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Gerald Peacock

From Australasian Record, February 27, 1967.

Peacock, Gerald (1890–1967) and Winifred Evelyn (Worth) (1898–1987)

By Lester Devine

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Originally trained as a secondary history teacher, a career long Adventist educator, Lester Devine, Ed.D., has taught at elementary, secondary and higher education levels and spent more than three decades in elected educational leadership positions in two divisions of the world Church, NAD (1969-1982) and SPD (1982-2005). He completed his forty years of denominational service with a term as director of the Ellen G. White/Adventist Research Centre at Avondale University College in Australia where his life-long hobby of learning and presenting on Adventist heritage issues became his vocation. 

First Published: July 17, 2020

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Gerald and Winifred Peacock were career missionaries in the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving in a variety of roles in Papua, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the New Hebrides (Vanuatu today). Gerald Peacock was later the leader of the developing work of the Church in the northern part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Their final assignment was four years together developing the Aboriginal work at the Mona Mona Mission in North Queensland.

Early Life and Education

Gerald Peacock was born near Kerang in Victoria, Australia, on August 22, 1890.1 Little is known about Gerald’s early life and education other than that he trained initially as an engineer and became an Adventist in March 1918.2 He immediately enrolled at Avondale College, where he completed the missionary course, graduating in 1920.3 He began his denominational service in evangelism in the Victoriana Conference.4 Two years later on January 1, 1923, he married Winifred Evelyn Worth.5 Winifred had been born in Walhalla, Victoria, on August 3, 1898.6 Two children were born to their marriage: Audrey Maureen (Moe) and Joyce Laurella (Gulliver).7

Denominational Service

Following two years in evangelism in Victoria, Gerald accepted an invitation to transfer to Papua.8 He completed a short course in tropical medicine at the Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital before departing.9 Winifred had finished the greater part of her nurse’s training previous to their accepting the appointment to Papua.10 After four years and three months in Papua, they transferred to the Solomon Islands, where Gerald was the superintendent of the newly organized Mission.11 At the beginning of 1932, the family was transferred to the New Hebrides where, again, Gerald was the superintendent of the Mission.12 In July 1935, there was yet another change. Gerald was appointed as the superintendent of the SDA work in New Guinea.13 The family remained there until the end of 1938 when they returned home to Australia.14

Back in his homeland, Gerald spent 1939 and 1940 in the Tasmanian Conference working in evangelism.15 He and Winifred were then transferred to the Victorian Conference for four years (1942–1945), working in radio evangelism and pastoral work. At the Australasian Union Conference session in 1945, Gerald was appointed as superintendent of the North Queensland Mission.16 He remained in that role until May 1947, when he was transferred to care for the Mona Mona Mission for Australia’s indigenous people. He served there until 1952.17 His last years of service were spent in the Greater Sydney Conference until his retirement at the end of 1955.18

Pastor Gerald Peacock died on January 16, 1967, and was buried in the Avondale Cemetery.19 His widow, Winifred, married Leslie James Reid on June 26, 1968.20 She died on September 15, 1987, and was buried beside Gerald in the Avondale Cemetery.21

Sources

Abbott, R. H. “Gerald Peacock obituary.” Australasian Record, February 22, 1967.

Allbon, Rhae. “College Graduating Exercises.” Australasian Record, December 27, 1920.

Beamish, J. N. “Winifred Evelyn Reid obituary.” Record, November 28, 1987.

“Brother and Sister Gerald Peacock . . .” Australasian Record, January 29, 1923.

“Distribution of Labour.” Australasian Record, November 29, 1920.

“Distribution of Labour.” Australasian Record, September 30, 1940.

Gerald Peacock Biographical Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Peacock, Gerald.” Document: “Biographical Information Blank.”

Gerald Peacock Sustentation Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Peacock, Gerald.” Document: “Pastor G. Peacock.”

Gerald Peacock Sustentation Records. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Peacock, Gerald.” Document: “Weekly Rates.”

“Life Sketch of the Late Gerald Peacock.” Australasian Record, February 27, 1967.

Moe, R. V. “Reid-Peacock marriage.” Australasian Record, October 7, 1968.

“On their way to the New Hebrides . . .” Australasian Record, January 4, 1932.

Scragg, W. M. R. “Notes from Tasmania.” Australasian Record, January 23, 1939.

“Session Appointments.” Australasian Record, October 15, 1945.

Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital Board Minutes, October 25, 1922. Sydney Adventist Hospital Archives.

Turner, W. G. “Island Changes.” Australasian Record, July 1, 1935.

Notes

  1. Gerald Peacock Biographical Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Biographical Information Blank;” “Life Sketch of the Late Gerald Peacock,” Australasian Record, February 27, 1967, 13.↩

  2. Gerald Peacock Biographical Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Biographical Information Blank.”↩

  3. Rhae Allbon, “College Graduating Exercises,” Australasian Record, December 27, 1920, 6.↩

  4. “Distribution of Labour,” Australasian Record, November 29, 1920, 6; Gerald Peacock Biographical Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Biographical Information Blank.”↩

  5. “Brother and Sister Gerald Peacock . . . ,” Australasian Record, January 29, 1923, 8.↩

  6. Gerald Peacock Biographical Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Biographical Information Blank.”↩

  7. Ibid.↩

  8. Ibid.↩

  9. Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital Board Minutes, October 25, 1922, Sydney Adventist Hospital Archives.↩

  10. “Brother and Sister Gerald Peacock . . . ,” Australasian Record, January 29, 1923, 8.↩

  11. Gerald Peacock Biographical Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Biographical Information Blank.”↩

  12. “On their way to the New Hebrides . . . ,” Australasian Record, January 4, 1932, 8.↩

  13. W. G. Turner, “Island Changes,” Australasian Record, July 1, 1935, 8.↩

  14. W. M. R. Scragg, “Notes from Tasmania,” Australasian Record, January 23, 1939, 6.↩

  15. “Distribution of Labour,” Australasian Record, September 30, 1940, 6.↩

  16. “Session Appointments,” Australasian Record, October 15, 1945, 5; “Life Sketch of the Late Gerald Peacock,” Australasian Record, February 27, 1967, 13.↩

  17. Gerald Peacock Sustentation Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Weekly Rates.”↩

  18. Gerald Peacock Sustentation Records; South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives; Folder: “Peacock, Gerald;” Document: “Pastor G. Peacock;” “Life Sketch of the Late Gerald Peacock,” Australasian Record, February 27, 1967, 13.↩

  19. R. H. Abbott, “Gerald Peacock obituary,” Australasian Record, February 22, 1967, 15.↩

  20. R. V. Moe, “Reid-Peacock marriage,” Australasian Record, October 7, 1968, 14.↩

  21. J. N. Beamish, “Winifred Evelyn Reid obituary,” Record, November 28, 1987, 14; Grave markers for Gerald and Winifred Peacock, Avondale Cemetery, NSW, Australia, L1-C 139.↩

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Devine, Lester. "Peacock, Gerald (1890–1967) and Winifred Evelyn (Worth) (1898–1987)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. July 17, 2020. Accessed December 04, 2024. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=482H.

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Devine, Lester. "Peacock, Gerald (1890–1967) and Winifred Evelyn (Worth) (1898–1987)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. July 17, 2020. Date of access December 04, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=482H.

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Devine, Lester (2020, July 17). Peacock, Gerald (1890–1967) and Winifred Evelyn (Worth) (1898–1987). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved December 04, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=482H.

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