On August 4th, 2024 long standing NZARH member, Meg Wallace, sadly died from the effects of dementia. Meg was aged 79.
Meg, along with her husband, Max Wallace, joined our association in 2003 and were active members of our association even though they had moved to Australia to live. Meg participated in NZARH work and events over all that time. She published many articles in the Open Society journal. Her book, Freedom From Religion: Rethinking Article 18, was published in 2015. In her book she argued for the need for a secular state, where there should be freedom from religion as well as freedom of religion.
At the same time as being NZARH members, Meg and Max were active members of the Secular Association of NSW, in Australia. Meg had been President of the Secular Association of NSW and had many articles published in Australian freethought publications.
Meg and Max met while they were students at the University of Auckland and the University of Waikato in the 1970’s. Meg completed an arts degree and a Law degree while living in New Zealand.
It is easy to talk of Meg and Max as one. For they spent their whole lives together, side by side at their desks, always writing about freethought issues and tirelessly lobbying for secularism in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands and promoting numerous Freethought and Secular matters. They had a great love and respect for each other, and sharing the same ideals and passions further enhanced their wonderful relationship.
They travelled together constantly, giving talks and presentations wherever they went, and when back at home they worked tirelessly at their desks. In later years when Meg’s hearing loss became more profound, instead of shouting they sent emails to each other across their desks.
In 2017 Meg and Max travelled to Fiji and formed PISA, the Pacific Islands Secular Association, to support the non-religious in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.
Meg was on the NZARH Council for some years, and after that became an NZARH trustee. She (along with Max) was recently made a Life Member in recognition for all the great work that she had done for our association and the wider Freethought community.
Meg’s work ethic, dedication and her vision for a better, more secular World was remarkable and it never wavered.
Meg’s passing is a great loss to us all and she will be missed by all that had met her. She is survived by husband Max, their daughter Ngaire, grandsons Reuben and Rafael, and son in law, Yan.