Enid Lorimer

Enid Lorimer OAM
Born	May Enid Bosworth Nunn 27 November 1887 London, United Kingdom
Died	15 July 1982 (aged 94) Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Other names	Ellen Bosworth (pen name)
Citizenship	Australian
Occupations	Actress producer writer teacher theosophist
Years active	C. 1910-1979
Spouse	Count Harold Augustavas Wentworth Zeffri. (died 1926)[1]
Children	1 (adopted)
Awards	Chips Rafferty Memorial Award
Website	enidlorimer.com

Enid Bosworth Lorimer OAM (born May Enid Bosworth Nunn; 27 November 1887 – 15 July 1982), was an English-born stage, radio, television and film actress, director, producer, writer, teacher and theosophist. She worked in her native England and also in Australia.

She was a contemporary of Dame Sybil Thorndike and Dame Lilian Braithwaite.

Early life[edit]

Lorimer was born^[2] on 27 November 1887, in London, United Kingdom.^[2] Her father was Harold Marcus Nunn and her mother was Helen Louise Fowler (née Bosworth) and she had a younger sister. ^[3]

Brought up in comfortable and privileged circumstances her early education was supervised by a governess. She later attended a boarding school in Folkestone, Kent, and a finishing school in Switzerland.^[1]

In London. she trained under renowned teacher Elsie Fogerty, she subsequently trained at Her Majesty's Theatre as a Shakespearean actress.

Career[edit]

Lorimer's career as an actress lasted for some 70 years.^[4][5] She first took stage drama in the United Kingdom, and became an understudy to Phyllis Neilson-Terry, she joined the toiurding company of Laurence Irving and during the wars year's she worked on film production in Britain assisting Dame Ellen Terry.^[6] she arrived for Sydney, Australia in November 1923 to serve as Art Director at the Star Amphitheatre, Balmoral.^[7]

Lorimer produced the first impromptu radio play at 2GB in 1925; of the latter she was well known as an actress in the radio serial Dr. Mac with Lou Vernon as Ettie between 1940 and 1952.^[1]

She starred in numerous Australian television programmes, such as Motel, Spyforce, Homicide, Division 4 and Cop Shop, as well as many theatrical stage plays,^[8] and in 1966 she appeared as a narrator in fourteen episodes of the BBC children's television programme Jackanory. 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".^[9] Her final film appearance was in The Odd Angry Shot.^[10] 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 publishing 3 books..^[6] Many of her books were best-sellers in Australia.^[11] During her lifetime, Lorimer also worked as a teacher and a theosophist.^[12]

Recognition[edit]

Lorimer was awarded the Chips Rafferty Memorial Award in 1981^[13] and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service towards the performing arts on 14 June 1982.^[14]

Enid Lorimer Circuit, in the Canberra suburb of Chisholm, is named in her honour.^[15]

Death[edit]

Lorimer died on 15 July 1982 at a private hospital^[16] in Wahroonga, New South Wales.^[17][18] A private funeral was held for her; only six people attended.^[17]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Television[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Enid Lorimer at IMDb
• Enid Lorimer at the Women Film Pioneers Project