Hilda Margaret Morcombe was born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1942. Her parents, Tom and Betty Morcombe, were farmers in the wheat belt. She attended Methodist Ladies College and then the University of Western Australia, graduating in 1965 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Hilda married James Turnbull in 1965, and worked as a general practicioner in partnership with him in Collie for twenty-five years. Her vigorous involvement in the Collie community included eleven years on the Shire Council, and twenty-five as Chairperson of the Collie Welfare Council. Dr. Hilda Turnbull was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the National Party of Australia representing the Collie electorate on 4 February 1989. She was re-elected in 1993 and 1996, and defeated on 10 February 2001.

Sources used to compile this entry: Black, David and Bolton, Geoffrey (eds), Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia, Vol. 2, 1930-1990, Western Australian Parliamentary History Project, Perth, Western Australia, 1990; Black, David and Phillips, Harry, 'Making a Difference: Women in the West Australian Parliament 1921-1999', Parliament of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 2000.