Mary Hughes
Australia- Biography of Mary Hughes
- A Life of Travel and Public Service
- A Champion of Military Personnel and Women's Rights
- A Life Full of Loss
Biography of Mary Hughes
Mary Hughes, also known as Dame Mary Ethel Campbell, was the second wife of Billy Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. She was born on June 6, 1874, in Berrandonge, near Wellington, New South Wales, to Tom Campbell and Mary-Ann Burton, who were farmers. Mary trained as a nurse and worked as a nurse before marrying Billy Hughes on June 26, 1911, in a Christian church in South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. At that time, Billy Hughes was a rising politician and the Attorney General under Andrew Fisher's ministry. Mary became his second wife after his first wife, Elizabeth Cutts, passed away in 1906.
A Life of Travel and Public Service
Mary and Billy Hughes did not have much time for a honeymoon due to his political commitments. However, they embarked on a long journey together. Unfortunately, their car crashed at the intersection of the Sydney-Melbourne road and the railway line in Albury, which was later renamed Billy Hughes Bridge in their honor. Mary became a stepmother to Billy's six children from his previous marriage and gave birth to their daughter, Helen, on August 11, 1915.
Mary accompanied her husband during his parliamentary sessions in Melbourne, as well as on his domestic and international trips as Prime Minister in 1916, 1918, and 1921. In 1918, Billy requested that Mary stay with him to take care of him if he fell ill, but the official protocol did not allow her to travel with him on the same military ship. Instead, a portion of Billy's entourage was assigned to accompany Mary and Helen.
A Champion of Military Personnel and Women's Rights
Deeply concerned about the well-being of Australian servicemen during World War II, Mary visited military camps and hospitals in Britain, France, and Australia. Both Mary and Billy became well-known figures in the headquarters of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and the ANZAC Buffet at Victoria Station, where they interacted with Australian soldiers. Through her travels abroad, Mary formed close relationships with influential British women, including Margaret Lloyd George, the first wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George; Margot Asquith, the wife of the British Prime Minister; Clementine Churchill, the wife of Sir Winston Churchill; and Christabel Pankhurst, a prominent suffragette leader.
In 1922, Mary was awarded the title of Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for her charitable work and war efforts. While some sources claim that Mary was the first recipient of the GBE honor, it was actually awarded to Flora Reid, the wife of another Prime Minister, in 1917. Billy Hughes represented the interests of Sydney in Parliament between 1917 and 1922, and in 1922, he won a seat in Sydney and returned there with his family. After the war, Mary continued her charitable work and became a director of the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children in 1925. She actively fought for women's rights and worked tirelessly during World War II.
A Life Full of Loss
Tragically, Mary's daughter, Helen, passed away in a private London clinic in 1937, just two days before her 22nd birthday. While the official cause of death was listed as sepsis, Helen actually died during childbirth. Billy Hughes passed away in 1952, and Mary Hughes, having outlived her husband by five and a half years, died at the age of 83 on April 2, 1958. She was buried at the Macquarie Park cemetery alongside her husband and daughter.
