Harriet was born in Great Cumberland street, London, the eldest daughter of Jane Stirling née Gilbert, and her husband Edward C. Stirling, M.B., F.R.C.S., both Australian-born, and brought to Adelaide when barely three years old. She was educated privately at their home in Mt Lofty, and had art lessons, under Mary Anstie Overbury, and became interested in several philanthropic causes, particularly those dealing with orphans and children of indigent families, gaining more knowledge and experience during her several trips to Britain, Europe and America.
State Children's Council
In 1886 the Destitute Persons Act of 1881 was amended to incorporate a separate honorary body, the State Children's Council, to oversee provisions made for bringing up children committed to State institutions, still a major issue despite the success of the Boarding Out Society. A newspaper published the facetious advertisement: The board, of which her father was the first president had only been in place a year when it resigned over interference with its decisions by the Chief Secretary, namely the too-speedy return of children to the conditions from which they had been rescued. Stirling, who had been a volunteer with the council since 1901 and a member from 1907, was elected president in 1922, succeeding Walter Hutley.
Children's Welfare and Public Relief Board
In 1925 the Gunn Labor government enacted the Maintenance Bill to abolish the State Children's Council and the Destitutes Board on the grounds of overlapping responsibilities, and in their place instituted the Children's Welfare and Public Relief Board. The foundation board consisted of: T. H. Atkinson, Dr. F. N. Le Messurier, G. F. Claridge, T. J. Matters, and P. O'Connor, M R. Hewitt, and Lucy Hone, H. A. Stirling and D. Vaughan, sister of Crawford Vaughan. Stirling remained a member from until 1941, when she resigned through ill-health.
Stirling was in 1909 a member of the committee that founded the School for Mothers Institute under the auspices of the Kindergarten Union, and devoted much time and energy to the organization. Others on the committee included Dr. Helen Mayo, Mrs Delprat, Lilian Delissa and A. L. Tomkinson. The first "classes" of the organization, which became the School for Mothers Institute and Baby Health Centre, then in 1927 the Mothers and Babies' Health Association, were held at the Franklin Street free kindergarten, then had its headquarters on Wright Street.
Babies' Aid
The Babies' Aid Society was founded in 1910 with the aim of providing practical, "scientifically designed" clothing for babies under one year of age. Mrs. Napier Birks was founding president and Miss Ethelwyne Goyder the secretary. Stirling was in charge of the garments, of which over 1,000 were distributed annually. Stirling was still active with the organization twenty years later.
Babies' homes
Quambi Nursing Home, founded 1913 by the Babies' Hospital Association and run by Elizabeth Bartels, née Jeffery, was a private hospital on Pennington Street, North Adelaide, for sick babies under the age of two. A tent was set up in the grounds for parents who could not afford the cot fees. The Home became overcrowded and the Association leased another building in Winchester Street, St Peters. In 1915 this became the Babies' Hospital. This too became overcrowded and "Mareeba", a building in Woodville used as a Red Crossconvalescent hospital for soldiers, then relinquished by the army, was purchased by the State government, handed over to the Babies' Hospital Association in July 1917, and officially opened the following month. Lady Galway was president of the Association, Mrs. Teesdale Smith hon. treasurer, and Harriet Stirling hon. secretary. The committee comprised Miss Macaulay, Miss Annie Hornabrook, daughter of C. A. Hornabrook, Mrs. Alfred W. Styles, Miss Amy Jessop, Mrs. Austin Hewitt, Dr. James A. Bonnin, Dr. Hampden Carr, Dr. C. T. C. de Crespigny, Dr. Harry Gilbert, Dr. Frank S. Hone, Dr. Helen Mayo, and Stanley H. Skipper.
