May Enid Bosworth Nunn OAM (27 November 188715 July 1982), known professionally as Enid Lorimer and also as a publisher of children's literature under the pen name Ellen Bosworth, was a British-born Australian film, stage, television and radio actress, director, writer, teacher and theosophist. She was married to Count Wentworth Zerffi. She attended

His Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre may refer to: *Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Australia, known as His Majesty's Theatre 1901–1952, demolished 1983 * His Majesty's Theatre, London, England, known as Her Majesty's Theatre 1952–2023 *His Majesty's Theatre, ...

in London, managed by Sir

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progra ...

and trained as a Shakespearean actress. She was a contemporary of Dame

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

and Dame Lilian Braithwaite. Lorimer was also involved in silent film production in Britain during World War 1, working with the likes of Dame Ellen Terry.

Early life

Lorimer was born on 27 November 1887, in London, United Kingdom. Her father was Harold Marcus Nunn and her mother was Helen Louise Fowler (''née'' Bosworth). Her early education was supervised by a

governess A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...

. She later attended a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

, Kent, and a

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wit ...

in Switzerland.

Career

Lorimer's career as an actress lasted for some 70 years. She first took stage drama in the United Kingdom, before leaving for Sydney, Australia in November 1923 to serve as Art Director at the

Star Amphitheatre The Star Amphitheatre was an open air temple constructed by the Order of the Star in the East, which at the time was an organisation founded to promote the works of, and involve followers of Jiddu Krishnamurti. The Order of the Star in the East ...

, Balmoral. She starred in numerous Australian television programmes, such as ''

Motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries ...

'', '' Spyforce'', ''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'', '' Division 4'' and '' Cop Shop'', as well as many theatrical stage plays, and in 1966 she appeared as a narrator in fourteen episodes of the BBC children's television programme ''

Jackanory ''Jackanory'' is a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the first story was the fairy-t ...

''. Up until her 85th birthday in 1973, she was very active within the entertainment circle and would not entertain the prospect of retirement, despite self-admitted signs of "phasing out". Her final film appearance was in '' The Odd Angry Shot''. In her later years, she gradually declined from acting and instead started writing children's books, such as the series ''Shelley'' (which was based on her granddaughter), under the pseudonym of Ellen Bosworth. Many of her books were best-sellers in Australia. During her lifetime, Lorimer also worked as a teacher and a theosophist.

Recognition

Lorimer was awarded the Chips Rafferty Memorial Award in 1981 and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service towards the performing arts on 14 June 1982. Enid Lorimer Circuit, in the Canberra suburb of Chisholm, is named in her honour.

Death

Lorimer died on 15 July 1982 at a private hospital in

Wahroonga, New South Wales Wahroonga is a suburb in the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire. Nor ...

. A private funeral was held for her; only six people attended.

Filmography

FILM TELEVISION

References

External links

*
Enid Lorimer
at the Women Film Pioneers Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Lorimer, Enid Bosworth 1887 births 1982 deaths 20th-century Australian actresses Actresses from London Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia English emigrants to Australia Women film pioneers 19th-century Australian women 20th-century English women 20th-century English people