Born

8 November 1896
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Died

24 May 1975
Melbourne, Victoria

Occupation

Broadcaster, Journalist, Radio Journalist, Sports Administrator and Sports Journalist

Alternative Names

• Greig, Gwendoline (married name)

Summary

An athletic student, Gwendoline Varley went on to be sports mistress at the Hermitage school in Geelong, Victoria, before moving to Sydney, where she became organizing secretary of the City Girls' Amateur Sports Association. She inaugurated Girls' Week as a fundraising initiative, and caught the attention of local radio stations. In 1928, Varley began broadcasting with radio station 2BL and was founding secretary of its Women's Amateur Sports Association. The wireless was an invaluable tool for the promotion of sports activities for women, and the Association grew rapidly. It was placed under the auspices of the Australian Broadcasting Commission on the establishment of that body in 1932. Varley continued broadcasting for the ABC. In addition, she was involved with the City Girls' Amateur Sports Association; the New South Wales (NSW) Lawn Tennis Association; the NSW Women's Hockey Association; the NSW Women's Basketball Association; and the NSW Women's Cricket Association.

Varley continued an active involvement in sport by captaining an A-grade tennis team, and - according to the ADB's Marion Consandine - by swimming, rowing, running, fencing, skating, and playing golf, hockey and croquet. She married Hector Maximus Greig, a widower and father of two sons, in June 1938.