Lady Victoria Plunket
Lady Victoria Plunket, wife of the Governor of New Zealand 1905, Photograph by Stanley Polkinghorne Andrew (about 1879-1964), New Zealand, courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand (S P Andrew Collection, 1/1-014571-G)
Lady Victoria Plunket (1875–1968) was Plunket's namesake, as well as the organisation's patron and advocate. A mother of eight, she had plenty of child-rearing experience to call on.
Lady Plunket was also the wife of the Governor of New Zealand. Her high-society connections, plus her proposal for specialist childcare nurses, proved central to Plunket's success.