Ruby Litchfield

Litchfield was born Ruby Beatrice Skinner in Subiaco, Western Australia on 5 September 1912. She moved to Adelaide, South Australia with her family where she was educated at North Adelaide Primary School and Presbyterian Girls' College (now Seymour College).^[1] In the 1920s she was successful at dancing competitions^[2] and was trained in elocution by Thelma Baulderstone.^[3]

As a young woman, Litchfield was a successful tennis player, winning a number of hard court championships in South Australia between 1932 and 1935.^[4][5] In 1936, she was "Miss Tennis" in the quest held in Adelaide for "Miss Centenary", chosen by popular vote.^[6]

While teaching elocution, she also performed with the Adelaide Repertory Theatre from 1930.^[5][7] She was a board member of the Repertory Theatre from the 1940s and in the 1940s and 50s raised funds for the Red Cross by organising tennis tournaments^[8] and producing concerts and plays.^[9]

On 27 August 1940, she married Kenneth Litchfield.^[10] She continued playing competitive tennis^[11] and performing in amateur dramatics.^[12] In 1967 she was made a life member of the Adelaide Repertory Theatre.^[13]

She was the first woman to be appointed to the board of both the South Australia Housing Trust^[4] and, in 1971, the Adelaide Festival and Centre Trust.^[14]

Litchfield was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1959 New Year Honours for her work in social welfare.^[15] In the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "service to the performing arts and the community".^[16]

In 1986, she was honoured with a plaque in the Adelaide's Jubilee 150 Walkway,^[17] which was sponsored by two of her grandchildren.^[18]

Litchfield died in Adelaide, South Australia on 14 August 2001.^[19]

In 1993, the Dame Ruby Litchfield Scholarship for Performing Arts^[20] was inaugurated by the SA State Government.^[19] It was administered by Carclew and discontinued in 2016.^[21][22]

Since 2006, the Ruby Awards have been presented annually by the Government of South Australia to honour Litchfield and recognise achievement in arts and culture.^[23]

In 2019, she was inducted onto the Suffrage 125 City of Adelaide Honour Roll in recognition of her life's work.^[1]