Summary heading

  Person registration completed as part of the Prime Ministers Papers’ Project (April 2002).

Career within Commonwealth

  Ilma Nita Thornber was born about 1895. A milliner, she grew up in Mackay in North Queensland, both her father and grandfather being mayors in the town. In 1916, she married Arthur William Fadden, then Assistant Town Clerk. They had four children (2 sons and 2 daughters).

Ilma Fadden supported her husband’s long Parliamentary career, during which time he was a Minister, Australia’s longest-serving Treasurer, Leader of the Country Party, Prime Minister (for 6 weeks in 1941) and Deputy or Acting Prime Minister (1941 and 1949-1958). Her own areas of interest included the Country Women’s Association and the Young Women’s Christian Association. She became Lady Fadden in 1951 on her husband’s knighthood, and outlived him by fourteen years.

Links to other Commonwealth Persons

  27 Dec 1916 – 21 Apr 1973: CP 714, The Rt Hon Sir Arthur William FADDEN PC, GCMG

Publications

End notes

Sources

  ‘Sunday Magazine’, Sunday Telegraph, 31 December 2000