in

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

, Perth. In 1950 she became the patron of the Western Australia Women's Society of Fine Arts and Crafts.

Personal life

She married Ernest Augustus Lee Steere (1866-1957) in 1910. They had five children: their son

Ernest Henry Lee-Steere Sir Ernest Henry Lee-Steere, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, KBE (22 December 19129 January 2011) was a prominent Australian businessman. He was particularly noted for his involvement in horse racing in Western Australia, be ...

(1912-2011) was a prominent businessman and became

Lord Mayor of Perth __TOC__ The history of the City of Perth, a local government area of Western Australia is defined over three distinct periods: *From 1829 to 1838 — controlled by the Governor of Western Australia *From 1838 to 1858 — controlled by the ''Pe ...

, and two other sons died in

. Her husband was knighted in 1948, making her Lady Lee Steere. She died in Perth, Western Australia, aged 95.

Awards

* 1947 –

Girl Guiding’s highest adult award, presented by Lady Baden-Powell * 1953 – Coronation Medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth II * 1960 –

in the

1960 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1960 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the '' Lo ...

for her work with Western Australian Girl Guides and YWCA

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee Steere, Bridget Yelverton 1884 births 1979 deaths Recipients of the Silver Fish Award Officers of the Order of the British Empire Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Girlguiding officials YWCA leaders Scouting and Guiding in Australia