Dr Springthorpe was Chairman in 1920 and President of the Society for the Health of Women and Children of Victoria 1921 – 1932. He is credited as being the first President of the Victorian Trained Nurses Association established in 1901. Dr Springthorpe, together with Sister Maude Primrose worked tirelessly to attract funding to finance the Tweddle Baby Hospital.

An enthusiastic worker for child welfare and mothercraft, Dr Springthorpe took an active part in the foundation of the Tweddle (Truby King) home at Footscray

The Argus Melbourne, Monday 23 April 1933

Born in 1885 in Staffordshire England, he immigrated with his family arriving in Balmain, Sydney in 1861. His first medical position was at Beechworth Asylum.

He eventually returned to London in 1881 working at a number of Hospitals, and in 1883 returned to Australia as a pathologist at the Alfred Hospital. Married to Annie Constance Inglis, 26 January 1887, they took up residence in the ‘Camelot’ building at 83 Collins Street Melbourne.

The Springthorpe Memorial in Kew is a Victorian Era memorial built for Doctor John Springthorpe in memory of his wife Annie Springthorpe (nee Inglis) who died in 1897 giving birth to their fourth child (Guy). In later years following the death of his first wife, he remarried (Daisy), and moved to Murrumbeena.

There is an inscription:

Loves Music Hushed and Two Hearts Dumb
And Death Not Life Thine Angel Now
My Own True Love
Pattern Daughter Perfect Mother and Ideal Wife
Born on the 26th day of January 1867
Married on the 26th day of January 1887
Buried on the 26th day of January 1897

In 1933 The Argus praised it as the most beautiful work of its kind in Australia.