Betty Plant
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Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Betty Alice Plant | ||
| Born |
11 January 1920 Wellington, New Zealand | ||
| Died |
15 November 2002 (aged 82) Wellington, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| School | Wellington Girls' College | ||
| Occupation | Clerk | ||
| Netball career | |||
| Playing position(s): C | |||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |
| 1948 | New Zealand | 1 | |
Betty Alice Plant QSM (11 January 1920 – 15 November 2002) was a New Zealand netball player. She played as centre and was captain of the New Zealand team in the third Test against the touring Australian team in 1948. She was later active in netball administration and Guiding, and was closely involved in saving Old St Paul's, Wellington, from demolition in the 1960s. In 1979, she became verger of St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington, the first woman to be appointed to the role.
Born in Wellington on 11 January 1920, Plant was the daughter of Thomas Plant, who worked in the silk trade, and Daisy Plant (née Wickins).[1][2][3][4] She was educated at Wellington Girls' College, and then spent three years working in London as a clerk at Burroughs Wellcome.[3] Returning to Wellington in 1939, she spent the next 30 years working as a clerk and secretary for engineering company James Niven Limited.[3]
Sporting career
Netball
Player
Plant was a member of the Wellington provincial netball team, and in 1948 she was selected as captain of the New Zealand team to play the visiting Australian team in the third Test in Auckland.[1][5] The match was won by Australia, 44–22.[6]
Administrator and coach
Plant served as treasurer of the Wellington Basketball (Netball) Association from 1947 to 1953, and of the New Zealand Netball Association from 1969 to 1979. From 1975 to 1979, she was treasurer of the International Federation of Netball Associations.[3] She was a member of the organising committee for the 1975 World Netball Championships, held in Auckland.[2]
In 1959, Plant was the coach, selector and manager of the Wellington representative netball team.[3]
Plant received a service award from the Wellington Netball Association in 1979, and in 1981 she was given a similar award by the New Zealand Netball Association.[3]
Tennis
In 1955, Plant played representative tennis for Wellington.[3]
Girl Guides
Plant was involved with the Girl Guides movement in Wellington for over 60 years. Between 1939 and 1969, when the unit disbanded, she was captain of the St Paul's Cathedral (Old St Paul's) Guide company.[3] As there were more girls wanting to participate than were permitted to be in a unit, Plant circumvented the regulations by running two units, which met at the same time and place each week, and organised the units' annual camp.[7] In 1965, she was awarded the Silver Oak Leaf, for services to Guiding.[3]