Dame Elisabeth blazed an inspiring, philanthropic path.
DAME Elisabeth Murdoch once mused that she did not expect a life after death, saying: ''I think we leave something but nothing happens to us personally.'' She was certainly right on the first point. The matriarch of the Murdoch dynasty, who has died at her home on the Mornington Peninsular, aged 103, has left our community a legacy so generous and extensive that it is fair to say we might never see the likes of her again.
A person of rare and constant good humour, of grace, humility and spirited opinions, Dame Elisabeth gave Australia, and Victoria especially, a series of bequests that over many decades were more than financial in nature. She invested herself - her energy, her passion and her convictions - in a vast range of causes, and that is what made her one of the most remarkable philanthropists and community leaders this country has seen. In health and scientific research, the performing arts, literature, social welfare, the environment and more, generations to come will benefit from Dame Elisabeth's determination to make this world better.
She was an intrinsic part of Melbourne, of this community, and this city wears her like a brooch. Her name is on the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Melbourne's Recital Hall, and in 2004 Langwarrin's secondary college was renamed in her honour. She was on the management committee of the Royal Children's Hospital for 32 years from 1933 and served as committee president for 11 years from 1954. She was a trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria from 1968 until 1976, an instigator and for 20 years a board member of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, and a patron of the RSPCA.
So many Victorians, too, have revelled in the quiet delight of strolling through her expansive and carefully cultivated gardens at Cruden Farm, which she regularly opened for charity events. Once again on December 24, as it has done for years, Cruden Farm will open its gates for traditional Christmas carols.
The catalogue of Dame Elisabeth's public deeds is lengthy, but she also donated privately and confidentially to thousands of people, fostering scientific research projects or artistic endeavours that might otherwise not gain attention. She enhanced the donation by encouragement through personal and hand-written letters.
She did so because she cared. It was the mantra for her life, and one that she urged on her four children: Rupert, the billionaire chairman, chief executive and founder of the News Corporation publishing empire; Anne Kantor; Janet Calvert-Jones; and Helen Handbury (who died in 2004). Dame Elisabeth was born into privilege, and she married the influential and wealthy Melbourne newspaper publisher and journalist Keith Arthur Murdoch, who was 24 years her senior. Yet she eschewed materialism and ostentatious living, preferring a modest, comfortable life. She told her children to ''think of other people before themselves''.
''Caring is more difficult in this age,'' she said in 2009. ''A lot of people are more inclined to be selfish.'' Again, she was right. On average, Australians donate just 0.4 per cent of their income to charitable causes, and of the estimated 13 million personal income tax returns filed each year only about one-third claim deductions for charitable donations. That is not to say Australians do not give their time - many people volunteer in the community rather than write cheques - but the US giving rate (at 4.7 per cent) is more than 10 times the rate here.
Would we to mirror even so much as the spirit and open-heartedness of giving that Dame Elisabeth demonstrated, this community would be so much better. Her quiet dignity and contribution will be missed by Australians from all walks of life. She once said: ''I am just so grateful for the opportunities I have had to be a useful person.'' So are we. Vale, a great lady.
Decrepit public housing fails familiesTHIS is what public housing has come to: a family of nine living in a two-bedroom flat. The family is typical of many that fled Somalia and have been resettled in Australia. A community of at least 50 such families in West Heidelberg suffers from overcrowded, sub-standard housing. A Human Services Department report obtained under freedom of information found an oversupply of two-bedroom accommodation but reported waiting times of 15 years or more for a four-bedroom house in 2009. Housing lawyers advise clients the wait is now at least 20 years. At that rate, baby Abrahim and his siblings in yesterday's Age photograph will be adults before a family home is available.
In many refugee cultures, large families are valued as a support network that cares for each member from childhood to old age in societies with no welfare system. Many children provide security against high mortality rates. Indeed, Melbourne's Somali families often include the children of relatives who have died. Not only is public housing designed for smaller families, but it has also been run down by decades of underfunding and ad hoc policy. Earlier this year, a report by Auditor-General Des Pearson spelt out the result: the system was at risk of collapse. Housing stock was ''seriously deteriorating'' because of short-sighted savings measures such as deferred maintenance. The public housing division estimated 10,000 properties - one in seven of the total stock - would be obsolete by 2016.
The problems predate the Baillieu government, but its job cuts haven't helped. A draft Department of Human Services briefing shows the public housing branch has lost more than one in four staff since last December and suggests a timetable to buy and upgrade dwellings may not be met. Housing Minister Wendy Lovell insists there is no such risk, but she cannot deny that right now families are living in unacceptable conditions. The Olympia Housing Initiative aims to deliver more suitable homes, but we are yet to be convinced this government is more committed than its predecessors to finding the funding, staff and resources needed to fix a dysfunctional system.
Depriving families of the opportunity to live normal, healthy lives has long-term consequences. Their children do not even have space to study, which is the key to being productive citizens. The short-term savings are dwarfed by the long-term costs of social dislocation and tensions, mental and physical illness and, above all, wasted human potential. It is shameful that families resettled in Australia start their new lives by seeing their children denied a fair go.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Who was Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and why does her philanthropic legacy matter to Melbourne investors and the community?
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was a prominent Melbourne matriarch and philanthropist who died aged 103. Her long record of giving and hands‑on support helped build institutions that matter to the city — including the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne’s Recital Hall, and a secondary college at Langwarrin that was renamed for her in 2004. She supported health and scientific research, the performing arts, literature, social welfare and the environment, and regularly opened her Cruden Farm gardens for charity events. For everyday investors, her legacy is a reminder that sustained philanthropic capital and stewardship can shape local social and cultural infrastructure over generations.
Which health, arts and education organisations benefited from Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s philanthropy?
The article notes several specific beneficiaries: the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne’s Recital Hall, a Langwarrin secondary college renamed in her honour, the Royal Children’s Hospital (where she served on the management committee for 32 years and as president for 11 years), the National Gallery of Victoria (trustee 1968–1976), the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (board member for 20 years) and the RSPCA among others. She also funded private research and artistic projects that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
How did Dame Elisabeth Murdoch practice philanthropy differently from simply writing large cheques?
Beyond bequests and named gifts, Dame Elisabeth actively invested time and encouragement: she regularly opened Cruden Farm for charity events, wrote personal hand‑written letters to support researchers and artists, and made confidential private donations to thousands of people. The article emphasizes her personal involvement, modest lifestyle and the mantra she passed to her children to “think of other people before themselves.”
What do the charitable giving statistics in the article tell everyday investors about philanthropy in Australia?
The article cites that, on average, Australians donate about 0.4% of their income to charitable causes, while the US giving rate is cited at 4.7%. Of an estimated 13 million personal income tax returns filed each year in Australia, only about one‑third claim deductions for charitable donations. Those figures highlight relatively low formal giving and tax‑deductible claiming rates in Australia compared with the US.
Why does the article suggest the community would benefit from mirroring Dame Elisabeth’s spirit of giving?
The piece argues that if Victorians — and Australians generally — emulated even part of Dame Elisabeth’s open‑heartedness and long‑term support for causes, the community would be materially better off. Her sustained commitments supported research, the arts and social services; the article implies more widespread giving could strengthen civic institutions and social outcomes over time.
What major public housing problems in Melbourne are highlighted, and how severe are the waiting times?
The article describes severe public housing problems: overcrowding (an example of a family of nine in a two‑bedroom flat), an oversupply of two‑bedroom units but chronic shortages of larger homes, and long waits for appropriate housing. A 2009 report found waiting times of 15 years or more for a four‑bedroom house; housing lawyers advise the wait is now at least 20 years. The Auditor‑General warned that housing stock was ‘seriously deteriorating’ and at risk of collapse, with an estimate that about 10,000 properties (one in seven of the stock) could be obsolete by 2016.
What administrative and funding issues are worsening public housing outcomes according to the article?
The article cites decades of underfunding, deferred maintenance and ad hoc policy decisions. It also reports recent staff cuts: a draft Department of Human Services briefing showed the public housing branch had lost more than one in four staff since the previous December. While the Olympia Housing Initiative aims to deliver more suitable homes, the piece expresses scepticism about whether the government has committed the funding, staff and resources needed to fix the system.
How do public housing failures affect long‑term social and economic outcomes that everyday investors might care about?
The article warns that depriving families of decent housing has long‑term consequences: children lack space to study, which undermines future productivity; communities face social dislocation, increased mental and physical illness, and wasted human potential. It argues short‑term savings from underfunding are dwarfed by these long‑term social costs — outcomes that affect workforce capability, social stability and the broader community environment investors rely on.
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