Downing, Cecilia (1858-1952)

Field of activity
Community worker and Women's rights activist; Baptist lay leader; community worker; housewives' advocate; pro-conscriptionist; temperance advocate
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-743056

Biographies

DOWNING, CECILIA (1858-1952), temperance worker, community activist and political organizer, was born on 13 January 1858 at Islington, London, second child of Isaac Hopkins, plasterer, and his wife Mary, née Morgan. That year the family emigrated to Melbourne where Isaac set up as a contracting plasterer. Cecilia was educated at Trinity Girls' School, Williamstown, and the Training Institution, Carlton. On receiving her primary teacher's certificate, she was posted to Portarlington, but continued to play the organ and teach Sunday School at Williamstown Baptist Church. On 12 February 1885 at her parents' Williamstown home she married a pastor, John Downing (d.1939). After serving a further six years (at Williamstown and Kyneton), John retired from the ministry and was employed by the State Savings Bank of Victoria as a branch manager at Portland, Horsham and Sale. The Downings returned to Melbourne in 1901.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Cecilia Downing was a leading figure in the Victorian women's movement in the early twentieth century, spreading her activities and influence over an enormous range of organisations. The daughter of Isaac and Mary (née Morgan) Hopkins, Downing was born in London and came to Australia in 1858. She obtained her Teaching Certificate from the Training Institution in Carlton and taught at Portarlington before marrying John Downing in 1885. The couple returned to Melbourne in 1901. Although she had seven children, Cecilia became heavily involved in women's groups and welfare work. She was one of Victoria's first child probation officers (1907) and was an officer bearer with both the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Australian Women's National League. From the 1920s, she devoted her energies to the Housewives Association (having become one of its earliest members in 1917) and served as its federal president from 1940-45 and Victorian president from 1938 until her death in 1952. On 8 June 1950 Cecilia Downing was appointed a Member of the British Empire for social welfare services in Victoria.

A member of the Collins Street Baptist Church for 46 years, she helped establish their Women's Guild in 1910 and the Victorian Baptist Women's Association in 1926. In 1935 she was elected foundation president of the Women's Board of the Baptist Union of Australia. She was also honorary secretary of the National Council of Women of Victoria (1928-1935) and foundation president of the National Travellers' Aid Society (1944), having been an executive member of the Victorian Society since 1920. During WWII she was also involved with the Australian Comforts Fund, the Victorian Council of Women's Emergency Service and the War Loan and War Savings Certificates Committee.

  • 12 February 1885 Married John Downing, they had seven children
  • 1906 Joined the Collins Street Baptist Church
  • 1907 One of the government's first child-probation officers
  • 1909 Recording secretary of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Victoria
  • 1911 Founding superintendent of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union's immigration department
  • 1912 - 1915 President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
  • 1917 Vice-president of the Housewives' Co-operative Association (later Housewives' Association of Victoria)
  • 1920 - 1932 Executive Member, Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria
  • 1928 Australian Delegate to the Baptist World Alliance Conference in Toronto
  • 1928 Australian Delegate to the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Lausanne
  • 1928 - 1936 Honorary Secretary, National Council of Women of Victoria
  • 1932 - 1940 Junior Vice President, Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria
  • 1932 - 1941 Secretary, Baptist Women's Association, Victoria
  • 1934 - 1943 President, Collins Street Baptist Women's Guild
  • 1935 - 1938 President of the Australian Baptist Women's Board
  • 1938 - 1952 President, Housewives Association of Victoria
  • June 1940 - 1945 President, Federated Association of Australian Housewives
  • 1941 - 1942 President, Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria
  • 1944 President, National Travellers' Aid Society
  • 1945 President, Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria
  • 1947 President, National Travellers' Aid Society
  • 1949 - 1951 President of the Federated Association of Australian Housewives

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Resources for Cecilia Downing

Selected resources (14)

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Australian Women's Register

  1. 'For the good that we can do': Cecilia Downing and feminist Christian citizenshipAustralian Feminist Studies 19 39-60 : 'For the good that we can do': Cecilia Downing and feminist Christian citizenship
    Smart, Judith
    [1994]
  2. A sacred trust: Cecilia Downing, Baptist faith and feminist citizenshipOur Yesterdays 3 21-50 : A sacred trust: Cecilia Downing, Baptist faith and feminist citizenship
    Smart, Judith
    [1995]
  3. Downing, Cecilia (1858 - 1952)Australian Dictionary of Biography Online : Downing, Cecilia (1858 - 1952)
    Smart, Judith
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
    Series: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140031b.htm
  4. Founder of the Women’s Board - Cecilia DowningAn outline history of the Baptist Union of Australia Baptist Union of Australia : Founder of the Women’s Board - Cecilia Downing
    Baptist Union of Australia
    [1987]
    Published: Baptist Union of Australia
    Series: http://www.bwa-baptist-heritage.org/bua-bio.htm#downing
  5. Australian Dictionary of Evangelical Biography
    Dickey, Brian
    [1994]
    Published: Evangelical History Association
  6. A Mission to the Home: The Housewives Association, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Protestant Christianity, 1920-1940Australian Feminist Studies 13 no. 28 October 1998 215-234 : A Mission to the Home: The Housewives Association, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Protestant Christianity, 1920-1940
    Smart, Judith
    [1998]
  7. Who's who in Australia 1950
    Alexander, Joseph A
    [1950]
    Published: The Herald
  8. State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection: Housewives Association of Victoria Records (1915 - 1985)
    Collection includes: Minutes 1915-1916 and 1930-1981; issues of "Calling all housewives"; accounts; records of the Geelong branch 1964-1974; assorted records for the Castlemaine (1937-1981), Manifold Heights, Essendon, St. Kilda and East Melbourne (1972-1974) branches; records of the Federated Association of Australian Housewives including minutes (1926-27 and 1938-1955) and conferences (1932, 1934, 1938).
    MS 13340
  9. Australian Historic Records Register: Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria Inc. : community organisation records (1887 - 1988)
    Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria Inc. (WCTUV), Executive Council: minutes, 1887-1976 (16 vols). WCTUV: photographs of Union activities, members, office bearers, buildings, kindergarten and children's camps, competitions and centenary celebrations, 1887-1987 (6 albums, c100 loose photographs). WCTUV: annual reports and conferences, 1888-1987, and minutes of annual conference, 1890-1972 (17 vols and loose issues). WCTUV: Local and District Union records, chiefly minute books, but also some financial records and roll books, c1892-1980s (475 vols). White Ribbon Signal, a bi-monthly journal of the Union, vol. 1, no. 1, 1892-1911, 1926-1988 (23 bound vols and loose issues). WCTUV: superintendents' record and cradle roll, listing babies and children enrolled as Little White Ribboners, 1919-1933 (1 vol.). WCTUV: convention rolls, listing delegates, 1941-1978 (8 vols). WCTUV: ledgers, cash books, and salary and wage books, relating to Melbourne city buildings owned by the Union, 1946-1961 (8 vols). WCTUV: scrapbook containing Little White Ribboners' enrolment and birthday cards and Loyal Temperance Legion enrolment cards, poems and songs, 1940s (1 vol.). WCTUV: reports of temperance aid to missionaries, 1945-1968 (1 vol.). WCTUV: minutes of Officers' meetings, 1947-1971 (2 vols). WCTUV: minutes of half-yearly conferences and special meetings, 1948-1970 (1 vol.). WCTUV: press cuttings, 1952-1988 (5 vols and loose cuttings). WCTUV: budget books, showing financial allocations to Local Unions, 1952-1970 (3 vols). WCTUV House Committee: minutes, 1898-1907, 1911-1928 (3 vols). Maria Kirk Free Kindergarten Committee: minutes, 1909-1959 (8 vols), and directors' reports, 1940-1953 (2 vols). WCTUV Finance Committee: minutes, 1913-1919, 1928-1975 (9 vols). WCTUV Publications Committee: minutes, 1913-1918 (1 vol.); and ledger relating to the sale of publications, 1939-1941 (1 vol.). WCTUV School for Mothers: minutes, 1915 (1 vol.). WCTUV Mothers' Prayer Meeting: minutes, 1922-1944 (1 vol.). WCTUV, Camperdown Union Children's League of Hope: minutes, 1925-1928 (1 vol.). WCTUV, Brighton Union Band of Hope: minutes, 1926-1933 (1 vol.). WCTUV, Murrumbeena Union Loyal Temperance Legion: minutes, 1927-1954 (6 vols), and scrapbooks kept by members aged ten to fifteen, containing cartoons and advertisements promoting temperance, and other ephemera, 1940s (2 vols). WCTUV Education Committee: minutes, 1928-1972 (7 vols). WCTUV Young Woman's Group: minutes, 1932-1946 (1 vol.). WCTUV State Council: minutes, 1932-1946 (1 vol.). WCTUV Pledged Women's Groups: roll books, 1933-1949 (19 vols). WCTUV Strand Cafe Finance Committee: minutes, 1943-1946 (1 vol.).
    2944
  10. The University of Melbourne Archives: Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria (1887 - 1999)
    Minute books; minute books from various Victorian branches; sample books; National WCTU Department of Natural Fruit Juices and Wine Production books; membership registers; memorabilia; pamphlets; World Women's Christian Temperance Union reports; certificates; budget reports; annual convention reports; enrolment registers; summary of talks; cash books; photographs; models; publications; bound copies of 'The White Ribbon Signal', the official organ of the WCTU of Australia.
    101/85
  11. State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection: Melbourne Ladies Benevolent Society, minute books [manuscript] (1850 - 1893)
    Minute books, 8 June, 1850-19 July, 1960, 4 August 1970-5 August 1975, 28 September 1981-29 August 1983. The collection includes also the minute book of the Industrial Home, 7 January 1861-19 August 1862.
    MS 12414
  12. National Library of Australia: National Council of Women of Victoria Minutes (1904 - 1960)
    Mfm G 7541-7544
  13. Private Hands (contact Australian Women's Archive Project): National Council of Women of Victoria (1902 - )

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  1. PS, I love you / Cecelia Ahern
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    [ Book, Audio book, Published : 2004-2011 ]
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  2. Mary Aginiga (Rifle Club); Evelyn Anderson (Art Club); Evelyn Anderson (Rifle Club); Jane Belin (Rifle Club); Una Bigler (Rifle Club); Pearl Bowie (Rifle Club); Grace Bradford (Rifle Club); Verge Dean Britt (Rifle Club); Charlotte Burnett (Rifle Club...
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  1. Whale watching in Australian & New Zealand waters / Peter Gill & Cecilia Burke ; colour illustrations by Pieter Folkens
    Gill, Peter C
    [ Book : 1999-2011 ]
    At 121 libraries
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  2. Substance abuse and dependence in adolescence : epidemiology, risk factors and treatment / [edited by] Cecilia A. Essau
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    [ Book : 2002 ]
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  3. Corporate accounting in Australia / Ron Dagwell, Graeme Wines, Cecilia Lambert
    Dagwell, Ron
    [ Book : 2003-2012 ]
    Languages: English, eng, en_AU
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  4. Tarnished beauty : a novel / Cecilia Samartin
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    [ Book : 2008 ]
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  1. Animal phantasmagory : a one act ecological, Australian musical-drama / script by Cecilia Netolicky ; music, Cecilia Netolicky, Phillippa Netolicky and Poppy Wells-Riské
    Netolicky, Cecilia
    [ Sheet music : 1992 ]
    At 3 libraries
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    Ahern, Cecelia, 1981-
    [ Book, Audio book, Published : 2004-2011 ]
    Languages: English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, [9 others]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 68 libraries
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.039)

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  3. Cecilia: Memoirs of an Heiress
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    [ Audio book : 2009 ]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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  4. Das Alexander-Fest, oder, Die Macht der Musik : Ode zu Ehren der heiligen Cäcilia von John Dryden / Georg Friedrich Händel ; neu ins Deutsche übertragen und herausgegeben von Konrad Ameln
    Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759
    [ Sheet music : 1767-2009 ]
    Languages: English, German
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    [ Article : 1995 ]
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  2. SUPREME COURT. IN DIVORCE. (Before Mr. Justice Boy[?]e.) UNDEFENDED SUITS.
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  3. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. PORT OF HOBART TOWN. ARRIVED.
    The Hobart Town Daily Mercury (Tas. : 1858 - 1860) Friday 9 July 1858 p 2 Article
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