One-of-a-kind book to be launched about life, service and travels of Collis Featherstone

If you look closely at many of the early group photographs of the Hands of the Cause in the late 1950s and early 1960s, you will usually find Collis Featherstone in the picture. More often than not, he was also the person behind the camera. 

“My father is often kneeling right at the front or at the back,” his daughter, Mariette Leong, recalls. “He put his camera on a tripod, and everyone smiled after counting to 10, which gave him time to run back to the group.”

“Many of the early photographs taken at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa were captured by Collis with the permission of the beloved Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi. In the 50s, there were very few photos taken,” said Mariette. “Not everybody had a camera. Collis took a course in photography before going on pilgrimage in 1953 as he wanted to take the photographs and a movie film of their travels and the Baha’i Holy Places in Israel.”

“When he returned to Australia, he used that movie film for teaching and firesides. Every month in our home, we had gatherings, or he would take all of the movie equipment and screen and show it elsewhere. We’d have up to 50 people in our home looking at this film and they thought it was fantastic. We didn’t have television in those days, so this was like going to the movies.”

These stories, along with many others, form the heart of Collis Featherstone – Hand of the Cause, a biography dedicated to the life, service and travels of one of Australia’s most dedicated and outstanding Baha’is. 

The Hands of the Cause of God were distinguished Baha’is appointed by Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi who played a unique role in protecting the Faith, promoting its teachings and supporting the development of Baha’i institutions around the world. The standard to which they aspired was described by ‘Abdu’l‑Baha in His Will and Testament: 

Collis Featherstone dedicated his life to this calling. Born on 13 May 1913 in Quorn, South Australia, he worked successfully in engineering and business before embracing the Baha’i Faith with his wife Madge in 1945. Together they devoted their lives to service, with Collis serving on local and national governing bodies, as an Auxiliary Board Member and later as a Hand of the Cause of God. 

Known internationally as a fearless defender of the Covenant, Collis travelled to more than 100 countries, encouraging and strengthening Baha’i communities across the globe. His energy, devotion and capacity to inspire others earned him a unique place in Baha’i history.

The origins of the biography stretch back almost four decades. In the late 1980s, Collis and Madge began talking about recording his story. 

“At that point, they didn’t have a crystal ball,” Mariette says. “They didn’t know that Collis was going to pass away just a few years later but thought they had better start putting the wheels in motion.” 

Following his passing in September 1990, family members began the painstaking work of gathering documents, photographs, diaries, passports, memorabilia, and travel records. Piece by piece, they assembled the framework of a book that would eventually become a remarkable family collaboration. 

The early chapters were shaped through interviews conducted by Mariette’s eldest sister, Kaye Waterman. “She needed a lot more information about their early life, and so she did a few interviews with my mum and dad which was used to form the early chapters of the book,” Mariette says. 

Kaye and her husband Graham also collated detailed travel itineraries from passports and diaries. Mariette’s sister Margaret Durant spent more than two years scanning photographs from Collis’s photo albums and many of these are used in the book. 

As family members gradually passed away, responsibility for completing the project eventually fell to Mariette. “Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine I would be finishing this book,” said Mariette. 

Looking back, she describes the biography as the product of an enormous collective effort. 

“So much research has to go into all of their doings,” Mariette says. “Likewise, this book went through cycles. It was a massive family contribution.” 

The result is far more than a historical account. Through family memories and personal anecdotes, the book reveals the character of a man remembered not only for his service but also for his warmth, humour and encouragement. 

Mariette remembers her father as someone who could make profound spiritual concepts accessible through humour. 

One of his favourite sayings was: “Love is the itchy feeling you can’t scratch,” delivered while placing his hand over his heart beneath his jacket. The gesture invariably drew laughter while conveying something deeper about the transformative power of love. 

He was equally fond of teasing friends at the supper table. Seeing someone about to enjoy a sweet treat, he would often smile and say, “A moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips,” producing laughter—and sometimes embarrassed laughter—from those nearby. Yet beneath the humour was a deep concern for spiritual growth. Mariette recalls how her father encouraged her to learn prayers by giving her “five cents for every prayer she could recite.” He also encouraged her to attend the 19-Day Feast and to engage with the Baha’i Writings. 

“We grew up understanding and appreciating the Covenant through Shoghi Effendi and the importance of the 19-day Feast,” she says. “We were always encouraged to go to the 19-day Feast because it’s the foundation of the Baha’i community and you wore your best dress!” 

She also remembers one elderly believer who hosted Feasts with extraordinary generosity. She baked a delicious sponge cake and many pastries for only half a dozen of us. 

Reflecting on the opportunities available to young people today, Mariette adds: 

“You need to encourage the love of Baha’u’llah in your children. Now we have the children’s class process and junior youth groups. If families can nurture their children through this process, it really gives them a spiritual foundation. I didn’t have anything like that, my experience was mostly with adults.” 

For Mariette, one of the book’s greatest strengths is that it tells the story from the perspective of those who knew Collis best. 

This biography portrays a man who, in many ways, was ordinary, yet through faith, service and steadfast dedication became extraordinary. His wife Madge was a great supporter of his unique role as a Hand of the Cause. She assisted with his correspondence, itineraries, and travelled with him helping with his daily needs. She was lovingly by his side to the end. As Mariette reflects on her father’s life, one of his favourite quotations from ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá seems particularly fitting: 

“There is a power in this Cause – a mysterious power – far, far, far away from the ken of men and angels; that invisible power is the cause of all these outward activities. It moves the hearts. It rends the mountains. It administers the complicated affairs of the Cause. It inspires the friends. It dashes into a thousand pieces all the forces of opposition. It creates new spiritual worlds. This is the mystery of the Kingdom of ‘Abha!” 

The book on Collis Featherstone – Hand of the Cause will be launched on 25 July at the Sydney Bahá’í House of Worship and can be pre-ordered through bahaibooks.com.au.

Featured image: Family and members of the National Spiritual Assembly in front of Sydney Baha’i House of Worship in 1990.