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Cecilia DOWNING

Also known as: née Hopkins, Celia Hopkins

Born: 13 January 1858

Died: 30 August 1952

Additional Information:

1907 - She was one of the government's first child-probation officers.
Women's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria:  1909 - recording secretary; 1911 - founding superintendent, immigration department; 1912-1915 - president.
1910 - She helped to establish the Women's Guild.
1917 - Ms Downing was an early member and became vice-president of the Housewives' Co-operative Association (later the Housewives' Association of Victoria).
1920-1932 - Became an executive-member Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria.
1924 - Helped found Victorian Baptist Women's Association.
1925 - Founded and became publicity-agent for the Victorian Baptist Women's Association.
1928-1936 - Appointed honorary secretary of the National Council of Women in Victoria.
1928 - Australian Delegate to the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Lausanne, Switzerland.
1928 - Australian Delegate to the Baptist World Alliance Conference, Toronto, Canada.
1932-1940 - Elected junior vice-president Travellers' Aid Society of Victoria.
1932–1941 - Secretary, Baptist Women's Association, Victoria.
1934 – Became an executive-committee member National Council of Women Centenary Council.
1934-1943 - President, Collins Street Baptist Women's Guild.
6 September 1935-1938 - First President of Women's Board of the Baptist Union of Australia.
1938-1952 - President, Housewives Association of Victoria.
June 1940-1945 - “Elected national president of the Federated Association of Australian Housewives, a position she held throughout the war years in addition to the State presidency which she had assumed in 1938”.
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.

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