Lady Paula Howard

Lady Paula Howard (born Robert John Donald Burnie) (28 January 1912 – 22 September 2000) was an Australian drag performer and transgender writer, media personality and advocate. She first performed in drag to entertain the troops in World War II and, after this, while living in South Africa and then in Australia, began living publicly as a woman. She was also an early and influential member of the Seahorse Society Victoria, an advocacy organisation for transgender people in Victoria.

Early life Howard was born in Swansea, Wales as the eldest child of Donald and Alice Mabel (née Harvey). She was assigned male at birth and in 1915, when she was a small child, her father died while serving in Loos during World War I. Howard would later recall her early interest in dressing in 'girl's clothing' and performing. On 4 April 1946 she was mentioned in dispatches from there for her distinguished service. Carole was aware of Howard's gender identity and was supportive of her as she became increasingly confident in representing herself publicly as a woman; included in this was Howard completing Carole's charm school and she appreciated her help in transforming her into a 'well groomed' woman. She also began helping Carole run the school as an assistant.

The couple then moved to Cape Town where Howard became involved in the international trans community through organisations like the Phoenix Club (which was based in South Africa) and Transvestia (an American-based publication for and by trans people). In 1964, she began publishing articles about her life in Transvestia, Fanfare Magazine (published by the Phoenix Club) and other publications.

In this article, however, she also detailed the issues and discrimination she did face.

The Seahorse Club Victoria From 1976 Howard was involved in, although not a founding member of, the Seahorse Club Victoria; this was the Victorian chapter of the Seahorse Society of New South Wales which had started in 1971. Howard attended many of their events and seminars before eventually joining. Within the Seahorse Club she was seen as a polarising figure and, when she became the editor of their newsletter (the Australian Seahorse Bulletin) in 1981, she used her role to criticise the organisation's leadership and ways of viewing some of the issues that they faced in the wider community and well as within the club. In June 1982 she was removed from her position of editor for a period of time before being able to return. In the next issue, July 1984, she stated that the September bulletin would be her last as editor and that, from then, it would be missing her 'particularly wide-ranging, informative, opinionated, cynical, abrasive and completely disillusioned style'.

At some point in the mid-1980s her membership was revoked entirely. When she tried to rejoin the club in 1987 eleven members threatened to resign.

Despite this Howard was awarded with a lifetime membership of the Seahorse Club in 1995; this was the first they ever awarded.

Publications While living in Melbourne Howard published two books; one under her birth name and the other under her chosen name of Lady Paula Howard:

Burnie, Robert J. D. (1988) A Gathering of Lilacs. Adelaide: Flinders University Press (a collection of short stories, some of which had already been published elsewhere, like in Cleo, or entered into literary prizes). Howard, Lady Paula (1999). Frocks, Frills and Furbelows: The Story of Lady Paula Howard—an Embellished Biography of Transvestism Spanning Forty Years and Four Continents. Norwood, SA: Peacock Publications. It is not known why she published A gathering of lilacs (1988) under her birth name.

Later life and death In 1994 Howard had a stroke which had significant long-term implications on her health. She died on 22 September 2000 at Katoomba in New South Wales.