Ernest Augustus Lee Steere
Sir Ernest Augustus Lee Steere | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Beverley, Western Australia, Australia |
| Died | December 22, 1957 (aged 91) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, pastoralist |
Sir Ernest Augustus Lee Steere (19 March 1866 – 22 December 1957) was a distinguished Australian entrepreneur and pastoralist.
Biography
Lee Steere entered the world in Beverley on 19 March 1866 as the second son of Augustus Lee Steere. Throughout the 1880s, he gained experience working at various stations within the Murchison region. In 1888, he acquired Belele Station near Meekatharra, which was initially undeveloped. He swiftly enlarged Belele to cover an extensive area and also purchased the adjacent Annean Station. Alongside his son Ernest, he founded merino sheep studs at Chilimony and Bowes, located near Northampton.
Expanding beyond pastoral ventures, Lee Steere invested in processing enterprises, playing a key role in establishing freezing works in Fremantle as well as woollen mills in Albany. He maintained important partnerships with leading companies such as Elders, Smith and Co., The AMP Society, and the WA Trustee, Executor and Agency Company Ltd. Furthermore, he contributed to the committee of the Fairbridge Farm school in Pinjarra, endorsing initiatives for British child migration.
In 1946, he generously gifted a farm valued at £8000 in Mingenew to support returning servicemen through a settlement program.
Family
Originating from one of Perth’s prominent six hungry families, Lee Steere was related to influential figures including his uncle Sir James George Lee Steere (1830–1903).
His spouse, Bridget Yelverton O'Connor, daughter of engineer C. Y. O'Connor, gained recognition as Commissioner of the Girl Guides in Western Australia from 1931 to 1953. Her leadership earned her both an OBE and the Silver Fish Award.
Their son, Ernest Henry Lee-Steere, became a leading businessman in Western Australia and held the office of Lord Mayor of Perth during the 1970s. Their grandson, John Dawkins, served as federal treasurer in the 1990s.
Further reading
- The Lee Steeres, Pioneering Families of WA, Weekend News supplement, 28 January 1967, p. 9.