Elizabeth Julia Reid

Elizabeth Julia Reid (24 February 1915 – 23 December 1974) was an Australian journalist and a lay leader in the Grail movement for Catholic woman.

Early life and education Elizabeth Julia Reid was born on 24 February 1915, in Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales. She was the second child born to John Francis and Annie Catherine Reid. Her father was a journalist, and her father's uncle was Sir George Houstoun Reid, the fourth prime minister of Australia.

Career Reid studied to be a nurse at the Brisbane General Hospital but decided not to pursue a nursing career. In 1939, she moved to Melbourne where she became more actively involved in the organization. She edited the Torchlight magazine, published by the National Catholic Girls' Movement. She also participated in the Grail's educational programs, which were offered through the Grail's centre at Tay Creggan, in Hawthorne. As part of these educational efforts, Reid was an instructor for leadership training for girls aged 14 to 18 in the National Catholic Girls' Movement.

In 1948, Reid moved to Hong Kong, where she became a reporter for the Sunday Examiner, a weekly newspaper published by the Hong Kong Catholic diocese. She also worked as the public relations officer for Catholic Relief Services. She traveled widely through Asia for the Examiner. She also submitted articles for Catholic World News's news service in the United States, reporting on events in Asia. In 1956, she moved to New York City, to work for the U.N. affiliated International Movement for Fraternal Union of All Races and Peoples, also known as Mouvement Internationale pour l'Union Fraternelle entre les Races and les Peuples (U.F.R.P.). Reid became the permanent representative of the U.F.R.P. at the United Nations in 1956. She was a "dynamic speaker" and frequently travelled across the United States, sharing her global perspective and experience with American Catholic women.

In 1966, she moved to New Delhi, India, where she led the newly formed not-for-profit organization Action for Food Production (AFPRO). As executive secretary, Reid oversaw the organization's many projects. is quoted as saying she was "a great and effective communicator of development, justice and peace."