- David Moyes
- Dec 10, 2023
- 3 min read
Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. It is important to remember and honour those who have gone before us who have made a significant difference in society. Margaret McLean was a strong Christian who spoke up for two major issues – the abuse of alcohol and women’s right to vote.
In 1862 Margaret graduated from Melbourne Training Institution for Teachers and began teaching. She married William McLean and had 11 children. As a family they attended Collins Street Baptist Church where she taught Bible classes for young women. You would think that raising 11 children would make her too busy to do anything else and yet Margaret’s faith motivated her to speak up about needs facing many.
The abuse of alcohol was a huge issue. According to Milton Lewis, heavy drinking was an established cultural norm transported to Australia at the time of colonisation. In the 1830s 13.6 litres of pure alcohol per head was consumed per annum. Compare this to today’s levels of ten litres per head. The abuse of alcohol had profound effect on many which included the indigenous and so it was written about Margaret, “doing all that women can do, when inspired by the love of Christ, to rescue those who are enslaved by strong drink”. And with that aim Margaret became a founding member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria in 1887 where she served as president on two occasions. She often spoke for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in deputations to governments and in 1900 she was the Australian delegate to the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union Convention in Edinburgh. Margaret’s work and that of the Temperance Union, plus the economic downturn had an impact on alcohol consumption which was reduced to 5.8 litres per person a year in the 1890s, to its lowest of 2.5 litres per person during the 1930s.
Margaret was responsible for leading a delegation to Victoria's Chief Commissioner of Police in 1897 to encourage the employment of female police officers and separate lockup facilities for women offenders. In 1902, she helped established the National Council of Women of Victoria, which advocated for juvenile courts and women's right to vote.
Interesting to note that it was through the Woman's Christian Temperance Union that Margaret became involved in the movement towards women's suffrage in Victoria. Then, in 1891 the Woman's Christian Temperance Union groups came together with some other women groups and went from door to door asking for support. Then they presented to Parliament a petition containing over 30,000 women's signatures (huge number), calling for women’s right to vote. Margaret was the first signature on the petition; No 2 was Jane Monroe, wife of the then Premier of Victoria.
After decades of peaceful yet determined campaigning by thousands of women, led by people like Margaret McLean and groups like Woman's Christian Temperance Union women’s suffrage was achieved and they could also stand in federal elections. Australia was the first nation in the world to grant women these dual rights.
It sad to think that over a century later our society still struggles with the effects of alcohol and the inequality for women in several areas. I’m sure Margaret McLean’s would have been labelled many things in those days because of her stance on alcohol and women’s rights, however we are a better society for such people. Similar labels are still placed on those who today speak against the evils of alcohol and women’s inequality.
The Bible encourages us to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8 NIV). This passage not only applies to the poor overseas but also to those living in our suburbs. For example, around 73 per cent of all reported assaults in Australia (which includes domestic violence) involve the consumption of alcohol. This makes alcohol one of the single biggest risk factors for violence. Proverbs says, “speak for those who cannot speak for themselves”. And sadly, many older women are destitute because of various inequalities such as low superannuation that affects their ability to get housing. Proverbs also says, “speak up for the destitute”.
Speaking up for others makes a difference as Margaret McLean has shown us.
Let’s Pray.
Dear God. Thank you for the faith and courage of Margaret McLean who advocated for others. I pray for those who are directly or indirectly affected by alcohol and inequality. Help us to be a voice for them. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
David Moyes
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