Ruth Fairfax

Fairfax was born Ruth Beatrice Dowling to Frances Emily Dowling née Breillat and Vincent James Dowling on 8 October 1878, in the small town of Lue, near the larger town of Rylstone, New South Wales, Australia. She was educated at by home by governesses, and also attended Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School.

Ruth Dowling and John Hubert Fraser Fairfax were married on 2 February 1899, an occasion "for great rejoicing, because it was the wedding day of the popular and universally-beloved daughter of the Squire of Lue, Miss Dowling, whose hand was claimed by Mr. Hubert Fairfax, son of Sir James Fairfax, of The Sydney Morning Herald."{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156356387|title=Wedding Bells.|date=10 February 1899|newspaper=Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative|location=New South Wales|page=12|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}} The Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative reported that the bride was "beautiful in a dress of white duchesse satin, trimmed with cream lace and chiffon and flowers on bodice. She wore a wreath of orange blossoms and heather in her hair, with diamond crescent, the gift of her father and mother, and on the bodice a diamond brooch, the gift of Sir James and Lady Fairfax, whilst the floral bouquet, the gift of the bridegroom, completed a living picture that will long be remembered by all present."

The Fairfax family moved to Dalmore Station near Longreach, Queensland, then in 1908 to Marinya station near Cambooya, Queensland on the Darling Downs. In 1909 their only child, Vincent was born.{{Cite book|title=Great Queensland Women|last=Grant|first=Heather|publisher=Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation|year=2005|isbn=0724296506|location=Brisbane|pages=33}} They travelled to England in 1912, but returned to Australia at the outbreak of the First World War.

Ruth Fairfax became President of the Toowoomba branch of the Australian Comfort Fund, providing support for soldiers fighting in the war{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182929705|title=SOLDIERS' SOCK AND COMFORT FUND.|date=13 January 1919|newspaper=Darling Downs Gazette|issue=8695|location=Queensland|page=6|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}} and she became recognised as a practical woman with organisational and leadership skills.

There were, in the early years of the 20th century, a number of women's groups established, including the National Council of Women, Brisbane Women's Club, and the Queensland Women's Electoral League. There was however, a need identified for an organisation dedicated to the needs of country women. On 10 August 1922, in a meeting at the Albert Hall, Brisbane, Fairfax was elected President of the newly established Queensland Country Women's Association.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192982648|title=FOR COUNTRY WOMEN|date=18 August 1922|newspaper=The Week|location=Queensland|page=6|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}} This meeting was timed to coincide with the Brisbane Exhibition, when there were likely to be large numbers of rural women in Brisbane. The first meeting of the newly formed Association was held in Toowoomba on 12 September 1922, chaired by Fairfax.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184230521|title=QUEENSLAND COUNTRY WOMEN FIRST MEETING IN TOOWOOMBA.|date=16 September 1922|newspaper=Daily Standard|location=Queensland|page=3|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}} Fairfax then went on a tour of six months around outback Queensland, establishing branches of the Country Women's Association and recruiting women to their local branches. In 1929, Fairfax travelled to the UK where she studied at Women's Institutes in England and Scotland. She also represented the Country Women's Association at the First International Conference of Rural Women's Organisations in London,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16621277|title=RURAL WOMEN.|date=28 January 1930|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=4|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}} and at the International Council of Women in Vienna.{{Cite book|title=Great Queensland Women|last=Grant|first=Heather|publisher=Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation|year=2005|isbn=0724296506|location=Brisbane|pages=36}}{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54676455|title=Q.C.W.A.|date=13 October 1930|newspaper=Morning Bulletin|location=Queensland|page=5|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}}

Her passion for women in country areas was long-standing, and she thought of country women as a sisterhood, promoting the idea of mutual help and support.{{Cite web|url=http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/fairfax-ruth-beatrice-6134|title=Obituary – Ruth Beatrice Fairfax – Obituaries Australia|website=oa.anu.edu.au|access-date=2017-01-30}} She and her family moved to New South Wales in 1931, as her son took up a post with The Sydney Morning Herald, a family business concern since 1841. Her home in Sydney was the {{convert|6986|m2|adj=on}}, Elaine, on the waterfront at Seven Shillings Beach, Double Bay.{{Cite book|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fairfax-ruth-beatrice-6134|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Rutledge|first=Martha|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|location=Canberra}} This property was built by the Fairfax family in 1891 and, in 2019, was sold for in excess of {{AUD}}70 million to Scott Farquhar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.openagent.com.au/blog/scott-farquhar-atlassian-buys-fairfax-property-point-piper# |title=Fairfax family mansion sells to Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar for $70 million |author=Thorne, Samantha |work=OpenAgent| date=21 July 2019 |access-date=15 April 2020 }}

After the move to New South Wales, Ruth Fairfax continued to be involved in the Country Women's Association. She was the president of the metropolitan group in Sydney and also honorary secretary of the New South Wales Country Women's Association.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202479955|title=SYDNEY C.W.A. SECRETARY|date=20 July 1936|newspaper=The Evening News|issue=4385|location=Queensland|page=9|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} She was a vice president of the Associated Country Women of the World,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203843302|title=ADDRESS MY MRS. FAIRFAX.|date=18 April 1934|newspaper=The Age|location=Victoria|page=18|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} and attended conferences in Washington and London in her role.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104155087|title=ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN|date=6 May 1938|newspaper=The Land|location=New South Wales|page=22|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} She was also an editor of [http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34714318 The Countrywoman in New South Wales : official journal of the Country Women's Association of New South Wales] which was published from 1937 – 1957.{{Citation|title=The Countrywoman in New South Wales : official journal of the Country Women's Association of New South Wales|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34714318|publication-date=1937|author1=Country Women's Association of New South Wales|publisher=The Association|access-date=1 February 2017}}

She was actively involved in a number of other organisations, including as the vice-president of the ladies' auxiliary of the Adult Deaf and Dumb Society of New South Wales,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17230730|title=RECORD SUCCESS.|date=16 January 1936|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=5|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} and as a member of the board of directors of St. Luke's Hospital, Darlinghurst.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17300800|title=ST. LUKE'S|date=9 December 1936|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=24|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} She was a member of the State executive and then the General Council of the Girl Guides' Association.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171262163|title=Obituary|date=2 February 1948|newspaper=Daily Mercury|location=Queensland|page=2|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} She was appointed a trustee of the Public Library of New South Wales in 1937,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27983932|title=APPOINTMENTS APPROVED.|date=17 June 1937|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=10|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} and served in that role until her death.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140357269|title=In Brief|date=14 August 1948|newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate|location=New South Wales|page=3|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} She was chairman of the Women's Council of the Australian Board of Missions,{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33305850|title=MRS. HUBERT FAIRFAX.|date=11 August 1933|newspaper=The West Australian|page=6|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16929215|title=WOMEN'S AUXILIARY.|date=9 November 1932|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=6|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}} and a patroness of the Kooroora Club for business girls, which formed in 1929.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10991284|title=Kooroora Club|date=3 November 1934|newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne)|issue=27,523|location=Victoria, Australia|page=10|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=1 February 2017}}{{Citation|title=Papers|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35931654|publication-date=1930|author1=Kooroora Club|access-date=1 February 2017}}

In 1935 she was appointed an Officer of the British Empire in recognition of her services.{{Cite web|url=http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/fairfax-ruth-beatrice-6134|title=Obituary - Ruth Beatrice Fairfax |work=Obituaries Australia|access-date=2017-02-01}}

In 1944, the Queensland Country Women's Association established the Ruth Fairfax Bursary.{{Cite web|url=http://www.qcwa.org.au/about-2/history/|title=History {{!}} QCWA|website=QCWA|language=en-AU|access-date=2017-01-30}}

In her later years, she was afflicted with diabetes. Fairfax died on 1 February 1948 from chronic nephritis in St Luke's Hospital, Potts Point, Sydney. Ruth Fairfax House, the new state headquarters of the Queensland Country Women's Association, opened on 10 February after her death. It was a Japanese house imported from Japan in 1878 by Judge George William Paul.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125582905|title=C.W.A. in Action|date=25 February 1948|newspaper=Queensland Times|page=6 (DAILY)|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=30 January 2017}}

Her husband, John Hubert Fairfax (1872-1950), was a pastoralist, businessman and philanthropist, and grandson of John Fairfax, an early owner of The Sydney Morning Herald.{{Cite web|url=http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/fairfax-john-hubert-6357|title=Obituary - John Hubert Fairfax - Obituaries Australia|website=oa.anu.edu.au|access-date=2017-02-01}} Her son, Sir Vincent Charles Fairfax, (1909–1993), was well known for his generous philanthropy and supported organisations such as the Boy Scouts and Outward Bound.{{Cite web|url=http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/fairfax-sir-vincent-charles-13822|title=Obituary - Sir Vincent Charles Fairfax |work=Obituaries Australia|access-date=2017-02-01}} In 1962, Ruth Fairfax House was saved from demolition by dismantling it and reconstructing it in Ingham; it was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2003.{{cite QHR|17014|5 Lynch Street|602193|accessdate=1 August 2014}}

Fund raising during World War I Toowoomba 1917.tif|Fundrasing in aid of the Toowoomba Soldiers' Sock and Comforts Fund, during World War I. The photograph shows Mrs Fairfax's novelty stall.

Ruthfairfaxchapel.jpeg|Ruth Fairfax Chapel, Potts Point, Sydney

SLNSW 33993 Country Womens Association fete at Mrs Ruth Fairfaxs house Elaine Seven Shillings Beach Double Bay Miss Clark.jpg|Ruth Fairfax's former house, Elaine, at Seven Shillings Beach, Double Bay

{{reflist}}

• [http://greens.org.au/content/narelle-mccarthy-strong-voice-fairfax Electorate of Fairfax Greens party candidate opinion about Ruth Fairfax]
• [http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/firstspeech.asp?id=ZT4 "Maiden Speech" of the Honourable Alexander Somlyay MP, current member for Fairfax, about Ruth Fairfax]
• [http://www.cwaa.org.au/index.php website of the CWA of Australia]
• [http://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au/inductees/queensland-country-womens-association/ Queensland Country Women's Association: Queensland Business Leader's Hall of Fame 2013 inductee]
• [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fairfax-ruth-beatrice-6134 Ruth Fairfax] Australian Dictionary of Biography

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Category:1878 births

Category:1948 deaths

Category:Australian feminists

Ruth

Category:Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People educated at Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School

Category:Burials at Rookwood Cemetery

Category:Country Women's Association