Elizabeth Britomarte James

Elizabeth Britomarte James (1 June 1867 – 6 November 1943), also known as Mrs Britomarte James, was an Australian political reformer, women's activist and temperance advocate.

Early life and marriage Born on the Victorian goldfields at Durban Lead, Ballarat, Victoria, James was the eldest child of Ebenezer James and Clara Elizabeth James (née Maisey). The family moved to Port Melbourne where James assisted her father in his work as chaplain at the Mission to Seaman.

James married her cousin, George Henry James on 25 May 1889 at her parents' home in Port Melbourne. He was a schoolteacher with the Victorian Department of Education.

War and welfare work Both her sons enlisted in World War I and were injured. James travelled to England to assist their recovery. Subsequently, they enlisted in the Flying Corps and, rather than returning to Australia, she volunteered with the Red Cross. In 1922 she was president of both the Metropolitan branch of the Farmers' Union and the Wattle League. She was also a leading member of the Victorian Women Citizens' Movement and the Victorian branch of the National Council of Women.

In the 1938 Birthday Honours, James was made an Officer of the Order of British Empire for "social welfare services in the State of Victoria".

Personal James died at Kareela Private Hospital, Auburn, Victoria on 6 November 1943. Her husband had predeceased her in September 1938.