Lady Zara Eileen Hore-Ruthven was a woman ahead of her time, renowned for her work in promoting the welfare of children in Australia. She was born in County Galway, Ireland in 1879. In June 1908, she married Alexander Hore-Ruthven (First Earl of Gowrie), who in 1928 became Governor of South Australia, in 1935 became Governor of New South Wales, and in 1936 became Governor-General.

Capitalising on the influence her position afforded her, Lady Gowrie strongly advocated for the establishment of child centres across Australia during the 1930s. She did much to bring about a quick approval of the scheme and due to this inspiration and foresight, it was decided that each of the six centres would bear her name – The Lady Gowrie Child Centre.

The Commonwealth Government then built Lady Gowrie Child Centres in each Australian capital city, choosing locations close to industrialised areas in an effort to improve the issues of overcrowding, poverty and poor health outcomes for the communities’ children in the years during, and following the Second World War.

The idea of giving disadvantaged children a good start in life, while universally accepted today, was radical for its time. Lady Gowrie’s speech, given at the opening of the Lady Gowrie Child Centre in Melbourne in 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II, gives an insight into her pioneering outlook:

‘Our children are our greatest hope, and anyone doing work for children these days is doing national work and giving splendid war service. Not only must we stand by our soldiers, but we must also stand by our soldiers’ children…Every thinking person must realise that when this bitter strife is over, we must build up a better world, and it is only through the children that this can be done.’

Lady Zara Gowrie, 1939.