Persia Galleghan

Lady Persia Elspeth Blaiklock Galleghan, AO, OBE, OStJ (b. 22 September 1902, Khoribah, New South Wales - d. 13 January 1997) was an Australian social worker and Red Cross leader.

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Background

Persia Blaiklock Galleghan established a reputation as 'a born organiser' and 'tireless worker' for many philanthropic causes, which included the Red Cross Society and in particular the Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) in New South Wales.

Educated in Brisbane, Australia she married Sidney Porter in 1925, and they moved to Sydney, but he died after a short illness in 1933. On the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, she joined the newly formed Scottish Voluntary Aid Detachment situated at Millers Point, Sydney and later became its commandant. She devoted much of the next fifty years to the VAD movement in New South Wales and to the Red Cross Society.

In addition to her voluntary work she qualified as a social worker in 1955 and was employed at the Concord Repatriation Hospital for nine years. She embarked upon a second marriage to Sir Frederick Galleghan in 1969, but was widowed again in 1971.

Persia Galleghan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1978 and posthumously appointed to the Order of Australia in 1997. The Red Cross admitted her to honorary life membership, the highest honour bestowed by the Red Cross.

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