Frances Gertrude Kumm

Frances Gertrude Kumm (8 April 1886 – 4 June 1966) was an Australian women's activist and philanthropist.

Early years

Gertrude was born in Collingwood. The eldest of eight children, her father was Frederick John Cato, a successful merchant, and Frances Bethune, of New Zealand. Cato built a grocery empire, and settled his family in Toorak when Gertrude was two.

Gertrude was educated at home, but at the age of 14 was enrolled at the Methodist Ladies' College. This was a logical choice, despite there being few students from wealthy homes, as her family was involved deeply in the church. It was through the extensive volunteer work her father did for the Wesleyan Church that sparked Gertrude's ideals of service to the church and philanthropy.

Marriage

The Cato family welcomed missionaries to their home, and in 1911, Dr. Hermann Karl William Kumm came to stay with them. Missionary and explorer, Kumm was born in Prussia, but was later based in England. He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and had traveled extensively in Africa. He was a widower, his wife having died in 1906, leaving him with two young sons. Within two weeks, the couple were engaged, and married in January 1912. Kumm took his bride to England, where he continued working for the Sudan United Mission.

With the start of World War I, they moved the family to New Jersey, in the United States. It was there that their children, John and Lucy, were born.

Widowed

Suffering from heart disease, Dr. Kumm succumbed in 1930, leaving Gertrude alone. Her sister, Una, traveled to America to bring Gertrude and the children back to Australia. There, Gertrude put all her energy into Christian causes. In 1934, tragedy struck again when her daughter Lucy, a diabetic, died.

Gertrude died on 4 June 1966, in Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She was cremated.

Organization Involvement

• Women's Hospital in Melbourne, president, 1938–1942
• National Council of Women, president, 1945–1953
• Young Women's Christian Association, national president, 1945–1951
• Young Women's Christian Association, world vice president, South Pacific Area, 1951–1955
• Commonwealth Immigration Advisory Council, 1952–1961
• Victorian Diabetic Association, president 1953–1957
• Australian Red Cross
• Various agencies in the Methodist Church

Gertrude was noted for her contributions to the Commonwealth Immigration Advisory Council. Her role in the organisation was the assist post-war refugees settle in Australia. For this she was appointed OBE in 1948.

Honorariums

• A street in the Canberra suburb Cook is named for her.
• A wing of the Royal Women's Hospital, Carlton
• Y.W.C.A.'s Cato conference centre in Melbourne commemorates the work of Gertrude, Una and their mother, Frances.

References

• McCalman, J. Kumm, Frances Gertrude (1886–1966), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 15, Melbourne University Press, 2000, p. 44.