Marie Byles (1900-1979) was a trailblazer in numerous domains; mountaineer, conservationist, feminist, author, and the first female to be admitted to practice law in NSW. Between the 1950s-1970s she was one of the most renowned Buddhists in Australia.
Byles was first introduced to Buddhism in Burma in 1938 while scaling mountains. The same year she purchased a large bush property on the outskirts of Sydney to protect as a nature reserve. On her return from Burma, she named it Ahimsa, which means non-violence. She built her home and The Hut of Happy Omen there, to host Buddhist meditation retreats. In 1949 it was the site of the first ever Vesak celebration by non-Asian Buddhists in Australia. Numerous meditation retreats and sessions have been held there since.
Byles returned to Asia several times on pilgrimage and retreat. She made an in-depth study of the Pali Buddhist canon and wrote numerous articles popularising Buddhism for an international audience. Two of her books on Buddhism, Footprints of Gautama the Buddha (1957) and Journey into Burmese Silence (1962) were read widely. She was also central to the formation of the Buddhist Society of New South Wales in 1948. She died at her home in 1979 and donated Ahimsa to the National Trust (NSW).
Byles left a remarkable legacy, in law, conservation, mountaineering, environmentalism, and in sharing Buddhist ideas and practices with an Anglo-Australian audience who knew little about them in those days. This entry was compiled drawing on, and more can be learned about Marie Byles through reading:
- Coote, G (1984), ‘A Singular Woman; Marie Byles 1900-1979’ (1984)
an engaging video documentary. - Croucher, P (1989), A History of Buddhism in Australia 1848-1988
- McLeod, Anne (2016) The Summit of her Ambition, The Spirited Life of Marie Byles
an accessible biography of Marie’s life.
By
Ruth Fitzpatrick
Anna Halafoff
