She came under Lily's guardianship as a teenager and joined the sisters in their Celtic Revival efforts at Dun Emer Press and Cuala Industries, where she was known for her embroidery work.

She served as an apprentice to Lily in the embroidery section of the Dun Emer Press, and later gave lessons at the sisters' Cuala Industries.

The first years of their marriage were marked by long periods of separation, as she remained in Ireland while he worked overseas in British Sierra Leone.

They initially lived in Melbourne, the country's interim capital, where their social circle included architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear, philanthropist Russell Grimwade, and artists Thea Proctor, Ethel Spowers and Blamire Young.

[7] Shortly after their arrival, Lane Poole was commissioned to develop a model bedroom for the Arts and Crafts Society of Victoria's annual exhibition at the Melbourne Town Hall, which was opened by the prime minister's wife Ethel Bruce.

Her model bedroom attracted praise for its "refined period style furniture made in Australian timbers, her sense of colour and her exquisite embroidery", and she was soon invited to contribute to Table Talk and Home Beautiful.

[10] Lane Poole found the initial budget to be insufficient and lobbied the federal cabinet for additional funding, which agreed only after she threatened to resign.

In addition to her official role, Lane Poole also worked as an unofficial publicist for the NCC, promoting Canberra in her columns in Melbourne newspapers and journals.

[15] Lane Poole's design aesthetic was "grounded in the English traditions of historical period styles, the Arts and Crafts movement's rejection of industrialisation and her family associations with leading proponents of the Celtic Revival".

The exhibition included furniture from the official residences along with personal items highlighting "the development of Ruth's design philosophy and the legacy of her Irish associations, as well as her love for Australian timbers".