June 1893 - Mrs Cooper-Oakley. one of H.P.B.'s pupils.

1894 - Annie Besant, also in 1908. (In 1894 Mr & Mrs Chapman's rooms were put at her disposal for interviews.)

1896 - Countess Wachmeister.

The first President of the Theosophical Society, Colonel Olcott, visited New Zealand in 1897, on his lecturing tour of 17,000 miles. In Auckland he met Miss Lilian Edger, one of the first women in N.Z. to gain the University degree of M.A. She went back to India with him as a lecturer. (See TNZ/March 1988 pp. 8,9)

Agnes Inglis heard Lilian Edger lecture once at a convention about her experiences with him in India, where they travelled mostly by trains which went along rather leisurely, stopping at all stations. Colonel Olcott went on to the platform as a rule to stretch his legs. There was a very long stop at a station, so Miss Edger asked the guard when they were starting again. "When the colonel is ready to come on board," said the guard. Agnes Inglis did not meet H.S.O. during his early visit to Dunedin but Rachel Pairman, daughter of early members of the Lodge, remembers sitting on his knee, as a child.

1905, 1910, 1912, 1918- C.W. Leadbeater.

1920 and 1934 or 35, - C. Jinarajadasa visited with his wife Dorothy who addressed representatives of various women's organisations.

1928 - Dr van der Leeuw (secretary to C.W,L.)

c.1930 - George Arundale with his wife Shrimati Rukmini.

Ernest Wood shortly after.

N. Sri Ram - unsure of date.

Convention of 1931 held in Dunedin.

John Ross Thomson - General Secretary of T.S. in N. Z. was a frequent visitor for a week or more.

1938 - William Crawford

In 1941 Miss Thelma Annie Besant Maurais, the 3rd daughter of one of the Lodge founders, gave a talk on history from an unbiased point of view. She was writing a book on history research.

Emma Hunt, sister of Mrs Kathleen Crawford, often lectured at Dunedin, e.g. 1941-1945.

Geoffrey Hodson on many occasions.

John Coats - 1949, 1959, 1970

Jack Patterson has mentioned that when he was younger he knew both Mrs Pairman and her sister Louisa Stone.

The interested reader is also referred to photos in the April/ June 1946 issue Theosophy in N.Z. concerned with Dunedin.

Chartered Lodges: Charter dates for establishing the first four Theosophical Lodges in New Zealand were: Wellington 1888: Auckland 1892; Dunedin 1893; Christchurch 1894. The N.Z. Section received its Charter on April 7th 1896.

This document was last modified on Wednesday, 22-Sep-2004 13:55:08 NZST
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