Our name Bolton Clarke honours two key community leaders from our past whose values have shaped our organisation and still drive its purpose today.
William Bolton, a Lieutenant Colonel at Gallipoli and Cape Helles, was the first president of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League (later to become RSL) in 1916. He saw an urgent need and responded by providing support and rehabilitation for those who had served their nation so selflessly.
Lady Janet Clarke was a much-loved philanthropist who used her means and influence to improve the lives of those less fortunate in the rapidly expanding city of Melbourne. In 1889 she became president of the Melbourne District Nursing Society, a forerunner of the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), and remained a driving force in over two decades of service.