Ethel Dawe

Ethel Dawe
Ethel Dawe
Born	October 17, 1902; Kadina, South Australia
Died	September 18, 1954
NSA member	Australia & N.Z., 1948-1953
	Media

Ethel M. Dawe (October 17, 1902 - September 18, 1954)^[1] was a South Australian Bahá'í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand from 1948 to 1953.^[2] She worked for the ABC and was a participant in local League of Nations and United Nations groups.

Life[edit]

Ethel was born in Kadina, South Australia. Her father was Albert Dawe (November 2, 1869 - March 30, 1930), who was an accountant who founded the Dawe Brothers firm, and was an associate of the Institute of Accountants and a Fellow of the Commonwealth Institute of Valuers. He served as secretary of the Kadina Agricultural Society^[3] and was a laymember of the Methodist Church, acting as Treasurer for several Church funds. He was also a playing member of the Toorak Bowling Club.^[4] Her mother was Annie Ellen Hancock, eldest daughter of Captain H. R. Hancock, who taught at a Methodist Sunday School.^[5] Ethel had one sibling, a brother named Vernon.^[6]

Ethel's mother fell ill in 1922 and the family underwent a 'health trip' to America and Europe, with Albert acting as official scorer for an Australian Bowls team touring England during the trip,^[7] however her illness was not cured and she passed away in Toorak on December 11, 1923.^[8] In 1926 Ethel was engaged to Spencer F. Goodale, a carpenter, however it appears a marriage did not take place.^[9]^[10]

In 1929 the Dawe family travelled to England for the Third World Scout Jamboree. Vernon fell ill with rheumatic fever on the journey back and was treated in Kandy Hospital in Ceylon. Albert returned to Australia, with Ethel remaining in Ceylon with Vernon, and had a seizure and passed while Vernon was still hospitalised.^[11]^[12]

Ethel first heard of the Faith in 1931 through her mother's cousin Maysie Arnold. She fell ill during Keith Ransom-Kehler's visit to Australia, and was not able to attend the public meeting held for her in Adelaide, but Keith came to visit her. Ethel became a Bahá'í in Adelaide in 1932 after attending a Memorial meeting for the Greatest Holy Leaf.

She served as Secretary of the South Australian League of Nations Union, and attended a meeting of the League Assembly in Geneva as an unofficial delegate for the organisation in 1937.^[13] She was able to meet Madame Dreyfus-Barney during her stay. She then traveled to London where she met Lady Blomfield, and set sail from London for Haifa with a pilgrim group in 1938. She met Shoghi Effendi, Rúhíyyih Khánum and Munirih Khánum while on pilgrimage, and Shoghi Effendi entrusted her with a lock of Bahá'u'lláh's hair and instructed her to take it to Australia for the Bahá'í community, and in particular to take it to Hyde and Clara Dunn. She stopped in Port Said and Cairo on her way back to Australia and was able to meet Martha Root after arriving home.

Ethel became a radio speaker for the ABC in 1938, and made some broadcasts on the Faith.^[14] In 1943 Ethel was appointed as talks supervisor for the ABC.^[15]

In 1941 Ethel's brother Vernon, who was not a Bahá'í himself, visited Haifa, and delivered a letter from Ethel to Shoghi Effendi. Although he was unable to meet the Guardian in person he did visit the Shrines.^[16]

Ethel was temporarily appointed secretary of the United Nations Association of South Australia in 1948 and eventually served as permanent secretary,^[17] and she also served as secretary of the Federal Australian United Nations Association for a year. She also worked with the Institute of Foreign Affairs.^[18]^[19] In 1949 she visited Europe, meeting Countess Gowrie, delivering talks on the Faith in England and attending the second European Teaching Conference in Brussels at the suggestion of Shoghi Effendi while there.^[20] Ruhiyyih Khanum told Ethel that Shoghi Effendi was delighted to hear of her accomplishments in Europe in a letter.^[21]

In August 1953 Ethel prepared a radio documentary on Broken Hill for the ABC.^[22] In 1953 she moved from Adelaide to Burnside, accompanied her close friend Clara Dunn to the Indian Intercontinental Teaching Conference in New Delhi, India, and made a second pilgrimage to the Holy Land.^[23]^[24]^[25] She fell ill in January, 1954, and travelled to Sydney for treatment.^[26] Shoghi Effendi sent the following in a telegram to the National Spiritual Assembly in February 1954:

ASSURE DAWE LOVING FERVENT PRAYERS SHOGHI^[27]

She passed away in September, 1954. Shoghi Effendi sent the following telegram:

GRIEVE LOSS DEVOTED CAPABLE PROMOTER FAITH ETHEL DAWE NOTABLE SERVICES UNFORGETTABLE REWARD ASSURED KINGDOM SHOGHI^[28]

References[edit]

[1] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49881557

[2] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#fn33

[3] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214092230

[4] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90055845

[5] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65048048

[6] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93985214

[7] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90055845?

[8] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214083318

[9] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/199267546

[10] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/106690027

[11] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214092230

[12] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90055845

[13] ttps://books.google.com.au/books?id=GyT-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134&dq=ethel+dawe+1954&source=bl&ots=Nh6JSyfvll&sig=6x2f47GdPS8yxnSqGPYT-KREJqo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlqOPX-MXbAhVHfLwKHYc1AE0Q6AEIMzAD#v=onepage&q=ethel%20dawe%201954&f=false

[14] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#fn33

[15] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130983728

[16] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1

[17] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43758724

[18] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130983728

[19] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93985214

[20] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#fn33

[21] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1

[22] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140050657

[23] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93985214

[24] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#fn119

[25] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#fn33

[26] ttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130983728

[27] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1#n127

[28] ttps://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=1

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