Lily Dampier

Katherine Annabel Lily Dampier was born in 1867 or 1868 and died on 6 February 1915. An Australian actress who worked in both stage and screen, she was the daughter of actor Alfred Dampier and performed under the name Lily Dampier throughout her career. Her work spanned Australia, England, and the United States, where she appeared on Broadway in 1878 in Helen's Babies.

Among her most recognized stage roles were Sylvia in For the Term of His Natural Life and Kate in Robbery Under Arms. Dampier also performed in a range of Shakespearean productions and accumulated stage experience working in England in addition to her Australian career.

Her personal life included two marriages. On 19 September 1889, she wed William Watkins, an actor and architect who performed under the stage name Watkin Wynne and was a member of her father's acting company. That marriage ended in divorce in 1892. The following year, 1893, she married actor Alfred Rolfe.

In the later years of her career, Dampier transitioned to film. Her screen credits include Captain Midnight, the Bush King (1911), Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road (1911), and The Life of Rufus Dawes (1911).

Dampier died in West Melbourne, where she had been staying on William Street while her husband was filming in Sydney. Contemporary accounts noted that her death occurred rather suddenly. Her mother, who performed under the stage name Katherine Russell, died shortly after her, and her sister Rose also died young.