Ruth Lane Poole

Ruth Lane Poole (born Ruth Johnstone Pollexfen; 27 September 1885 – 11 October 1974) was an Irish-Australian furniture and interior designer. She notably designed the original interiors of The Lodge and Yarralumla, the official residences of the prime minister and governor-general of Australia.

Lane Poole was born in Ireland, a cousin of poet W. B. Yeats and his sisters Lily and Lollie. She came under Lily's guardianship as a teenager and joined the sisters in their Celtic Revival efforts at Dun Emer Press and Cuala Industries, where she was known for her embroidery work. In 1911 she married English-born forester Charles Lane Poole, with whom she had three children.

Lane Poole first moved to Australia in 1916, living in Western Australia where her husband was appointed conservator of forests. She returned to Ireland in 1922, but settled in Australia permanently in 1925 when Charles was appointed as an adviser to the federal government. In 1926, Lane Poole was commissioned by the Federal Capital Commission to design the interiors of the residences of the prime minister and governor-general in the new capital city Canberra. Provided by Wikipedia