OBITUARYMargaret Dorothea 'Pegg' McComas
September 1913-December 2009
PEGG McComas, who spent parts of her childhood and adulthood in Mt Eliza where she pursued her passion for horseriding, has died in Brighton at age 96.
Ms McComas, whose father James McComas, a solicitor, was involved in creating Ranelagh estate in the 1920s and owned a holiday house there, was part of the district's vibrant social and sporting life, much of which revolved around the Ranelagh Club with its famous dances and 11 sports.
The estate is famous for being designed by internationally renowned Chicago-born architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, with Saxil Tuxen, an established Melbourne surveyor and planner.
Ranelagh is regarded as one of Australia's best preserved 'garden suburbs'.
Ms McComas was also one of the state's leading horsewomen, and rode in hunts, organised and rode in gymkhanas and point-to-point competitions such as the Garryowen Cup at the Royal Melbourne Show, jumping events and in 1934 played in the first Victorian all-women's polo team.
One of the many reports in the now-defunct The Argus newspaper about her activities in 1934 stated: "Peggy McComas, Peninsular's [sic] goal hitter, was an outstanding player. She hit three of the team's five goals."
Mt Eliza's polo ground, where Ms McComas practised and competed, was within the original John Butler Reserve, a part of which is now car parking.
The nearby JT Smith Reserve is named after the original owner of Ranelagh, a hotelier and Melbourne lord mayor who bought the property in 1854.
Ms McComas also played polo at Mornington racecourse and rode to hounds at the Hunt Club in Cranbourne, now a housing estate. Many of the events she organised or was part of raised money for charity, including the former Royal Children's Hospital orthopedic centre in Jacksons Road, Mt Eliza.
Ms McComas was born in Toorak to Margot (nee Hodges) and James McComas. She attended St Catherine's School in Toorak and her 21st birthday in 1935 was held at the Ranelagh Club.
Her maternal grandfather was Harry Hodges, a co-founder of the VFL and a member of the Moonee Valley, Geelong and Victoria racing clubs. Her father was also a keen sportsman and played tennis for Victoria.
The start of World War II changed life in Mt Eliza and Ms McComas rarely returned to Ranelagh after the war during which she worked as a decoder in Australia and the South Pacific.
After the war she completed training as a draftswoman and worked for the Victorian Government.
In her later years, Ms McComas lost her sight but still attended football and cricket matches at the MCG. She also loved the theatre and was a member of St John's Church in Toorak and a supporter of the Association for the Blind and the English Speaking Union.
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