{{short description|Australian military officer and Girl Guide leader}} {{About||the American architect and educator|Eleanor Manning O'Connor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Eleanor Manning | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|OBE}} | image = Eleanor Manning 1946.png | caption = Eleanor Manning in 1946 | birth_date = {{birth date|1906|03|21|df=y}} | birth_place = Point Piper, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|1986|11|21|1906|03|21|df=y}} | death_place = Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | resting_place = Northern Suburbs cemetery | father = Sir Henry Edward Manning | relatives = Florence Martin (aunt)<ref name="ADB">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |last=Oppenheimer |first=Melanie |author-link=Melanie Oppenheimer |title=Manning, Eleanor (1906–1986) |id2=manning-eleanor-14910 |volume=18 |year=2012 |access-date=2020-07-21}}</ref> | other_names = | known_for = | education = Frensham School | occupation = Servicewoman and Girl Guide | awards = {{hlist|Beaver (1938)|Silver Fish (1954)|OBE (1959)|King George VI Coronation Medal|Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal}} }}
'''Eleanor Manning''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OBE}} (21 March 1906 – 21 November 1986) was a member of the Women's Australian National Services and became the most senior officer of the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) in the State of New South Wales. Manning was active in Girl Guiding both in Australia and internationally.<ref name="ADB" />
==Life== Born in 1906, Manning was the daughter of Sir Henry and Lady Manning. She was a pupil at Frensham School in Mittagong, New South Wales.<ref name="ADB" />
When the Australian Women's Army Service was established in October 1941, Manning was appointed Assistant Controller, Eastern Command with the rank of Major. After attending the first Officers Training School held at Yarra Junction, Victoria in November 1941, she returned to Sydney and commenced duty at Headquarters Victoria Barracks, Sydney. She and her staff were responsible for the recruitment and initial training of all AWAS enlistments in New South Wales. In 1943, Manning became Deputy Controller to the Controller, Colonel Sybil Irving MBE of the AWAS, at their Headquarters in Melbourne.
Manning also served as Commanding Officer at the Australian Women's Services Officers' School, Darley, Victoria. This post combined the training of both the AWAS and the Australian Army Medical Women Service Officers.
In 1946, Manning and three other Girl Guides went to Malaya to serve with the Guide International Service (GIS) to work on post war rehabilitation. In 1955, she became Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Australia (1955–1962) and later a member of the World Committee of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (1960–1969). Manning became Australian International Commissioner and was a driving force in the establishment of Sangam.
Manning was awarded the Beaver (1938), Silver Fish (1954),<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 1954 |author=<!--Not stated--> |title= Congratulations |magazine=Matilda |location=Melbourne, Australia |edition=Vol. XXXII No. 5 |publisher=Girl Guides Association Victoria |page=2}} </ref> O.B.E. (1959) for services as Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Australia,<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Eleanor Manning|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1108762|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-13|website=It's An Honour}}</ref> King George VI Coronation Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.<ref>{{cite web | title = History | publisher = Girl Guides Australia | url = http://www.guidesaus.org.au/page.php?pageid=26 | accessdate = 2008-10-16 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081222232643/http://www.guidesaus.org.au/page.php?pageid=26 | archive-date = 2008-12-22 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
==Eleanor Manning Training Fund== The Eleanor Manning Training Fund provides financial assistance to Australian Girl Guide trainers attending selected training events in the Asia-Pacific Region of WAGGGS. This reflects Manning's concern with the development of Guiding in this region.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Scouting}} *[http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0435b.htm Eleanor Manning] at the Australian Women’s Archives Project
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Eleanor}} Category:1906 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Australian military officers Category:Women in the Australian military Category:Recipients of the Silver Fish Award Category:20th-century Australian women Category:People educated at Frensham School Category:Guide International Service volunteer