- Gertrude Cosgrove
Dame Gertrude Ann Geappen Cosgrove,
DBE (1882-1962) was the wife of SirRobert Cosgrove (1884-1969), twice elected asPremier ofTasmania . They married on10 January 1911 at St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral,Hobart, Tasmania and had four children.Gertrude Cosgrove was a staunch companion to her husband in his political career; their elder son, Robert, was killed in 1940 while serving with the Royal Air Force. Gertrude Cosgrove was treasurer of the West Hobart women's branch of the
Australian Labor Party and active in the Australian Comforts Fund, theCountry Women's Association , theAustralian Red Cross and theVictoria League .From 1916 she worked devotedly for the Elizabeth Street State School, Hobart. Her leisure activities included gardening and crochet. She was created a
Dame Commander of the British Empire on1 January 1947 and invested atBuckingham Palace byKing George VI in 1949.She died in 1962, survived by her husband and three children.
Links
* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130752b.htm Biography of Robert Cosgrove]
* W. A. Townsley, "Cosgrove, Dame Gertrude Ann (1882 - 1962)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13:
Melbourne University Press, 1993, p. 506
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