Long before Letitia Leake became a celebrated benefactor of Australian soldiers during World War I, her story began in the quiet surrounds of Ross, Tasmania. After the death of her father, Edward Leake, Letitia came to live with her uncle Arthur Leake at Ashby, just outside Ross. It was here that she spent her formative years, navigating family upheavals and the responsibilities of a substantial inheritance.
Letitia’s life in Tasmania set the stage for her remarkable journey. Newspapers of the time recorded her wedding as a celebrated event at St John’s Church, Ross, on 14 March 1891. Guests arrived on a special train from Hobart to witness the union of Letitia and Charles Billyard, a solicitor from Sydney who would go on to adopt the combined surname Billyard-Leake in recognition of her family. The family remained in Ross for the birth of their four children before eventually relocating to the United Kingdom in 1895.
In England, the Billyard-Leakes purchased Harefield Park, a stately estate where Letitia’s compassion would shine. When World War I erupted, Letitia and her family generously donated Harefield Park to the Australian government to serve as a hospital for wounded soldiers from Gallipoli and France. At its height, the hospital cared for thousands of soldiers, providing a touch of home for young Australians far from their families. Letitia’s daughter, also named Letitia, later recounted her mother’s tireless work at the hospital and the joy of knowing her brothers and cousins had survived the war.
Despite her considerable wealth, Letitia did not seek recognition. She simply acted, opening her home and her heart to thousands of young men in need. Her legacy is not only remembered in Harefield, where she is buried alongside some of the soldiers she cared for, but also in the enduring connections back to Ross, Tasmania, where her story began.
Letitia Leake’s life is a remarkable story of family, philanthropy, and enduring compassion — a story that links Tasmania with the broader history of Australia’s involvement in World War I.
Harefield Hospital - Credit Harefield History Society
A ward at Harefield - Credit Australian War Memorial