Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE (1909–2012), philanthropist, was the widow of Sir Keith Murdoch and mother of the publisher, Rupert Murdoch. Born in Melbourne, at nineteen she met newspaper proprietor Keith Murdoch and they married in 1928. His wedding gift to her was Cruden Farm near Langwarrin in Victoria, where they raised their four children. Over her life Dame Elisabeth contributed unstintingly to Australian artistic, cultural, educational, medical, environmental and community causes, particularly in her home state of Victoria. She endowed the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Sculpture Foundation, the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Arboretum and the Australian Ballet. Dame Elisabeth served on committees and boards of many public institutions including the Royal Children's Hospital, the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and the National Gallery of Victoria. She provided scholarships for research into childhood deafness, funded digitisation projects and lent her support to a range of programs to help troubled and ill youth. In 2003 she received the Great Australian Philanthropy Award and in 2005 – at the age of 96 – she was named Victorian of the Year. Dame Elisabeth died at her home Cruden Farm at the age of 103.
