Irene Victoria Read

Irene Victoria Read born Irene Victoria Phillips (29 August 1880 – 27 August 1972) was an Australian charity and community worker. She was President of Sydney's Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children from 1930 to 1950.

Life Read was born in 1880 in Sydney. Her parents were the Scottish-born Margaret Thomson (born Stobo) and Henry Phillips. She was the penultimate of their five children. Her father who was an accountant died when she was young. She attended Sydney Girls' High School. Iza Coghlan was another of the doctors and Read was a founding volunteer. In 1906 Read married another of the mission's doctors, William Henry Read One of her photos at No. 2 Australian General Hospital in May 1915, Mena House, Egypt. The first batch of wounded Australian soldiers from Gallipoli In May 1915 she and their children were re-united with her husband in Egypt. He was serving with the No 2 General Hospital and she took an interest in the plans for the hospital and in the accommodation provided for the patients. Her photographs include ones taken of the first wounded men from Gallipoli. She lobbied the Australian Comforts Fund on the patients behalf to ensure they were given their basic needs. She returned to Australia and worked in support of the Comforts Fund and also speaking publicly about the conditions she had witnessed. She was a strong supporter of Australia conscripting men to fight in the war. Gullett who served as the hospital's secretary invited Read to join the hospital's committee in 1924. Gullet stood down as secretary in 1926 but she remained involved. Read's involvement grew stronger, she was the hospital's president from 1930 to 1950 with Gullett as her vice-president from 1932 to 1949. Her papers are held and they include details of her work with the Australian Sock Foundation who encouraged women to knit grey socks for soldiers.