Lily Poulett-Harris (2 September 1873 – 15 August 1897) was an Australian sportswoman and educationalist, notable for being the founder and captain of the first women's cricket team in Australia.

[1] Poulett-Harris continued to play until forced to retire due to ill health from tuberculosis that would eventually claim her life.

He mourned the separation from the three daughters left in England [from his first marriage] and the early death of his son Richard from severe burns.

"[4] (Note that this conflicts with the electoral roll and a Supreme Court record that establishes she died in the Lachlan Hospital at New Norfolk, in June 1941.)

Thereafter his health declined and in 1885, suffering acute physical pain and mental depression, he surrendered to Christ College, with the shareholders' agreement, all leasehold rights in return for an annuity of £300.

"[4] A "a bright, inquisitive, adventurous and active child",[5] Lily was schooled by her father and received a Level II mark prize in December 1882.

For instance, she gave a recital at a church choir fundraising event at her home parish of All Saints in South Hobart less than a year before she died.

[4] As her own obituary notice states, Lily "was a great admirer of athletic exercises, firmly believing that it was very necessary to develop the physical as well as the mental part of our nature.

[28] On one occasion her bowling was described by the Hobart Mercury's sports journalist as "very good indeed" when she got two opponents out for a total of one run between them.

At the time that she and her sister Nellie left, a newspaper correspondent reported they were presented with a dinner and tea service by local inhabitants, including members of the cricket club.

The reporter went on to state "There is a general feeling of regret throughout the district at the Misses Poulett-Harris leaving, as they have always taken a deep interest in the Bay and its institutions and inhabitants, and they carry with them the sincerest wishes of all that they will prosper in the new school life on which they are entering in Hobart.

However, "when scholastic duties permitted her to visit her home at the Cliffs she was always welcomed by young and old alike" and she continued to play for Oyster Cove.

[40] She evidently also became a congregant at All Saints in Macquarie Street in South Hobart at this time as well, this church being a relatively short distance from the school.

[41] As a result, most of Richard Deodatus Poulett-Harris' papers were lost, including any references to his youngest daughter's life.

"[1] The obituary also contains the following anecdote: "One old man tells how she stopped and obliged by cutting up some tobacco for him, and by many of such little acts and kindnesses, Miss Lily endeared herself to the whole community.

"[1] A memorial plaque dedicated to Lily can be found on the rear wall of All Saints' Anglican Church in South Hobart.

Donated by the teachers and students of the Ladies' Grammar School and Kindergarten, it describes Lily as "bright and lovable".

[42] Lily Poulett-Harris died on the evening of 15 August 1897 at the school's 26 Davey Street address after what her obituary described as "a painful illness".

The Ladies' Grammar School and Kindergarten moved to Albuera Street, Battery Point, in 1898 and was run by Nellie Poulett-Harris until her retirement in December 1919,[46] whilst older sister, Anna May,[47] went on to become a relatively well-known actress on the Australian theatre circuit, under the stage name Mary Milward.

[48][49] She moved to Melbourne for a time and was trained in Shakespearian performance but eventually settled on light comedies as her area of interest.

[53][54] "Vi[olet] always helped Nell in her schools though one pupil's memory was of her often tippling on the sly and her... nephew... thought her distinctly dotty as she grew older!

Entitled "The Southern Stars owe a huge debt to the Tasmanian schoolteacher who became Australia’s first female cricket star", the article recounts her life and examines her enduring legacy in terms of her ongoing impact on women's cricket in Australia, noting that she has been "responsible for inspiring many other women to take up the sport.