The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Margaret Peden completed a Bachelor of Arts (1926) and Diploma of Education (1928) at the University of Sydney, where she co-founded the women’s cricket club and served as president of the women undergraduates’ association. While working as sports mistress at Redlands School (1928-34), Peden helped to rebuild the New South Wales Women’s Cricket Association, serving as honorary secretary from 1928 to 1944. She captained every New South Wales women’s cricket team until 1938, with the exception of the 1930 team – that year she co-founded the Australian Women’s Cricket Council. She was secretary of the New South Wales Women’s Amateur Sports Council in 1932-37, and later vice-president.

It was Margaret Peden who organised in 1934 the first tour to Australia by an English women’s cricket team and, with her sister Barbara, set up Australia’s first indoor coaching centre in Sydney. Peden was appointed captain of the Australian team that year, and again in 1937. In 1950 she became an honorary life member of the Women’s Cricket Association, England.

In 1935, Peden married Maurice Ranald Emanuel. She gave birth to a son in 1938.