Throughout our 140-year history, the kind-hearted people of South Australia have shown how much they care for our Women’s and Children’s Hospital.  Even during its formative years, forward-thinking supporters helped to shape our wonderful Hospital that now holds such a special place in the hearts of so many people.

In 1898, just 20 years after the Adelaide Children’s Hospital was first built, a prominent South Australian property owner named Thomas Martin passed away leaving one-fifth of his estate to the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.

Thomas Martin left a gift in his Will to the Adelaide Children’s Hospital in 1898. 

Thomas Martin, who arrived in Holdfast Bay by boat in 1836, is believed to have been one of the earliest colonists and pioneers of Adelaide and South Australia, and among the largest owners of city freehold properties.  Although he returned to England in 1854, he continued to earn a considerable income from his investments in SA.

As a result of these investments, Thomas Martin possessed a substantial portion of prime acreage in the city by the time of his death.

An article in the Adelaide Observer dated 2 July 1898 notes of Mr Martin that: “Although he was far away he had undoubted faith in the colony, and for a long time the whole of his capital was sent out to his attorney for investment in city properties.”

After the passing of both Thomas Martin and his second wife some years later, his Will dictated that his estate was to be split into five equal parts with one-fifth directed to support the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.

The majority of his properties were being leased and so during the early 1900’s the Children’s Hospital received a share of the income which was placed into an endowment fund.  Bolstered by the eventual sale of the properties, it is estimated that the Hospital received £50,000 – £60,000 from Thomas Martin’s bequest – a princely sum that would equate to several million dollars in today’s terms. Interest accrued from the endowment played a crucial role in seeing the Hospital through difficult times in the years that followed such as the Great War and the Great Depression.

In 1907 the Adelaide Children’s Hospital Annual Report stated that “by devoting a generous proportion of the wealth he had acquired as an Adelaide citizen to the philanthropic institutions of the country in where he lived and prospered, Mr Martin has secured benefits in perpetuity to great numbers of less fortunate fellow colonists, thereby setting an example which is worthy of admiration and esteem.”

With a gift in your Will to the WCH Foundation, you too can shape the future of health and care at your Women’s & Children’s Hospital.

Find out more today – email bequests@wchfoundation.org.au, phone 08 8464 7900 or visit our Bequests page

June 1, 2019 marked 15 years since the passing of Marjory Edwards, one of the most generous yet humble benefactors in the history of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation.

During her lifetime, Marjory was an unassuming woman who was driven from an early age to help others less fortunate. Born in Adelaide and orphaned by the age of five, Marjory’s kind-hearted nature emerged as she chose to pursue a career in nursing, training at North Adelaide’s Calvary Hospital. Her aptitude for the profession was immediately clear and she topped all students in South Australia during her final year of studies.

Marjory married Roy Edwards, a respected Northern Territory pastoralist, in 1962 and together they moved to live on a 10,000 square kilometre cattle station called Newcastle Waters, in the west Barkly region of the Northern Territory. Life on the station was a totally new experience for Marjory, but the difficult environment did not deter the couple who transformed the cattle station into one of the very best in the Territory before selling it in 1980.

Portrait of Marjory Norman Edwards OAM featuring The pink scarf by Hilda Rix Nicholas, Gift of Mrs Roy Edwards through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 1993, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, © Art Gallery of South Australia.

It was during her time at Newcastle Waters that Marjory’s passion for giving developed. Marjory and Roy began supporting the education of young people in the community by sending them to colleges and universities in the city. They also donated funds to medical research projects.  Alongside this, Marjory was able to draw upon her nursing skills by tending to the health and welfare of the couple’s more than 60 Aboriginal employees and their children. Marjory opened a clinic each day and issued various medications, vaccinated children and endeavoured to instil in people the need to practice healthy eating habits and to live in hygienic surroundings.

When Roy passed away in 1992, Marjory returned to Adelaide and pursued her passion for helping others. She became actively involved in supporting a number of Adelaide charities including the WCH Foundation.

Marjory passed away in 2004 and it was discovered that she had left gifts in her Will totalling more than $37m to 12 charities.

The Roy and Marjory Edwards Bequest, left to the WCH Foundation, has since enabled the funding of more than 150 paediatric health and medical research projects. Each year, around 10 grants are awarded to researchers at the Hospital to explore key areas of health for children, young people and women. Projects cover the spectrum of health and medicine, from paediatric mental health to immunology, genetics to cancer, and more.

Just two weeks after her passing, Marjory was posthumously awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community, particularly through financial support for a range of medical research, educational and cultural organisations. Her charitable bequest remains one of the most generous ever made in South Australia and Marjory’s spirit of kindness continues to live on today, improving the lives of others.

More than 90 per cent of our current funding for research comes from members of the community who, like Marjory, leave a gift in their Will. These gifts, both small and large, continue to make a huge impact on research.

If you would like to find our more about leaving a gift to the WCH Foundation in your Will, visit our bequests page or contact Fern Cargill, Bequests & Research Manager, on 08 8464 7900.

The next time you enjoy a cake or fresh roll in the Rainbow Café at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, take a moment to think of volunteers like Shirley Heading who for almost 30 years has been giving her time to support the children, mums and families of South Australia.

After relocating from Adelaide to Tumby Bay to run the local caravan park, Shirley first became involved in the local auxiliary raising funds for what was then the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.

Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation supporter, Shirling Heading.

“I got involved in 1990 when I became Treasurer and Secretary of the Tumby Bay Auxiliary. I really enjoyed the functions and meetings and I liked raising money to help the children.” Shirley says.

In 1999 Shirley returned to Adelaide and became Region 1 Chairman, coordinating the 12 auxiliaries within metropolitan Adelaide. Through the years that followed, she continued dedicating her time through numerous auxiliary roles until retiring in 2014.

“The highlight for me was serving as State President from 2000-2002. At this time there were 72 auxiliaries in South Australia raising around $400,000 each year. There was healthy competition between the different groups but we all knew that every cent would help.”

It was after injuring her foot in 2004 that Shirley was first invited to volunteer in the Rainbow Café and now, 15 years later, she is still coming in every week to help feed the families, friends and staff at the Hospital.

“I don’t stop!” Shirley laughs. “I arrive at 5.30am twice a week, and on a typical day I can butter three dozen rolls, 16 focaccias and 16 finger buns, as well as making 10 salad boxes and pricing up all the cakes.”.

Having dedicated her life to making a difference to the children and families in the Hospital, for Shirley it was an easy decision to leave a gift in her will to the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“I have more or less devoted my life to the Hospital and I’ve loved it. I decided to leave a bequest to the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation because I’m community-minded and I’d like to be remembered for that,” says Shirley. “My nephew is my power of attorney, and I have made sure he knows about my wishes.”.

As well as her regular volunteering, Shirley enjoys keeping up to date with the latest news by attending special events organised by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation for members of the Golden Hearts Bequest Society.

“I enjoy being a member of the Golden Hearts because it’s good to hear news from the Foundation. The guest speakers at events are interesting and I like being part of a smaller group of like-minded people,” Shirley says.

“I would recommend leaving a bequest to the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation to anyone because the Foundation does a lot for the Hospital and you can be sure that the money will go to help the children. It doesn’t matter how much you can give – big or small it all helps!”.

Would you like to find out more about the Golden Hearts Bequest Society or how to leave a gift in your Will to the WCH Foundation?

Contact Fern Cargill, Bequests & Research Manager, by calling 08 8464 7960 or emailing bequests@wchfoundation.org.au