Harriet Stirling

She was educated privately at their home in Mt Lofty, and had art lessons, under Mary Anstie Overbury (died 1926), and became interested in several philanthropic causes, particularly those dealing with orphans and children of indigent families, gaining more knowledge and experience during her several trips to Britain, Europe and America.

[1] In 1886 the Destitute Persons Act of 1881 was amended to incorporate a separate honorary body, the State Children's Council, to oversee provisions made for bringing up children committed to State institutions, still a major issue despite the success of the Boarding Out Society.

A newspaper published the facetious advertisement: The board, of which her father was the first president[3] had only been in place a year when it resigned over interference with its decisions by the Chief Secretary, namely the too-speedy return of children to the conditions from which they had been rescued.

Stirling was in 1909 a member of the committee that founded the School for Mothers Institute[5] under the auspices of the Kindergarten Union, and devoted much time and energy to the organization.

The first "classes" of the organization, which became the School for Mothers Institute and Baby Health Centre (Incorporated), then in 1927 the Mothers and Babies' Health Association, were held at the Franklin Street free kindergarten, then had its headquarters on Wright Street.