Notes:

Zara Eileen Hore-Ruthven, Countess of Gowrie (20 January 1879 ? 19 July 1965) was the Irish-born wife of the 1st Earl of Gowrie, Governor of South Australia 1928? 34, Governor of New South Wales 1935? 36 and the longest serving Governor-General of Australia 1936? 44. She was renowned for her work in promoting the welfare of children in Australia, and the Lady Gowrie Child Centres were named in her honour.

Zara Eileen Pollok was born near Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland in 1879, the daughter of John Pollok and his wife the Honourable Florence Madeline, n?e Bingham, daughter of the 4th Baron Clanmorris. She studied music in Vienna when she was young.

On 1 June 1908 at St George's, Hanover Square, she married Alexander Hore-Ruthven, over the objections of her family, who considered him "the impecunious son of an impoverished family, with indifferent prospects". The following month they came to Australia, where he took up the post of military secretary to Lord Dudley, the Governor-General. He had previously served as aide-de-camp to Lord Dudley when he was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland In 1928 he was appointed Governor of South Australia and was knighted, she becoming Lady Hore-Ruthven.

In January 1935 he became Governor of New South Wales, and in January 1936 Governor-General. He had earlier been elevated to the peerage as Baron Gowrie of Canberra and Dirleton, and she became Baroness Gowrie.

In the 1930s Lady Gowrie heard the budding opera singer Joan Hammond, and she fostered her career, including organising the costs of her travel to Europe to study music, and putting her in touch with the director of the Vienna Boys' Choir, then visiting Australia. Hammond called her "my fairy godmother", and her first real success came only after this assistance from Lady Gowrie.

n the early part of 1941, Tatsuo Kawai took up his post as Japan's first Ambassador to Australia. He met Lady Gowrie and offered to present her with a bonsai pine tree. Australia declared war on Japan in December 1941, and Kawai was placed under house arrest pending repatriation to Japan. In 1942, Lady Gowrie was advised by Sir John Latham, Australia's former representative in Tokyo who was returning to Australia to resume his post as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, that Kawai now wanted to honour his offer. Lady Gowrie made it known that she would be delighted to accept the gift, even though the two nations were now at war and over 20,000 Australian soldiers were in Japanese captivity following the fall of Singapore. Her reply to Kawai was stopped by the Secretary of the Department of External Affairs, and the bonsai tree was never presented to her.

At the end of Lord Gowrie's term as Governor-General in 1945 they returned to England. Later that year, Baron Gowrie was created 1st Earl of Gowrie, and Baroness Gowrie became the Countess of Gowrie. He died in 1955, and she died on 19 July 1965, aged 86, survived by two grandsons, one of whom had succeeded his grandfather as the 2nd Earl of Gowrie in 1955.

Dame Joan Hammond's career had come to an end through illness, and she sang in public for the last time at Lady Gowrie's funeral on 30 July 1965, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. This occasion was also memorable for the fact that Hammond was the first woman ever granted Royal permission to sing in that Chapel.

The Gowries had two sons. The younger, Alistair Malise Hore-Ruthven, was born on 2 August 1917 but died the following year. The elder, Patrick Hore-Ruthven, a poet and soldier, was born on 30 August 1913 and was killed on active service in Libya on 24 December 1942, after leading a commando raid on Tripoli. A collection of his poetry, The Happy Warrior, was published in 1943, with a preface by his mother. Patrick's elder son, Grey Ruthven, succeeded his grandfather as 2nd Earl of Gowrie.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zara_Hore-Ruthven,_Countess_of_Gowrie]

Zara married Brig.-Gen. Alexander Gore 'Arkwright' Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC in 1908. Alexander (son of Lt.-Col. Walter James Hore-Ruthven, 9th Lord Ruthven of Freeland, 1st Baron Ruthven of Gowrie and Caroline Annesley Gore) was born in Jun 1872 in Windsor, Berkshire, England; died on 2 May 1955 in Gloucestershire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Patrick Hore-Ruthven, Younger of Ruthven was born on 30 Aug 1913; died on 24 Dec 1942 in Libya.
2. Alistair Malise Hore-Ruthven was born on 2 Aug 1917; died in 1918 in Infancy.