Meg's book
Before she passed away, my mother, Meg Coten, wrote a book about her extraordinary life. We have privately published it, and it's available here for you to download free of charge. There is also information about our family history, and about my father and his family. We wanted this information to be publicly available to anyone who would like it.
PDF, 600 pages, 25 MB
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in our family history and this book.
It was written by our wonderful mother, Meg Coten - known to many as a social worker, a storyteller, a traveller, a friend, and a pioneer. But to us, she was simply Mum: warm, wise, endlessly curious, and always thinking of others.
After our father died when we were very young, Mum raised us on her own. She never had a lot of money, and life was certainly not without its challenges. But what we remember - what we treasure - are the stories, the laughter, the encouragement, and the love. We both feel incredibly lucky for the upbringing we had, and we know that so much of who we are today is a direct result of the values she lived and shared with us.
Over the years, we’ve heard countless stories about Meg from others - of her kindness, her sharp humour, her sense of justice, and her strength in the face of hardship. As children, we would sit wide-eyed as she told us about her days in the WAAAF, her travels across Europe, or her time living in a tent on the Nullarbor. She had a way of making the world feel large, exciting, and full of possibility, even from the kitchen table.
Mum passed away in 2020, just a few weeks prior to turning 97 years of age. Not long before, she completed the handwritten manuscript that is now before you. With the help of family and friends, we’ve been able to have it transcribed and prepared for publication - something she always hoped would happen.
This is, at its heart, an autobiography. But it’s also something more: a vivid, firsthand account of rural life in early 20th-century Western Australia, a record of war and peace, of social change, and of a remarkable woman who quietly helped shape her community. What you will read is almost entirely unchanged from mum’s handwritten words. We felt that it was important to have her story told in her way.
The appendices - articles written by and about Mum, tributes from her life, and records of the places she lived - offer further insight into her world, and into the times she lived through. The last of these provides more insight to our father, a previously untold story about his family and the search to find them.
We are honoured to share this story with you. For us, it is a permanent record of Mum’s life - for our children, for her friends and family, and for anyone interested in the rich tapestry of Australia’s history, told through one woman’s voice.
Mum gave us so many gifts throughout her life. This book is one of the best.
We present Meg: A Memoir in loving memory of our beautiful mother, Meg Coten.
Ned and Jim Coten
October 2025
Download the book
Meg: A Memoir
PDF, 600 pages, 25 MB
The complete book: Mum's memoir, the epilogue and all of the appendices.
Prefer smaller pieces?
Free to download
The appendices are also available one at a time, along with the original magazine and newspaper pages.
Would you like to discuss more about the family?
If you have a question, a story to share or information about our family, I'd love to hear from you.
NED COTEN
Chair, director and executive leader in commercial, data and global sport.
Copyright © 2026 Ned Coten Melbourne, Australia