Betty Plant

Betty Alice Plant (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.

Early life 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). She was educated at Wellington Girls' College, and then spent three years working in London as a clerk at Burroughs Wellcome. The match was won by Australia, 44–22.

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. In 1965, she was awarded the Silver Oak Leaf, for services to Guiding.

Plant was appointed as curator of Old St Paul's by the Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) in 1969, and undertook the role for 11 years. Her knowledge of the building was said to be "encyclopaedic", and she gave tours to visitors as well as cleaning the church, in what she described as a "labour of love". She received a Wellington City Council civic award in 1988, and in 2002 she was made a life member of the Friends of Old St Paul's Society.

St Paul's Cathedral Although her campaign to save Old St Paul's had placed her in opposition to the church hierarchy, Plant was appointed verger of the new St Paul's Cathedral by the dean of the cathedral, Jim Thomas, in 1979. Thomas recognised that Plant was able to undertake the many duties required of the verger quickly and efficiently, and that she was knowledgeable in church ritual. Plant was the first female verger in Wellington, and it is thought that she may have been the first female cathedral verger in the worldwide Anglican Communion. She retired from the role in 1987.

All Saints' Church, Ngaio Plant was a liturgist at All Saints' Church in the Wellington suburb of Ngaio from 1990 until her death in 2002.

Death Plant died in Wellington on 15 November 2002.