Meg Degotardi
Margaret Lucy Degotardi (April 25, 1925 - 1963)[1] was an Australian Baha’i who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, and the first National Spiritual Assembly of Australia.
She was a prominent lawyer, being the only woman nominated for a position on the Board of the Law Institute of NSW as of 1954.[2] She was also a talented public speaker, delivering talks at the League of Women Voters and the Women’s League of Health and serving as the New South Wales State President of the Penguin Club, a group dedicated to helping women develop public speaking skills.[3]
Biography[edit]
Margaret attended Hornsby Girls' High School,[4] and also attended a Methodist Sunday School in Pymble, a suburb of Sydney. She passed an annual Scripture Examination held by the Methodist Young People's Department with honours in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1939 and 1940.[5][6][7][8][9] In 1942 she passed a written examination to become a local preacher.[10]
Margaret was studying law by the mid-1940's, and she was the first former student of Hornsby Girls' School to graduate in law.[11] By 1947 she was working as an articled clerk for C. A. Morgan, a Sydney solicitor.[12] She was admitted to the New South Wales Supreme Court as a Solicitor on August 27, 1947, and was the only woman of the eleven admitted with her.[13][14]
She became a Bahá'í in 1948, and began speaking at Baha’i events and firesides after declaring. In 1949 she gave a talk on the social aspect of successful living at a World Youth Day celebration in Adelaide,[15] and in 1950 she taught a course on ‘The New Civilization’ at the annual Yerrinbool Summer School.[16] In 1951 she gave talks on the Faith in Perth and Adelaide at meetings held for organizations and the public.[17]
In November 1951 Margaret was elected as an inaugural Secretary of the Australian Association of Women Lawyers, which was the first formal group for female lawyers in Australia.[18] She attempted to become the first woman to join the Council of the Law Society in 1951, but was unsuccessful (a woman would not succeed in joining the Council until 1970).[19]
She sent some questions to the Holy Land in 1951, and received the following in reply:
"Your letter dated 7 Sovereignty 107 has been received by our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf. He feels that it would be quite impossible for a Bahá'í, even if they were an independent candidate for Parliament, to sit in that body without becoming involved in burning political issues one way or another. As we look out on the world horizon today, we see that the political scene is becoming more involved and chaotic and the chief actors are impotent to solve the world's problems. This is not the arena for the Bahá'ís. We must cast off from this sinking ship and devote ourselves exclusively to building up the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh which we know is the salvation for the entire planet.
There is nothing in the Teachings about chiropractic as a method of healing. People are free to turn to it if they please and find help through it.
He hopes that your devoted services to the Cause will be blessed with success, and assures you of his loving prayers.
With warm greetings, R. Rabbani"[20]
She sent another set of questions in 1952 and received a second reply:
"Your letter of 1st Might has been received, and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
Regarding the question you raised in your letter: as there is no reference in the Bahá'í Teachings to a change in the mathematical systems in use at present we cannot as Bahá'ís advocate such a change as you suggest. If any nation or people in future desire to adapt a system such as you propose, they would of course be free to do so quite independent of us.
The names of the Bahá'í months are written in Persian or Arabic in the usual way, and have no special symbols. Any one familiar with one of these languages could write them for you.
The Guardian hopes you will devote as much time as possible to the teaching work in Australia, and will pray for your success.
With Bahá'í love, R. Rabbani"[21]
In 1952 Margaret gave a talk on the Faith in Newcastle, and in 1953 she gave a talk at a World Religion Day celebration in Melbourne.[22][23]
By 1958 Margaret was working at Degotardi & Payk Solicitors, based in Cabbramatta, a suburb of Sydney.[24]
Family[edit]
Margaret's father was J. B. Degotardi, an engineer from Gordon, NSW. She had three brothers; John, Peter and Boyne, and two sisters, Betty and Joan.[25]
She married David Podger, who she had introduced to the Faith, in 1961.[26][27]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16232494
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156089544
- ↑ http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156091280?searchTerm=margaret%20degotardi&searchLimits=
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26416268
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155297178/16017958
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155292730/16018857
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155306443/16284885
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155352604/16024191
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155467280/16013621
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155475254
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51280746
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18040303
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26416268
- ↑ http://lawalmanacs.info/almanacs/nsw-law-almanac-1963.pdf
- ↑ Baha’I World, Vol. 11, p 397
- ↑ Hassall, Graham, Yerrinbool Baha’I School: 1938-1988, An Account of the First Fifty Years, CPN Publications, Canberra
- ↑ Baha’I News, No. 250, p 8
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18487858
- ↑ http://brownelinkenbaghlegalservices.com.au/charter-for-the-advancement-of-women/#_ftnref3
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=all#n99
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes&chapter=all#n99
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133716520
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206120223
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190208967
- ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18465910
- ↑ http://bahaiteachings.org/finding-belief-in-a-mystical-experience
- ↑ Messages to the Antipodes, Footnote 99: https://bahai-library.com/shoghi-effendi_messages_antipodes
