Latham, Eleanor Mary (Ella) (1878 - 1964)

Lady Latham was president of the Royal Children's Hospital management committee from 1933 until 1954, and founding president of the Victorian Society for Crippled Children in 1936. On 1 January 1954, Lady Latham was appointed to the Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) for services to children.

Latham worked as a teacher and in 1905 co-authored with Jessie Webb a poetry text Phases of Literature from Pope to Browning: prose and verse selections. On 19 December 1907 she married John Greig Latham (later Rt. Hon. Sir) and they had three children. Their eldest son died during the World War II and their daughter Freda died from complications of diabetes.

In 1912 Latham was a foundation member of the Lyceum club, a new club for women graduates and other women who had distinguished themselves in art, music, literature, philanthropy or public service. She became it's tenth president in 1925. She was also foundation president of the Hawthorn branch of the Children's Hospital auxiliary, in 1923, and was invited to join the committee of management, a position she resigned from in 1926. Latham rejoined the committee in 1932 and became president in 1933 (retiring 1954). During her term as president she guided the Children's Hospital through the transmission from a charity hospital to a teaching hospital.

Membership

• The Catalysts' Society (1910 - )

  One of the original 19 members of 'The Catalysts'

  [1910 - 1964]

• Lyceum Club (Melbourne) (1912 - )

  [1925 - 1926]

Related People

• Mackinnon, Una (Patricia) (1911 - )

  In 1949 Ella Latham invited Patricia Mackinnon to join the Royal Children's Hospital committee of management.

Books

• Webb, Jessie S and Latham, Ella M, Phases of literature from Pope to Browning: prose and verse selections, T C Lothian, Melbourne, 171 pp. [ Details... ]
• Williams, Howard E, From charity to teaching hospital : Ella Latham's presidency 1933-1954, the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Book Generation, Glenroy, Vic., 1989, 158 pp. [ Details... ]

Book Sections

• Williams, Howard, 'Latham, Eleanor Mary (1878-1964)', in Richie, John (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 15, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, p. 611. [ Details... ]

See also

• Victorian Women's Roll of Honour: Women Shaping the Nation, 1 edn, Centurary of Federation Victoria, 2001, http://www.women.vic.gov.au/CA25666E00000B30/Images/CoFHR/$File/CoFHR.pdf. [ Details... ]
• Alexander, Joseph A (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1962, 17 edn, Colorgravure Publications, Melbourne, 1962, 960 pp. [ Details... ]
• Lofthouse, Andrea (ed.), Who's who of Australian women, Methuen Australia, North Ryde (NSW), 1982, 504 pp. [ Details... ]
• National Library of Australia, Papers of Howard Williams, National Library of Australia, ACT, http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/8131.html. [ Details... ]
• Ridley, Ronald T, Jessie Webb, a memoir, University of Melbourne, Department of History, Parkville, Vic., 1994, 208 pp. [ Details... ]
• Yule, Peter, The Royal Children's Hospital: A History of Faith, Science and Love, Halstead Press, Rushcutters Bay, NSW, 656 pp. [ Details... ]