Lilian Wooster Greaves


Lilian Wooster Greaves was a Western Australian botanist and poet.

Personal life

Greaves was born in Ballarat, Victoria, where her father, William H. Wooster, was lecturer of botany at the Federation University Australia. She married William John Greaves in February 1893 in Ballarat, and their children Mabel and Grace were born in Victoria and son Archibald in Sydney. The family arrived in Western Australia on in 1904. Daughters Elsie and Rose were born in the following three years in Perth and Cottesloe.
After the family moved to Western Australia, they lived at different stages in Wongan Hills, Mundaring, Cottesloe, and Leederville during the First World War. The last place of residence was in Como.

Literary career

Greeves was a member of the Women Writers Club and representative of the Institute of British Poetry in Western Australia. Her poetry was regularly published in local newspapers and magazines. In 1915, she won first prize in The Bookman's annual poetry competition.
During the First World War she wrote patriotic verses and songs.
Some post war poetry was published in commemoration of Anzac Day.
Her papers are kept in the private archives of the State Library of Western Australia's Battye Library.

Books of poetry

  • – reprinted in 1914
  • – also in an illustrated edition, combined with a booklet about wildflowers – (separate edition as:

Poems in newspapers

  • 1915 – Women's War
  • 1915 – Roses in Rain
  • 1916 – Peace or War
  • 1920 – Where love dwells
  • 1921 – New Thoughts
  • 1925 – Hope
  • 1926 – England
  • 1926 – Remembrance
  • 1926 – How the Wild Flowers Came
  • 1943 – ''Birds at Wongan Hills''