Eadith Walker

Dame Eadith Campbell Walker was an Australian heiress and philanthropist.

Life and career

Eadith Campbell Walker was born at The Rocks, Sydney, the only child of Scottish parents, Thomas Walker, a merchant, and his wife Jane. The family moved to their home, Yaralla, an Italianate mansion on the Parramatta River in Concord West, [New South Wales|Concord West], an inner-western suburb of Sydney. Following the death of her mother, she was raised by her paternal aunt, Joanna Walker.
She and her father carried out numerous charitable works in Australia. She housed soldiers returning from the First World War with tuberculosis. Additionally, she supported sporting clubs, religious, educational, and health institutions, as well as returned soldiers after the First World War.

Honours

She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 4 June 1928 for philanthropic and charitable services.

Legacy

Dame Eadith died on 8 October 1937, aged 76, unmarried. She was cremated at the chapel in Rookwood, and her ashes were buried in the family grave at St John's Ashfield.
After her death, money from her father's estate was put towards the ongoing maintenance of Thomas Walker Hospital, which had been built from 1891-93 with money provided by her father's will. The rest was used to turn Yaralla into the Dame Eadith Walker convalescent home for men. Both Yaralla and the Thomas Walker Hospital are now listed on the Register of [the National Estate].