Williams, Meta Talbot (1918 - )

On 29 June 1985 Meta Williams was appointed to the The Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil) (OBE) for services to the Girl Guide Movement.

Williams' association with Guiding commenced at the end of 1930 when she became a member of the 1st Cooparoo Company (23rd Brisbane) and was enrolled in early 1931. She went on to hold a variety of positions at local, state and national levels.

In 1984 Williams researched and complied the publication The Continuing Challenge: a history of Queensland Guiding from 1919-84 which was launched by Senator Lady Bjelke-Petersen. This was followed by The Continuing Challenge Part 11 1984-91 in 1992 as well as histories of four former State Commissioners' terms of office.

Williams was also a member of the state executive of the YWCA Queensland, member of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship in Queensland and the Pan-Pacific and South-East Asia Women's Association (Queensland).

In March 1981 Meta Williams was honoured in being elected Mother of the Year (Queensland).

Events

7 July 1918	Born: daughter of Hubert Lethbridge and Gladys Elwyn Talbot Deshon
1930 -	Member of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1936 - 1944	Guide Leader of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
11 December 1943	Married: Roderick Guildford Williams and they had one daughter
1961 - 1965	Division Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1961 - 1990	Member of the State Council of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1965 - 1970	State Guide Advisor
1969	Awarded the Red Kangaroo for Guiding
1970 - 1972	State Camping Advisor of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1972 - 1973	Region Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1973 - 1976	State Headquarters Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1974 - 1975	Australian Policy, Organisation and Rules Co-ordinator of the Girl Guides Association
1976 - 1981	Member of the Australian Executive Girl Guides Association of Australia
1976 - 1981	Chairman of the State Executive of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1976 - 1981	State Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1976 - 1987	Member of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association of Australia Inc Queensland Branch
1980 - 1991	Member of the YWCA Queensland
1981	Queensland Mother of the Year
1981 - 1986	State Treasurer of the YWCA Queensland
1981 - 1986	Vice-President of the State Council of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland
1981 - 1991	Member of United Nations Queensland Branch
1982 - 1985	Honorary Treasurer of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship in Queensland
1987 - 1992	Assistant State Archivist of the Girl Guides Association of Queensland

Books

• Williams, Meta (compiled by), Mrs Lilian Gresham, MBE, State Commissioner, 1945-1954: the post-war reconstruction era, Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia), [Herston, Qld], 1992, 63 pp. [ Details... ]
• Williams, Meta (compiled by), Lady Macartney, State Commissioner, 1919-1945: the first twenty-five years, Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia), [Herston, Qld], 1992, 40 pp. [ Details... ]
• Williams, Meta (researched and compiled by), The continuing challenge. Part 2, A brief history of the progression and achievements of the Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia) July 1984 - March 1991, Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia), [Brisbane], 1991, 37 pp. [ Details... ]
• Williams, Meta (researched and compiled by), Mrs Joie Dwyer, State Commissioner, 1986-1991: challenge and achievement, Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia), [Herston, Qld], 1992, 33 pp. [ Details... ]
• Williams, Meta (researched and compiled by), Mrs Meta Williams, OBE, State Commissioner, 1976-1981: the progressive seventies, Girl Guides Association (Queensland, Australia), [Herston, Qld], 1992, 55 pp. [ Details... ]

See also

• 'State Commissioner 1976 - 1981', in Guides Queensland, http://www.guidesqld.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76&Itemid=51. [ Details... ]
• Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp. [ Details... ]