He was born at Elsternwick, the eldest son of woolbroker Audley Raoul Lemprière and Adelaide Maude, née Greene.
After a period in Europe he returned to Australia and was elected a director of his father's firm, A. R. Lemprière Pty Ltd, when the latter died in 1931.
He was based in Belgium during this period, but returned to Australia when World War II broke out.
After a period on the Australian trade mission to India, he settled in Tasmania and became state president of the Liberal Party, serving on its federal executive from 1961 to 1965.
His brothers William and Peter were also well-known wool buyers,[1] while artist Helen Lempriere (whose maternal family was that of singer Nellie Melba) was his cousin.