Bethia Foott (1907–1995) was an Australian non-fiction writer. She is best known for ''Dismissal of a Premier'', a record of the 1932 dismissal of Jack Lang by the New South Wales Governor, Sir

Philip Game Sir Philip Woolcott Game (30 March 1876 – 4 February 1961) was a Royal Air Force commander, who later served as Governor of New South Wales and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (London). Born in Surrey in 1876, Game was educated at Cha ...

Life

Grace Gwendoline Bethia Anderson was born in 1907 in India to poet Ethel (née Mason) and (later Brigadier-General) Austin Thomas Anderson. In 1914, on the outbreak of World War I, she and her mother moved to England, while her father served in France. The family moved to Australia in 1924 and settled at Turramurra. Her father became private secretary to three governors of New South Wales, Sir

Dudley de Chair Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair (30 August 1864 – 17 August 1958) was a senior Royal Navy officer and later Governor of New South Wales. Early life and career De Chair was born on 30 August 1864 in Le ...

and Sir

and to Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven. This connection enabled her to access Game's papers and write ''Dismissal of a Premier'' in 1968. In addition to her writing, Foott was also an artist, exhibiting at the Blaxland Galleries. Her work was included in the 1934 exhibition of more than 120 Australian women artists in Sydney. A portrait of Foott by

Roland Wakelin Roland Wakelin (17 April 1887 – 28 May 1971) was a New Zealand-born Australian painter and teacher. Early life Roland Shakespeare Wakelin was born on 17 April 1887 in Greytown, New Zealand, Greytown, New Zealand. He studied at Wellington Te ...

was entered in the 1931

Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...

and she herself entered the 1937

Wynne Prize The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. As one of Australia's longest-running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne. Now held concurrently with the Sir John Sulman Prize ...

. During World War II, Foott served with the Women's National Emergency League (WNEL) in Brisbane. Together with another army wife, Molly Mann, she wrote ''We Drove the Americans'' based on their experiences. The book received mixed reviews. Her final book, ''Ethel and the Governors-General'', a biography of her mother, a noted poet and artist, was published in 1992.

Personal

Foott married Thomas Harry Brudenall (Allan) Foott on 27 May 1931 at St James' Church, Sydney, followed by a reception at

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

for 350 people. Following his death in 1952, she married Albert Harrison Ogden. Foott died in

Cirencester Cirencester ( , ; see #Pronunciation, below for more variations) is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. It is the List of ...

, England in 1995.

Works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foott, Bethia 1907 births 1995 deaths Australian non-fiction writers 20th-century Australian women writers