Australasian Union Conference and Australasian Division

Over the period between 1894 and 1985, the territory of the administrative entity known as the Australasian Union Conference changed a number of times and the title of the entity also changed a number of times. The Australasian Union Conference as such existed between 1894 and 1949. However, between 1922 and 1949 it was also known as the Australasian Division. After 1949 it continued to be known as the Australasian Division but was also known more commonly as the Australasian Inter-Union Conference. By 1957 the name ‘Australasian Inter Union Conference’ was being phased out and the term Australasian Division was used until the entity was renamed as the South Pacific Division in 1985.¹ Throughout we are describing the same administrative organization.

The Unique Character of the Australasian Union Conference

From the time of its organization in 1894 being named the Australasian Union Conference, the Australasian Inter Union Conference, The Australasian Division and the South Pacific Division, this entity retained, until 2005, a constituency and a constitution. This set it apart from all other Divisions of the Global Seventh-day Adventist Church which have not had a constitution separate from the General Conference Constitution. At its last constituency meeting or session, held in 2005, the constituency of the South Pacific Division voted to dissolve the constitution and the constituency and henceforth operate under the authority of the General Conference constitution.² Insofar as the Australasian Union Conference was the first organized Union Conference in the global Seventh-day Adventist (SDA Church), the entity retained the constitution and constituency of a union conference, even though it became a Division—the Australasian Division and then the South Pacific Division—of the global church.

The Beginning (1885-1894)

At the General Conference Annual session held at Battle Creek in October 1884, the Committee on Resolutions brought to the floor of the session a resolution to commence working in Australia. The resolution simply read: “Resolved, that in our judgment, steps should be immediately taken to open a mission in Australia.”³ After some discussion by the delegates to the session the record indicates that “the motion unanimously prevailed.”⁴ Before the session concluded, a “committee appointed to consider the wants of destitute fields” recommended that Elder Stephen N. Haskell go to California in time to attend the fall camp-meeting, and as soon after this as possible go to Australia to superintend the establishing of a mission there ; and that Eld. J. 0. Corliss, and other laborers who may be selected, go at the same time to labor in the mission.”⁵

Melbourne, Victoria was chosen as the location for the initial activities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia.⁶ The first missionaries, all from the United States were S. N. Haskell, J. 0. Corliss and family, M. C. Israel and family, Henry Scott, a printer, and William Arnold.⁷

At the General Conference session commencing November 18, 1885, the delegates expressed their gratitude to God that the Church had commenced work in Australia. The following action was taken:

Resolved, That we hereby express our unfeigned gratitude to the kind Providence which has so highly prospered the work of establishing a mission in Australia; that we extend to S. N. Haskell and his fellow-laborers our earnest sympathies in their efforts to plant the truth in that important field; and that we pledge ourselves to afford that mission help as the providence of God may open the way.⁸

During the first evangelistic series of meetings which concluded on January 10, 1886 the first Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia was organized at North Fitzroy. The Church had 28 foundation members.⁹

Organization of an Australian Conference

Based on the financial strength of the fledgling church and the availability of local human resources, an Australian Conference was organized in September 1888. Attending the session were twenty-two lay delegates, representing the churches at Adelaide, Ballarat, Hobart, Melbourne and the company at Wychitella, and four ministers as delegates at large. A constitution as used by all conferences was adopted, with some alterations. The elected officers were: President, G. C. Tenney; Secretary, Stephen McCullagh; Treasurer, Echo Publishing House.¹⁰ The new conference had 5 churches and 266 members.¹¹

Organization of a New Zealand Conference

A New Zealand Conference was organized at Auckland on May 27, 1889.¹² 9 lay delegates representing church groups at Kaeo, Napier and Auckland, and 2 ministers—delegates at large—comprised the full delegation.¹³ There were at the time 2 organized churches and 155 church members.¹⁴ The model constitution for conferences provided by the General Conference was adopted with a few ‘verbal changes.’¹⁵ The elected Conference officers were President, A. G. Daniels; Secretary, W. H. Hardy; Treasurer, G. Masters; Executive Committee, A. G. Daniels, Joseph Hare, Jr., S. Rout, John Glass, and Thomas Ward.¹⁶ A New Zealand Tract Society was organized at the same time.¹⁷

Designation of Australia and New Zealand as District 7 of the General Conference

At the General Conference session held from February 17- March 6, 1893, the Australian and New Zealand Conferences together were designated as District #7 by the delegation. Europe was designated as District 8.¹⁸

Organization of the Australasian Union Conference

In 1894 the organizational entity which eventually was to become the South Pacific Division was formally organized. What had been designated by the General Conference as District 7, was organized by the delegates at a special session convened by W. C. White as the Australasian Union Conference (AUC). The session was held at Middle Brighton, Victoria, commencing on January 15, 1894.¹⁹ The President of the General Conference, O. A. Olsen, and Mrs E. G. White were present.²⁰ There were also present 6 delegates from New Zealand and 14 delegates from Australia.²¹ By unanimous vote, Olsen was asked to assume the chair.²² “After a brief but comprehensive statement from Elder Olsen as to the objects and aims of the Union Conference, and the relation which it will sustain to the General and the local Conferences, the committees for the session were appointed.”²³

A report of the organization of the Australasian Union Conference in the denominational Yearbook read:

The object of this Conference is to unify and extend the work of the third angel's message, under the general direction of the General Conference, in the Australasian field. As the work extends in that field, other Conferences will be organized. In the organization of the Union Conference, these local Conferences will be brought together for counsel and instruction in the work, and for mutual encouragement, and development of the important interests carried forward by the denomination, in that field.

The officers of the Conference are: A president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive committee. The president of the Conference will always be the superintendent of the district appointed by the General Conference. This arrangement will afford the opportunity for all moneys belonging to the General Conference, such as tithes from the local Conferences, First-day offerings, and other general and personal contributions, to be paid to the treasurer .of the Union Conference, and he to hold and disburse the same at the order of the General Conference. This arrangement will greatly simplify matters, and avoid the paying of exchange on money, back and forth. Already the Union Conference treasurer has received $487 tithe from the Australian Conference, and $129.50 donations to the foreign mission work.

. . . . The present officers are: President, W. C. White; Vice-President, A. G. Daniells; Secretary, L. J. Rousseau; Treasurer, Echo Publishing Company; Executive Committee, W. C. White, A. G. Daniells, L. J. Rousseau, G. T. Wilson, S. Mc Cullagh, Joseph Hare, H. Muckersey, A. Reekie, James Smith.²⁴

Of significance is the record of the adoption of a constitution. The report read:

The Committee on Organisation presented a Constitution for the temporary government of the Conference, and suggested that, as special Acts of Parliament may be required to enable the Conference to hold church and school property, it would be advisable to give power to the Executive Committee to secure the necessary Acts, and to revise the Constitution so that it may be in harmony with the same.²⁵

Until 2005, when the AUC had long since become the Australasian Division and then the South Pacific Division, this entity was a constitutional body, governed by its own constitution. This was in contrast to all other divisions of the General Conference which were never constitutional bodies in their own right and which have always come under the governance of the Constitution and Bylaws of the General Conference.²⁶

The Australasian Union Conference: Changes in Territory and Entities within the Union Conference (1894-1901)

With its organization in 1894, the AUC comprised two conferences-Australia and New Zealand.²⁷ In 1922 it was given Division status by the General Conference and in addition to being named the Australasian Union Conference was also designated as the Australasian Division.²⁸ The years between 1894 and 1922 saw many changes taking place within its territory. As membership grew and the Church expanded geographically, conferences and missions were organized, and institutions were established.

Australia

Near the close of 1895, at the time of the Australian Conference session, New South Wales was separated from the Australian Conference by the organization of the New South Wales Conference.²⁹ At that time the name of the Australian Conference was changed to the Central Australian Conference.³⁰

On October 29, 1899, the Queensland Conference was organized,³¹ and on November 25, 1899, the South Australian Conference was organized.³² On January 1, 1900 Tasmania became a mission field under the care of the Australian Union Conference and what had been known as the Central Australian Conference was named the Victorian Conference,³³ comprising only the colony of Victoria.³⁴ A West Australian Conference was organized in 1902. It was reported in the Union Conference Record that “the last meeting of the season was held in Perth, West Australia. Being the first meeting of the kind ever held in the State, it was quite largely attended . . . A conference consisting of 152 members was organized.”³⁵

Further changes to territory and conference names in Australia were to take place in the ensuing years. Northern Queensland and southern Queensland alternatively separated and amalgamated a number of times between 1899 and 1928.³⁶ Then, at the Australasian Union Conference Council held in September 1928 an action was adopted finally to separate the “Queensland Conference” from a “North Queensland Mission.”³⁷ No further amalgamation has taken place. In 1955, the North Queensland Mission was organized as the North Queensland Conference.³⁸ In September 1968, the name of the Queensland Conference was changed to the South Queensland Conference.³⁹ In 1984 the North Queensland Conference, with the addition of the Northern territory, became the Northern Australia Conference.

Likewise, there was a series of territorial changes between Victoria and Tasmania between 1900 and 1926. While in January 1900 Tasmania had been designated as a mission field under the care of the Australian Union Conference, at the Australasian Union Conference Council held at Wahroonga in September 1909, action was taken to recommend the amalgamation of the Victorian Conference and the Tasmanian Mission. The name of the amalgamated Conference was the Victoria-Tasmania Conference.⁴⁰ In 1915, the conferences were separated into the Victorian Conference and the Tasmanian Conference.⁴¹ But then in 1922 they were once again amalgamated into the Victoria-Tasmania Conference.⁴² This arrangement was to last only 4 years and in 1926 the conferences were to be separated once again with Tasmania being organized as a mission under the care of the Australasian Union Conference.⁴³ No further amalgamations have taken place.

The New South Wales Conference which had been organized in 1895 was first divided at a meeting of the 24^th Session of the New South Wales Conference held a Parramatta Park on October 16, 1919. At that session it was recommended that: “this conference be divided: the dividing line to be the Hawkesbury River and Capertee Rivers as far west as the 150’ of east longitude, thence north to Casilis, and thence in a north-westerly direction to Queensland, to a point where the 147’ longitude and the 29’ latitude meet. That this division be known as the North Eastern NSW Conference.”⁴⁴ In a very short time this new conference began to be designated as the “North New South Wales Conference” and it was so named at the New South Wales Conference session in 1920 when further action was taken to separate the two conferences.⁴⁵ The rest of what had formerly been the New South Wales Conference was designated as the South New South Wales Conference.⁴⁶

New Zealand

The New Zealand Conference was organized first in 1889.⁴⁷ At the 25^th Annual Session of the Conference held at Napier, January 19-31, 1915, a recommendation to separate a South New Zealand Conference was adopted: “We Recommend, That the territory south of the Cook Straits be detached from this conference, and be organized into a separate conference.”⁴⁸ Shortly thereafter the southern conference was designated as the South New Zealand Conference and the northern conference as the North New Zealand Conference.

At the General Conference Session of 1901, the decision was made that all island groups “adjacent to Australia” be administered from and by the Australasian Union Conference rather than from and by the General Conference.⁴⁹

The Australasian Union Conference and Its South East Asian Territory (1901-1911)

Between 1901 and 1911, the AUC assumed responsibility for the establishment of the Church in a number of regional areas within South-east Asia. In 1899, a Mission Committee had been set up at the AUC with Edward H. Gates as chairman.⁵⁰ Then in 1901, when Gates presented his report to the Union Conference Session he spoke of progress in the Pacific Islands and referred to Malaysia, Java and the Philippine Islands as a part of the mission territory.⁵¹ At the end of the year, 1901, Gates made an exploratory trip to Singapore.⁵²

Sumatra

The AUC supplied a number of missionaries for Sumatra between 1902 and 1911, beginning with Pastor George Teasdale.⁵³ On December 31, 1911, the Sumatra Mission was transferred from the AUC to the Asiatic Division.⁵⁴ After more than a decade Sumatra had yielded few baptisms and no established Seventh-day Adventist church.

The Malaysian Peninsula, 1901-1909

In 1904. Elder Griffiths Jones and his wife Marion were appointed to pioneer the work of the SDA Church in Singapore, together with colporteur Robert Caldwell.⁵⁵ Caldwell only remained a few months before moving on to the Philippine Islands. On January 10, 1905, Elder George Irwin, president of the AUC, visited Jones and agreed that Singapore was ideally situated as the base of operations for the South East Asia territories of the AUC. They proposed to set up a small press in addition to requesting the Avondale Press to supply some larger translated books. They applied to receive two more colporteurs, a doctor and two nurses for medical missionary work and establish a health food store.⁵⁶

By 1909 Jones and his team were established in Singapore despite opposition from other church groups. There was a core of approximately forty-five baptized members with additional Sabbath School members.⁵⁷ In view of these results the AUC allocated the first quarter 1909 Sabbath School offering to build a church.⁵⁸ Jones had the satisfaction of opening and dedicating the building on August 21, 1909.⁵⁹

The following month, September 1909, it was announced at the AUC Council that the General Conference would assume control of missions in the Malaysian Peninsula and Philippine Islands. This move took effect at the end of 1909 with the AUC transferring its regional headquarters to Java.⁶⁰ Twelve months later the AUC asked for the Malaysian Peninsula to be restored to Australasian administration but the request was declined.⁶¹

The Philippine Islands, 1905-1909

In late 1904 Robert Caldwell sold copies of Desire of Ages in Manilla during a few months stopover on his way from Singapore to Hong Kong.⁶² Elder Edward Gates visited Manilla in late 1905 to explore mission possibilities.⁶³ Subsequently, Americans James and Cora McElhany were appointed to sail from Australia to attempt to establish an SDA presence. They arrived in April 1906, but their stay was relatively short.⁶⁴

Caldwell returned to Manilla about the same time as the McElhanys were leaving. For two years he sold books in Manilla and the hinterland with good success.⁶⁵ Lewis and Ella Finster arrived in Manilla on December 17, 1908, to join Caldwell and continue evangelism well after the departure of the McElhaneys.⁶⁶ Finster had many names from Caldwell’s lists to visit and generate further interest. Within the first year he conducted his first public crusade in the city.⁶⁷ As a result Finster initiated a Sabbath School at Santa Ana, suburban Manilla, of approximately twenty national members that continued to grow.⁶⁸

Finster was fortunate to gain the services of Sofronio Calderon, translator of the Bible into Tagalog. Calderon translated Thoughts on Daniel for Tagalog readers and a number of tracts, including one on the Sabbath topic that persuaded him to become a Seventh-day Adventist. Finster claimed Calderon was the first to be baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist in the Philippine Islands.⁶⁹ When the General Conference assumed control of the Philippine Islands Mission on December 31, 1909, a robust start had been made that foreshadowed a bright future.⁷⁰

Java, 1906-1911

Between 1906 and 1911 a number of missionaries were appointed by the AUC to Java in order to establish the work of the SDA Church: George and Mattie Teasdale, Petra (Tunheim) Skadsheim.⁷¹ Anna Nordstrom,⁷² Sim Gee Nio,⁷³ Bert and Lily Thorpe,⁷⁴ George Wood who married Nordstrom,⁷⁵ Dorothy Knight,⁷⁶ William Hofstra and wife Rolena,⁷⁷ Another Dutchman, Jacob van de Groep, sold the Dutch version of Coming King throughout the island.⁷⁸ Of these, only the Woods and Tunheim managed long-term mission work in Java, made possible by periodic spells at high and cool altitudes. Much seed was sown but at the end of 1911, when Java and Sumatra were ceded to the Asiatic Division, the few baptized members were scattered and no church was organized.

The AUC as a part of the Asiatic Division, 1915

Albert H. Piper reported to the AUC session at the end of 1915 that at the General Conference session in 1915, the world was divided into 4 Division Conferences. These were designated the North American Division, the South American Division, the European Division and the Asiatic Division. The AUC was included in the territory of the Asiatic Division.⁷⁹ The headquarters were in Shanghai, China.⁸⁰ In fact Piper’s report was somewhat condensed. While the AUC was indeed included in the Asiatic Division Conference, the Preface to the Yearbook for 1916 explained that “the entire world is arranged in four division conferences, two unattached unions, one group of eight mission fields, and two local missions,— a total of 278 organizations completely organized and in full working order. . . . As auxiliaries, there are 141 institutions — 71 advanced schools, 38 publishing houses and branches, and 32 sanitariums, besides a number of other institutional interests.”⁸¹

The Australasian Union Conference and Its Pacific Islands Territory

When Seventh-day Adventists began to establish themselves in the Pacific Islands, their work was administered by the Foreign Missions Board at the General Conference headquarters of the Church. The purpose-built missionary ship Pitcairn made a total of six missionary voyages to the South Pacific, beginning on October 20, 1890.⁸² Its final trip commenced on January 23, 1899.⁸³

Following the visits of the Pitcairn, the work of the Church was established with the permanent presence of a church worker in each of the major Island groups as follows:

Pitcairn	established 1886.84 Church organized December 1890.85
Fiji	established 1891.86 First Mission organization as part of the Central Polynesian Mission 1908.87
French Polynesia	First established 1892.88 First Mission organization as part of the Eastern Polynesia Mission 1904.89
Cook Islands	First established 1894.90 First Mission organization as part of the Eastern Polynesia Mission 1904.91
Samoa	First established 1895.92 First rudimentary Mission organization, 1908.93
Tonga	First established 1895.94 First Mission organization as part of the Central Polynesian Mission.95
Papua New Guinea	First established 1908.96 First Mission organization, 1928.97
New Hebrides	First established 1912.98 First Mission organization as part of the Melanesian Mission, Melanesian Mission, 1916.”99
Solomon Islands	First established 1914.100 First Mission organization as part of the Melanesian Mission, Melanesian Mission, 1916.”101 First local church organization 1920.102
New Caledonia	First established 1924.103 First Mission organization 1954.104

From 1901, the Australasian Union Conference assumed the oversight of the work of the Church in the Pacific Islands. ¹⁰⁵ A major reorganization of the Pacific administrative entities during the early years of the twentieth century occurred at the annual meetings of the Australasian Union Conference between August 29 and September 12, 1916.¹⁰⁶ A Central Polynesian Conference, an Eastern Polynesian Mission and a Melanesian Mission were all organized at this meeting in an attempt to bring some administrative oversight to the scattered island territories of the Pacific. However, each had a very short life and was soon superseded by one of many changes in coming years.

Changes in Headquarters during the Period 1894-1922

It took some time after the organization of the Australasian Union Conference for a headquarters office to be established. By 1896 the office had been established at 251 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, Melbourne, Victoria.¹⁰⁷ It remained there until August 1898. Locations in ensuing years were:

August 1898: 82 Douglas Street Stanmore, New South Wales.¹⁰⁸
April 1899: 25 Sloane Street Summer Hill, New South Wales¹⁰⁹
June 1903: 56 George Street West, Sydney, New South Wales. ¹¹⁰
September 1904: 32 Royal Chambers, Castlereagh St., Sydney, New South Wales.¹¹¹
November 1906: "Elsnath." Burwood St, Strathfield, New South Wales.¹¹²
January 1911: Fox Valley Road Wahroonga, New South Wales.¹¹³
May 1911: ‘Mizpah,’ Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, New South Wales.¹¹⁴

The Australasian Union Conference/Australasian Division 1922-1948

At the General Conference Session in 1922, on May 24, action was taken to name the Australasian Union Conference as the Australasian Division. The action was embedded in Article X Section 6 of the General Conference Bylaws and read:

As the Australasian field consists of only one union organization, the time and extent of the development of the division feature of that organization shall be optional with the Australasian Union Conference, it being understood that until the divisional feature is developed, the president of the Australasian Union Conference shall be a vice president of the General Conference and the Australasian Union Conference will function as a division of the General Conference in all phases of its relation to the World movement.¹¹⁵

Responding to this action, a letter from Division Secretary W. G Turner quoted the response of the Australasian Division session: " Voted, That we convey to the General Conference our approval and appreciation of their action with regard to Australasia's place in the organization of the world work [creating it one of the divisions], and also express our desire to continue in fullest co-operation with the General Conference in their worldwide plan."

“We feel happy in knowing that we are recognized as a division of the General. Conference, and shall, as the minutes state, at all times do our utmost in cooperation with the General Conference in their plans for the completion of the work of God in this generation.”¹¹⁶

The action of the General Conference indicated that the Australasian Union was to continue to function as such, that the “Division feature of that organization” was to be “optional,” and that “until the divisional feature is developed,” the president of the Australasian Union Conference would be a vice-president of the General Conference as was the case with all other Division Presidents.

Between 1922 and 1948, all administrative entities within the territory of the Australasian Union Conference were administered by the Union itself with headquarters in Sydney, Australia. As the Church developed both numerically and geographically there were many changes in the territory, boundaries and organization of the conferences, missions and other administrative entities in the AUC. Chronologically those adjustments are listed as follows:

1922:	The Victorian Conference and the Tasmanian Conference were amalgamated into the Victoria-Tasmania Conference.117
1922:	The North Queensland-Papua Mission was dissolved and the two fields (North Queensland and Papua) commenced working as separate missions.”118
1923:	The North Queensland Mission and the Queensland Conference again reunited.119
1923:	The Cook Islands was designated as a separate mission. A note under the heading ‘Cook Islands Mission’ in the 1924 Yearbook said that the Cook Islands Mission was “included as part of the Eastern Polynesian Mission, 1916 to 1923; reorganized 1923.”120
1923:	The Eastern Polynesia Mission continued but it was just the Society Islands (French Polynesia) and Pitcairn Island.121
1926:	The Victorian and Tasmania Conferences were again separated.122 Initially, Tasmania was cared for by the Australasian Union Conference.123 Then at a conference session held February 17 – 28, 1927, a constitution was adopted.124
1928:	The North Queensland Mission and the Queensland Conference were again separated.125
1928:	A Papua Mission was organized with headquarters at Bisiatabu.126
1929:	Up until 1929, there was no formal organizational structure in the mission territories of the Australasian Union Conference in New Guinea. With the arrival of Griffiths Jones at Matupi on the Island of New Britain, an entity simply known as the “Mandated Territory of New Guinea” appeared in the SDA YearBook.127
1932:	“Mandated Territory of New Guinea” was changed to “Territory of New Guinea.”128
1943:	The Eastern Polynesia Mission was once again called “Society Islands Mission.” It continued to comprise “the following former missions: Society Islands, and Pitcairn Island.” Its territory was: “All the Pacific Islands east of the 160th degree of west longitude, and south of the tenth parallel of north latitude.”129
1945:	A ‘Papua - New Guinea Mission’ was formed.130 This mission included all the territory of the former ‘Territory of New Guinea Mission, and the former Papua Mission.131
1946:	The name of the Papua – New Guinea Mission was changed to Papua North East New Guinea Mission.132
1947:	A Bismarck Archipelago Mission was formed. The territory of this mission had been included in the Papua-New Guinea Mission. In 1947 New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, Buka, the St. Matthias Group, the Admiralty Group and adjacent islands were taken out of the Papua-New Guinea Mission and organized as the Bismarck Archipelago Mission.133 The remaining territory of the Papua-New Guinea Mission was now organized as the Papua North East New Guinea Mission under superintendent Robert R. Frame.
1947:	Seventh-day Adventists first arrived in the territory of modern Kiribati. John Howse captained the MV “Fetu Ao,” from Sydney to the Gilbert Islands via Fiji, departing on April 10, 1947.134

 

Changes in the Administrative Offices Between 1922 and 1948

Over the years ‘Mizpah,’ the name given to a modified house which was used as the headquarters office of the AUC, was expanded with the addition of extra office rooms.¹³⁵ In 1930 a decision was taken to construct a new brick premises alongside 'Mizpah' at 148 Fox Valley Road Wahroonga, New South Wales. Most of the building costs came from the health food business via the Australasian Conference Association, not from tithes and offerings.¹³⁶ The structure itself was built with bricks and fitted inside with hardwood timbers.

The new building was officially opened and dedicated on September 1, 1931. Albert Anderson gave the dedication sermon. He went to great lengths to explain the cramped and "insufferable disadvantages" of 'Mizpah,' the imperative of efficiency being more important than economy, the opulence of the Jerusalem Temple, the importance of employee's health and the utilitarian nature of the building. By the time the 1936 AUC Session convened, two wings had been added to the offices, one at each end of the building.¹³⁷

Australasian Division/Australasian Inter Union Conference (1949-1956)

Between 1949 and 1956, the names Australasian Division and Australasian Inter Union Conference were used to describe the territory which had previously been described as the Australasian Union Conference.¹³⁸

The most significant change to the mode of operation of the Australasian Union Conference since its organization in 1894 was voted by the constituency at a special Union session between August 16 and 21, 1948.¹³⁹

At the Australasian Union Quadrennial session held in 1945, the President, Edmund B. Rudge had spoken of the need to decentralize authority and decision-making in the Union. He stated that:

The Union Conference officers have come to feel that too much work is centred in the Union Conference headquarters. So much detail now comes there that we are convinced that the time has come when there should be a wider distribution of responsibility and management in some phases of the work. We believe the time is here when we should seek to divide the work among a greater number of leaders, and thus make the work easier and more efficiently administered. To this Session suggestions will be brought with this thought in mind.¹⁴⁰

So a proposal for a subdivision of the Australasian Union Conference was submitted to the session in 1945. It was voted as a tentative plan subject to final acceptance and ratification by the General Conference. The salient features of the plan were:

• That the AUC operate as all other Divisions under the constitution of the General Conference

• That the Division be known as the Southern Pacific Division.

• That the territory of this Division “be comprised of the territory of the Australasian Union Conference, the Netherlands East Indies Union Mission, the Malay States, British North Borneo and Sarawak, and the former Japanese Mandated Territories, viz., Marshall and Caroline Islands, with Headquarters at Wahroonga in the present Australasian Union Conference office.”¹⁴¹

• That this territory be divided into the following Unions:

a. An Australian Union Conference comprised of the States of the Commonwealth of Australia, with Headquarters in Melbourne.

b. A New Zealand Union Conference comprised of the Dominion of New Zealand and adjacent islands, and the Islands of Polynesia and Micronesia, south of Latitude 10 North, with Headquarters in Auckland.

c. A Central South Seas Union Mission comprised of the British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, with Headquarters in the Governmental Administration centre on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands.

d. A New Guinea Union Mission comprised of British New Guinea, including the territory of Papua, the Caroline and Marshall Islands, Truk Island and Nauru, with Headquarters in Port Moresby.

e. A Malayan Union Mission comprised of the Malay States, Sarawak, British North Borneo, with Headquarters in Singapore.

f. A Netherlands East Indies Union Mission comprised of the present Netherlands East Indies Union, with Headquarters at Bandoeng.¹⁴²

In attendance at the session in 1945 was General Conference Vice-President W. H. Branson. The proposal was sent on to the General Conference for consideration that year.¹⁴³ It came back again to be considered in detail by the special session of the Australasian Union Conference in August 1948. Of significance was a decision to turn away from the name “Southern Pacific Division” in favour of “Inter Union Conference.”¹⁴⁴ Also, no longer did the proposal have a Malayan Union Mission nor a Netherlands East Indies Union Mission included. After vote by the Australasian Union constituency, it was ratified at the General Conference Autumn Council, October 18-28, 1948. It included provision for the Australasian Union Conference to be renamed the Inter-Union Conference, and its territory to be split into two Union Conferences and two Union Missions.¹⁴⁵ The action of the General Conference read:

WHEREAS, the said special Session voted unanimous support of these proposals for the re-organization of the work in Australasia and the Islands of the South Pacific, adopting constitutions and working policies for the proposed new Union organization, and requesting the General Conference in Fall Council to endorse their actions; therefore

"WE RECOMMEND, that we express to the brethren of the Australasian Union Conference our appreciation that they have found a satisfactory solution to the complex problems which confronted them in the consideration of the question of reorganization, and that we hereby express our approval of the plans they have submitted together with the constitution of the Australasian Inter-Union Conference, a copy of which will be recorded with this resolution.¹⁴⁶

After this action of the General Conference to ratify the new structure, another special session was held at Avondale, December 1-12, 1948, to effect this change and to appoint the personnel to the various positions that had been created.¹⁴⁷ All positions, elected or appointed by the Australasian Union Conference were terminated as of December 31, 1948 in readiness for Australasian Inter Union Conference which commenced on January 1, 1949.¹⁴⁸

Thus at the beginning of 1949 there were four Unions within the territory of the Australasian Division which was more commonly known as the Australasian Inter-Union Conference:¹⁴⁹

1. Central Pacific Union Mission with headquarters in Suva, Fiji.

   The Union comprised Cook Islands Mission, Fiji Mission, Gilbert and Ellice Islands Mission, New Hebrides Mission, Niue (or Savage Islands) Mission, Pitcairn Island Mission, Samoan Mission, Society Islands Mission, and Tongan Mission.¹⁵⁰

2. Coral Sea Union Mission with headquarters in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

   The Union comprised Bismarck Archipelago Mission, North East New Guinea Mission, Papuan Mission, Solomon Islands Mission.¹⁵¹

3. Trans-Commonwealth Union Conference with headquarters in Melbourne, Victoria.

   The Union comprised the South Australian Conference, the South New South Wales Conference, the Tasmanian Conference, the Victorian Conference, and the West Australian Conference.¹⁵²

4. Trans-Tasman Union Conference with headquarters in Gordon, New South Wales.”

   The Union comprised the Greater Sydney Conference, Lord Howe Island Mission, Mona Moan Mission for Aboriginies, Norfolk Island Mission, North New South Wales Conference, Kempsey Mission for Aboriginies, North New Zealand Conference, North Queensland Mission, Queensland Conference, and South New Zealand Conference.¹⁵³

Institutions in the Australasian Inter Union Conference at the Beginning of 1949

Up until the beginning of 1949, not only had the conferences and missions in the Australasian Union Conference been administered by the Union, but so had the major institutions that had been created and were still in existence at that time. They were listed in the Yearbook in 1949 as follows:¹⁵⁴

Education:
Advent Correspondence School, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia.
Aore Training School, Aore, New Hebrides, Pacific Ocean.
Australasian Missionary College, Cooranbong, N. S. W., Australia.
Batuna Intermediate School, Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands.
Bautama Missionary School, Bautama, via Port Moresby, Papua.
Betikama Missionary School, Betikama, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
Beulah Training School, Vaini, Nukualofa, Tonga, Pacific Ocean.
Central Highlands Missionary School.
Omaura, via Kainantu and Lae, Territory of New Guinea.
Choiseul Intermediate School, Ruruvae, Choiseul, Solomon Islands.
Cook Islands Training School, Box 21, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean.
Fulton Missionary School, Korovau, Tai Levu, Fiji, Pacific Ocean.
Kambubu Training School, Put Put, via Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea.
Monamona Mission School, Oak Forest, via Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
New Zealand Missionary College, Longburn, New Zealand.
Papuan Training School, Vilirupu, Papua, Pacific Ocean.
Samabula Indian School, Suva, Fiji, Pacific Ocean.
Vailoa Training School, Vailoa, Samoa, Pacific Ocean.
Vatuvanu Central School, Buca Bay, Vanua Levu, Fiji, Pacific Ocean.
West Australian Missionary College, Carmel, West Australia, Australia.

Health Food Factories:
Head Office: 148 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.

Medical:
Sanitariums
Amyes Memorial Hospital, Kukudu, Island of Kolumbangara, Solomon Islands.
Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital, Wahroonga, N. S. W., Australia.
Warburton Sanitarium and Hospital, Warburton, Victoria, Australia.

Dispensaries
Sydney Treatment Rooms, 13 Hunter Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Publishing:
Cook Islands Mission Press, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean.
Fiji Mission Press, Suva, Fiji, Pacific Ocean.
Papuan Mission Press, Vilirupu, Papua, Pacific Ocean.
Signs Publishing Co., Ltd., Warburton, Victoria, Australia.
Society Islands Mission Press, Tipaerui, Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands.
Solomon Islands Mission Press, Betikama, Marovo Lagoon [sic], Solomon Islands, Pacific Ocean.

Over time, administrative responsibility was devolved to the entities overseeing the territories in which the institutions existed. Four institutions remained under the administration of the Australasian Division: The Australasian Missionary School at Avondale; the Sanitarium Health Food Company; the Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital; and the Signs Publishing Company.

Changes in Union, Conference and Mission Structures between 1949 and 1956

By 1953 it was decided that the territory of the Coral Sea Union Mission would be better developed by being formed into two Union territories. The result was that a reorganized Coral Sea Union Mission remained, and a Bismarck-Solomons Union Mission was created with headquarters at Rabaul. This meant that there were now five Unions in the Australasian Division.¹⁵⁵

In addition to the formation of Unions within the territory of the Australasian Union Conference/Australasian Division, there were a number of changes in the organization of Missions and Conferences during the period between 1949 and 1956. The changes listed chronologically were as follows:

1949:	The South New South Wales Conference was divided into a Greater Sydney Conference with headquarters in Sydney and a South New South Wales Conference with headquarters in Wagga, Wagga, New South Wales.156  A Northeast New Guinea Mission was organized with headquarters in Madang.157 Papuan Mission was reorganized with Headquarters in Port Moresby.158A Solomon Islands Mission was reorganized.159 The territory of the Society Islands Mission was changed from “all the Pacific Islands east of the 160th degree of west longitude, and south of the tenth Parallel of north latitude,”160 to “Society Islands, Leeward Group, Marquesas, Northern and Southern Tuamotus, Austral Group and Mangareva.”161
1950:	A North-West New Guinea Mission was established comprising the Sepik and Manus. To form this organization the Sepik area was taken from the existing North-East New Guinea Mission territory, and Manus and the Western Islands from the existing Bismarck Archipelago Mission.”162 The Solomon Islands Mission was divided into a Western Solomon Islands Mission and an Eastern Solomon Islands Mission.163 The Tonga Mission and the Niue Mission were joined and administered from Nuku’alofa. From 1951, there was no separate listing of a Niue Mission.164
1951:	The Fiji Mission was separated into the West Fiji Mission with headquarters remaining at Suva Vou, and the East Fiji Mission with headquarters located at Buca Bay, Vanua Levu.165
1952:	The name of the Society Islands Mission was changed to “French Oceania Mission.”166 American Samoa and Tokelau were first included as part of the Samoan Mission in the ‘Samoan Mission’ entry in the Yearbook.167
1953.	With the formation of the Bismarck Solomons Union Mission the following Papua and New Guinea Missions were formed:      Bougainville Mission.168       Manus Mission.169       New Britain Mission.170       New Ireland Mission.171 The Reorganized Coral Sea Union Mission had the following Missions:      Papuan Mission.172       Eastern Highlands Mission.173       Eastern Papua Mission.174       Madang Mission.17       Morobe Mission.176       Sepik Mission.177       Western Highlands Mission.178       Western Papua Mission. 179
1954:	The Papuan Mission was renamed as the Central Papuan Mission. The Kauma Church on Abemama was organized.180 The Yearbook appears to recognise this event as the organization of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Mission.181 The Seventh-day Adventist Church in New Caledonia was organized as a Mission.182
1955:	The North Queensland Mission was organized as the North Queensland Conference with Pastor W. J. Richards as President and I. R. Stratford as Secretary.183
1955:	The New Ireland Mission and the Manus Mission were combined and named the North Bismarck Mission.184

Australasian Division (1956–1985)

At the General Conference Autumn Council held at Takoma Park in 1956, an action was taken that henceforth the name ‘Australasian Inter Union Conference would no longer be used and that this entity be known exclusively as the Australasian Division.¹⁸⁵ The name “Australasian Inter Union Conference was not removed from the masthead of the Australasian Record until the edition of February 5, 1957.¹⁸⁶ No action was recorded anywhere which dispensed with the constitution or the constituency of the Australasian Inter Union Conference or the Australasian Division. Legally, only the constituency of the Australasian Division could make that change and it did not do it.

New Division Institutions

Two new institutions which came under the direct administration of the Australasian Division commenced operations during the period:

Advent Radio TV Productions

On Sunday, December 4, 1966, a new building at 150 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, adjacent to the Australasian Division offices, was officially opened and a new entity was launched: Advent Radio-Television Productions (ARTP). The first director/speaker was Roy C. Naden. The facility included a state of the art “floating” recording studio as well as housing staff offices and the Bible correspondence school.¹⁸⁷

In April 1981 it was announced that Advent Radio-Television Productions had been rebranded as the Adventist Media Center. Graphic design, copywriting, marketing, and the work of the Bible Correspondence School were just some of the functions which now accrued to the Media Centre.¹⁸⁸

A New Tower Block at Sydney Adventist Hospital

On June 10, 1973 the new eight story tower block was officially opened by the Governor General of New South Wales, Sir Roden Cutler.¹⁸⁹ This extension was named the ‘HE Clifford Tower Block’ after Dr Herbert Clifford, Hospital Director who was instrumental in the planning and execution of the development. At this time the name of the hospital was also changed to Sydney Adventist Hospital though the colloquial name used by the community continued to be ‘The San.’ Bed numbers increase to 300.

Shortly thereafter the original building was demolished. In these years expansion also included extensions to nurse staff accommodation, expanding room numbers by an additional 88 beds, construction of the Fox Valley Medical Centre, and in conjunction with Wahroonga Church, a new activities centre. School of Nursing facilities were also completed.¹⁹⁰

Pacific Adventist College

On Monday February 13, 1984, Pacific Adventist College was officially opened by Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, with representatives from several Island governments, all levels of the SDA Church from General Conference to Local Missions, and many community members present.”¹⁹¹

In the first year there were 13 faculty members and only 107 students from 10 Pacific countries. The courses offered were Bachelor degrees in Theology and Education, and Diploma programs in Theology, Education, Commerce (Accounting) and Commerce (Secretarial Skills). By the end of 1985, 11 students gained the first PAC degrees (5 in Theology, and 6 in Education), and a further 28 gained Diplomas.¹⁹²

Changes in Union Structures Between 1956 and 1985

While the name of the entity gradually changed, there was no change in the territory of the two union conferences in the Division. However, there were some substantial changes in the organization of the union missions in the Division. On February 29, 1972 these changes were approved by the Division executive committee.¹⁹³

The primary changes were:¹⁹⁴

1. The Coral Sea, Bismarck-Solomons and Central Pacific Union Missions as they had been constituted were dissolved.

2. The country of Papua New Guinea was constituted as one unit of church organization, known as the Papua New Guinea Union Mission. 0. D. F. McCutcheon was appointed as president, and E. R. Piez as secretary-treasurer. Five local missions: East New Britain, West New Britain, Bougainville, New Ireland, and Manus were transferred from the former Bismark Solomons Union Mission territory.) Headquarters were in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

3. A Western Pacific Union Mission was established with headquarters in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Gordon A. Lee was appointed as president and A. E. Jones as secretary/treasurer. The union comprised six local missions—Western Solomons, Eastern Solomons, Malaita, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The New Hebrides, New Caledonia and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were thus transferred in the reorganization from the Central Pacific Union Mission to the Western Pacific Union Mission.

4. A reconstituted Central Pacific Union Mission was established with headquarters in Suva, Fiji. Donald E. G. Mitchell was appointed as president, and Keith. E. Watts as secretary/treasurer. The union comprised five local missions -- Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands, and French Polynesia plus the Pitcairn Island Church under its care.

The reorganization into the new Unions became effective on April 1, 1972.

In December 1972, an action was taken to transfer the headquarters of the new Central Pacific Union Mission to Auckland, New Zealand, from Suva, Fiji.¹⁹⁵ The transfer of the union headquarters was complete by January 1974. Meanwhile, the territories of the Trans-Tasman Union and the Trans Commonwealth Union remained the same throughout the period, 1956-2000. The one change for these Unions was the change of name for the Trans Commonwealth Union to the Trans Australia Union in 1976.¹⁹⁶

Changes in Mission and Conference Structures Between 1956 and 1985

There were a number of changes in the organization and structure of many of the Missions and Conferences during the period between 1956 and 1985 as follows:

1958:	Adjustments were made in the territory of both the East and the West Fiji Missions. Before the adjustment the territory of the East Fiji Mission was “North and South Lau Groups, Lomaviti (excluding Ovalau), Rotuma and Vanua Levu, and adjacent islands.”197 After the adjustment, the territory of the East Fiji Mission was “Vanua Levu and adjacent islands, including Tavenui, Qumea, and Cikobia.”198 The territory of the West Fiji Mission before the 1958 adjustment was “Kadavu, Ovalau, Viti Levu, and adjacent islands, and Yasawa Islands.”199 After the adjustment, the territory of the West Fiji Mission was “Kadavu, Lomaiviti, Ovalau, Viti Levu, and adjacent islands, Yasawa Islands, Yasawa Islands, North and South Lau groups, and Rotuma."200
1960:	The name of the French Oceania Mission was changed to the “French Polynesia Mission.201
1961:	The Milne Bay District was separated from the Eastern Papua Mission. It was attached to the Coral Sea Union Mission (CSUN) as the Milne Bay District of Papua.202 It was located at Gesila and its postal address was PO Box 10, Samarai, Papua.203 The Talasea Mission Station in West New Britain was separated from the New Britain Mission and attached as an entity of the Bismarck Solomons Union Mission.204
1963:	A Milne Bay Mission was established. It was located at Gesila and its address was PO Box 10 Samarai, Papua.205 The Eastern Papua Mission became the North Papuan Mission. The headquarters of the Mission was at Karasia Village, Yapuri River, Tufi, Papua, New Guinea (near Popondetta).206 At the half-yearly meetings of the Australasian Union Conference Executive Committee in May 1963, it was decided to form a Malaita Mission.207 The new mission headquarters were at Kwailabesi.208 The Solomon Islands now had three local missions: Western Solomons, Eastern Solomons and Malaita.
1964:	The North Bismarck Mission separated into New Ireland Mission (Kavieng)209 and Manus Mission (Lorengau).210 The New Britain Mission was reorganized and renamed the East New Britain Mission.211 Its territory was designated as “the north eastern portion of New Britain and the southeastern portion of New Ireland.”212 The Talasea Station previously attached directly to the Bismarck Solomons Union Mission was organized as the West New Britain Mission.213 Its territory was designated as “southwestern New Britain and adjacent islands.”214
1965:	The SDA Church in Fiji was again unified as one local Mission designated once again as the Fiji Mission, and with headquarters at Suva Vou, Suva, Fiji.215
1968:	The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Mission moved its headquarters and established itself on the island of Tarawa.216
1972:	The Madang Mission (formerly in the CSUM) and the Manus Mission (formerly in the Bismarck Solomons Union Mission [BSUM]) were combined and organized as the Madang Manus Mission. The Madang Manus Mission was one of 10 local Missions in the new Papua New Guinea Union Mission.217 The East New Britain, West New Britain and New Ireland Missions were combined and organized as the New Britain New Ireland Mission (NBNI). NBNI was one of 10 local Missions in the new Papua New Guinea Union Mission.218
1977:	The name of the Bougainville Mission was changed to the ‘North Solomons Mission.’219
1978:	With independence in the Ellice Islands, the Mission was renamed the ‘Gilbert and Tuvalu Mission.’220
1979:	With independence in the Gilbert Islands, the mission was renamed the Kiribati and Tuvalu Mission.221 The territory of the Mission was “Kiribati, Line, Nauru, Phoenix, and Tuvalu Islands.”222
1980:	With independence in the New Hebrides, the Mission was renamed the Vanuatu Mission.223
1985:	The island nation of Tuvalu was transferred from the territory of the Western Pacific Union Mission to the Central Pacific Union Mission as from January 1, 1986, and the Central Pacific Union Mission executive committee, in consultation with the Division, was tasked to develop an appropriate administrative structure for the care and operation of the work of the church in Tuvalu.224

In 1985 the Australasian Division was renamed the South Pacific Division. No change was made in the constituent nature of the Division which it had inherited from 1894. The announcement read: “The General Conference Session approved changing the name of our Division from the Australasian Division to the South Pacific Division.”²²⁵

The change of name meant that the constitution had to be changed in order to accommodate the name change from Australasian Division to South Pacific Division. This was voted at the Division Session held in Hamilton New Zealand, August 21 – 25, 1985. However, the vote to change the name was not unanimous. Some wanted to retain the old name while some wanted to combine the old and the new name. After discussion, it was decided to adopt the new name as it was considered to be a more accurate descriptor of the territory of the Division.²²⁶

The session also voted to implement a Church Ministries Department to integrate the delivery of services of the former Lay Activities, Youth, Sabbath School, Stewardship and Home and Family at the Division.²²⁷

List of Executive Officers

Presidents

Australasian Union Conference (1894-1922):
W. C. White (1894-1897), A. G. Daniells (1897-1901), C. H. Irwin (1901-1905), O.A. Olsen (1905-1909), J. E. Fulton (1909-1916), C. H. Watson (1916-April 1920), C. K. Meyers (acting, April 1920- June 1920), C. H. Watson (June 1920-1922)

Australasian Union Conference/Australasian Division (1922-1948):
J. E. Fulton (1922-1926), C. H. Watson (1926-1930), W. G. Turner (1930-1936), C. H. Watson (1937), E. B. Rudge (1838-1946), W. G. Turner (1947-1948)

Australasian Inter-Union Conference/Australasian Division (1949-1956):
N. C. Wilson (October 1948-July 1951), F. A. Mote (acting July 1951- October 1951); F. A. Mote (October 1951-1954), F. G. Clifford (1954-1956).

Australasian Division (1957-1985):
F. G. Clifford (1957 – 1961); L. C. Naden (1962-1970), R. R. Frame (1970-1976), Keith S. Parmenter (1977-1983),

Secretaries

Australasian Union Conference (1894-1922):
L. J. Rousseau (1894), H. C. Lacey, (1895 -1897), Anna L. Ingels (1897 - 1898), Edith M. Graham (1898-1910), A. H. Piper (1911), C. H. Pretyman (1912-1918), C. K. Meyers (1919), W. G. Turner (1920-1922)

Australasian Union Conference/Australasian Division (1922-1948):
F. A. Allum (1923), W. G. Turner 1924-1926), A. H. Piper (1927-1936), E. E. Roenfelt (1937-1940), H. E. Piper (1941), S. V. Stratford (1942-1945), W. G. Turner (1946), R. E. Hare (1947-1948)

Australasian Inter-Union Conference/Australasian Division (1949-1956):
F. A. Mote (1949-1951), H. G. Moulds (1952-1953), Vacant (1954), L. C. Naden (1955 – 1956)

Australasian Division (1957-1985):
L. C. Naden (1957 – 1962); R. R. Frame (1963-1966), F. T. Maberly (1967-1970), K. S. Parmenter (1971-1976), R. W. Taylor (1977-1985)

Treasurers

Australasian Union Conference (1894-1922):
Echo Publishing Company (1894), N. D. Faulkhead (1895-1897), Edith M. Graham (1898-1906), A. Mountain (1907-1908), C. H. Pretyman (1909-1910), Edith M. Graham (1911), C. H. Pretyman (1912-1916), W. O. Johanson (1917-1918), C. H. Pretyman (1919-1920), T. W. Hammond (1921)

Australasian Union Conference/Australasian Division (1922-1948):
T. W. Hammond (1922 -1936), R. H. Adair (1937-1943), W. L. Pascoe (1944-1948)

Australasian Inter-Union Conference/Australasian Division (1949-1956):
W. L. Pascoe (1948-1954), E. J. Johanson (1955-1956)

Australasian Division (1957-1985):
E. J. Johanson (1957-1966), E. J. Howse (1967-1968), Lance L. Butler (1969-1980), W. T. Andrews (1981-1985)

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“Writing from Telina, Solomon Islands . . .” Australasian Record, August 8, 1921.

Notes

1. Unless otherwise credited, the information in this article is written from the personal knowledge and experience of the author who was general secretary of the South Pacific Division from 1997 until 2007 and president of the South Pacific Division from 2007 until 2015.↩

2. Melody Tan, “Voted: The Last SPD Session,” Record, September 17, 2005, 1.↩

3. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “General Conference Proceedings: Twenty-Third Annual Session,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1885.pdf↩

4. Ibid.↩

5. Ibid.↩

6. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “The Australian Mission,” accessed April 30, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1888.pdf↩

7. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “The Australian Mission,” accessed April 30, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1888.pdf↩

8. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “General Conference Proceedings: Twenty-Third [sic] Annual Session,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1886.pdf↩

9. “Meetings were continued in the tent . . . ,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, February 1886, 32; M. C. Israel, “The first Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia . . . ,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, May 1886, 80.↩

10. “Organization in Australia,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, October 1888, 152.↩

11. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Conferences Admitted: Australia,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1889.pdf↩

12. “New Zealand Conference Proceedings,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, August 1, 1889, 236.↩

13. Ibid.↩

14. Ibid.↩

15. Ibid.↩

16. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “New Zealand,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1890.pdf↩

17. “Organization of the New Zealand Tract Society,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, August 1, 1889, 236-237.↩

18. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Foreign Districts,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1893.pdf↩

19. “Proceedings of the Australasian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, February 26, 1894, 62.↩

20. Ibid.↩

21. Ibid.↩

22. Ibid.↩

23. Ibid.↩

24. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” accessed August 6, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1894.pdf↩

25. “Proceedings of the Australasian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, February 26, 1894, 62.↩

26. Barry D. Oliver, personal knowledge from being Secretary of the South Pacific Division in 2005.↩

27. “Proceedings of the Australasian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, February 26, 1894, 62.↩

28. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Division,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1923.pdf↩

29. “Australian Conference Proceedings,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, November 25, 1895, 395.↩

30. A. G. Daniells, “Our People in Tasmania,” Union Conference Record, January 1, 1900, 13.↩

31. A. G. Daniells, “Organization of the Queensland Conference,” Union Conference Record, December 1, 1899, 12-13.↩

32. A. T. Robinson, “The Work in Victoria,” Union Conference Record, February 1, 1900, 12.↩

33. Ibid.↩

34. Ibid.↩

35. “The Work in Australasia,” Union Conference Record, June 1, 1902, 13; “Organization of the West Australian Conference,” Union Conference Record, June 15, 1902, 2-3.↩

36. “The Union Conference Council,” Australasian Record, August 15, 1904, 3; O.A. Olsen, “The Queensland Camp – meeting and Conference,” Union Conference Record, October 28, 1907, 8; Plans and Recommendations,” Australasian Record, November 11, 1918, 32; W. G. Turner, “Union Conference Proceedings: Secretary’s Report,” Australasian Record, October 2, 1922, 9; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Queensland Conference,” accessed August 13, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1924.pdf; Queensland Conference Executive Committee Minutes, May 19, 1923, and October 27, 1923.↩

37. “Plans and Recommendations,” Australasian Record, September 24, 1928, 4.↩

38. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Queensland Conference,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1957.pdf.↩

39. “The name of the Queensland Conference . . . ,” Australasian Record, September 23, 1968, 16; The name “South Queensland Conference” was first used for the Executive Committee Minutes for the 3^rd Meeting of the Executive Committee of October 29, 1968, South Queensland Conference Archives.↩

40. “Actions Taken by the Union Conference Council Held at Wahroonga, New South Wales, September 9-20, 1909,” Union Conference Record, October 4, 1909, 2 – 5; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Victoria-Tasmania Conference,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1910.pdf↩

41. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Tasmanian Conference,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1916.pdf↩

42. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Victoria-Tasmania Conference,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1923.pdf↩

43. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Tasmanian Mission,” accessed August 12, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1927.pdf↩

44. Minutes of the Second Meeting, 24^th Session of the New South Wales Conference, October 16, 1919, North New South Wales Conference Archives, Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia.↩

45. W. J. Westerman, “The New South Wales Camp-Meeting,” Australasian Record, November 1, 1920, 6; “Distribution of Labour,” Australasian Record, November 29, 1920, 6.↩

46. W. J. Westerman, “The New South Wales Camp-Meeting,” Australasian Record, November 1, 1920, 6.↩

47. “New Zealand Conference Proceedings,” Australasian Record, August 1, 1889, 236.↩

48. “The New Zealand Conference, Australasian Record, March 1, 1915, 3.↩

49. A. H. Piper, “The Cook Islands,” Union Conference Record,” April 1, 1902, 5.↩

50. "Officers and Standing Committees of the Australasian Union Conference," Union Conference Record, July 31, 1899, 1.↩

51. E. H. Gates, "The Island Work," Union Conference Record, July 26, 1901, 51-52.↩

52. E. H. Gates, "Beginnings in Singapore," Union Conference Record, December 21, 1908, 5.↩

53. "Pastor Geo. Teasdale and family . . . ," Union Conference Record, February 1, 1902, 15; H. E. Osborne to G. A. Irwin, April 2, 1902, letter collection, Ellen G. White Estate Office; "Distribution of Labour," Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906, 67; B. Judge, "First Impressions," Union Conference Record, August 2, 1909, 4; M. Wantzlick, "A Visit to Europe," Union Conference Record, January 24, 1910, 2-3; B. Judge, "Sumatra Mission," Union Conference Record, October 24, 1910, 29-31.↩

54. J. E. Fulton, "Union Conference Council," Union Conference Record, October 2, 1910, 1-2.↩

55. "Wednesday, September 28, Pastor G.F. Jones..." Union Conference Record, October 1, 1904, 8; G. F. Jones, "Singapore," Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906, 63-64; E. H. Gates, "Mission Studies," Union Conference Record, March 15, 1909, 7.↩

56. "Council of the Malaysian Mission," Union Conference Record, vol. 9, no. 12, June 15, 1905, 4.↩

57. "Singapore Mission," Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1909), 100.↩

58. E. H. Gates, "Beginnings in Singapore," Union Conference Record, December 21, 1908, 5.↩

59. G. F. Jones, "Church Dedication at Singapore," Union Conference Record, February 28, 1910, 3.↩

60. "Actions Taken by the Union Conference Council," Union Conference Record, October 4, 1909, 2-5.↩

61. "Plans and Recommendations: Missions," Union Conference Record, November 7, 1910, 61.↩

62. "Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work," Union Conference Record, January 1, 1906, 6.↩

63. [Edward H.] Gates, "Arrival in Manilla," Union Conference Record, January 15, 1906, 7.↩

64. "Brother and Sister McElhany . . . ," Union Conference Record, March 16, 1908, 7.↩

65. E.g., "Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work," Union Conference Record, November 2, 1908, 3.↩

66. Ella Finster, "Our Trip to Manilla," Union Conference Record, March 1, 1909, 3-4.↩

67. "On October 23 Pastor Finster..." Union Conference Record, December 13, 1909, 8.↩

68. L. V. Finster, "Our Work in the Philippines," Union Conference Record, December 6, 1909, 2-3.↩

69. L. V. Finster, "Experiences During Our First Year in the Philippines – No.1," Union Conference Record, February 14, 1910, 3.↩

70. J. E. Fulton, "President's Address," Union Conference Record, October 24, 1910, 1-5.↩

71. "Distribution of Labour," Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906, 67↩

72. A. Nordstrom, "A Letter from Java," Union Conference Record, March 23, 1908, 4-5.↩

73. G. F. Jones, "Singapore," Union Conference Record, April 6, 1908, 3-4.↩

74. "Brother and Sister E.E. Thorpe . . . ," Union Conference Record, October 19, 1908, 7.↩

75. "The many friends of Brother G.A. Wood . . . ," Union Conference Record, January 31, 1910, 8.↩

76. "Our readers will remember . . . ," Union Conference Record, June 13, 1910, 8.↩

77. J. E. Fulton, "President's Address," Union Conference Record, October 24, 1910, 1-5.↩

78. "Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work," Union Conference Record, October 3, 1910, 6.↩

79. C. H. Watson, “Union Conference Council,” Australasian Record, January 31, 1916, 6.↩

80. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Asiatic Division Conference,” accessed August 13, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1916.pdf↩

81. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Preface,” accessed August 13, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1916.pdf↩

82. M. J. Bahler, “Sailing of the Pitcairn, ARH, November 4, 1890, 685.↩

83. E. H. Gates, “Last Cruise of the Pitcairn, Union Conference Record, July 12, 1899, 2.↩

84. E. H. Gates, “Pitcairn Island,” Union Conference Record, June 1, 1900, 12; GIB, “A Trip to Pitcairn Island,” ARH, April 24, 1888, 272; A. J. Cudney, “From Honolulu to Pitcairn,” ARH, August 21, 1888, 539; “Is It the “Phoebe Chapman”?” ARH, February 3, 1891, 80.↩

85. E. H. Gates, “News From the “Pitcairn,” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, May 15, 1891, 157-159.↩

86. E. H. Gates, “From the Pitcairn,” ARH, November 10, 1891, 694-695.↩

87. “The Fijian Council,” Union Conference Record, August 3, 1908, 2 – 3.↩

88. A. J. Read, “The Work in the Islands,” The Bible Echo, December 1, 1892, 364-365; A. J. Read, “The Work in Tahiti,” The Bible Echo, December 15, 1892, 380; A. J. Read, “The Dedication of Our First Polynesian Native Church,” The Bible Echo, March 12, 1894, 78; M. G. Kellogg, “From the Pitcairn.” The Bible Echo, September 15, 1893, 300; “A letter from the workers at Tahiti . . . ,” The Bible Echo, May 7, 1894, 144.↩

89. E. M. Graham, “The Eastern Polynesian Mission,” Union Conference Record, September 7, 1908, 7.↩

90. J. E. Caldwell, “Cook Islands Medical Mission,” Union Conference Record, July 19, 1899, 11- 13.↩

91. E. M. Graham, “The Eastern Polynesian Mission,” Union Conference Record, September 7, 1908, 7.↩

92. J. E. Graham, “The ‘Pitcairn’s’ Visit to Samoa, The Bible Echo, December 16, 1895, 389.↩

93. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Samoan Mission,” accessed February 17, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1908.pdf↩

94. O. A. Olsen, “Movements of the “Pitcairn,” ARH, October 22, 1895, 681-682.↩

95. “The Fijian Council,” Union Conference Record, August 3, 1908, 2 – 3.↩

96. E. M. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, August 17, 1908, 5; S. W. Carr, “New Guinea,” Union Conference Record, October 26, 1908, 2-3.↩

97. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 130, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1930.pdf↩

98. C. H. Parker, “In the New Hebrides,” Australasian Record, August 5, 1912, 5.↩

99. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Melanesian Mission,” page 145, accessed February 13, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1917.pdf↩

100. Kata Ragoso, “The Arrival of G. F. Jones in the Solomon Islands,” Diary extract, n.d. translated by Merle Hilly, Heath Oti, Eleanor Niva and Wendell Timothy, South Pacific Division Heritage Centre, Avondale University College, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia, Box 1826, Folder 11; see also Solomon Islands.↩

101. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Melanesian Mission,” page 145, accessed February 13, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1917.pdf↩

102. “Writing from Telina, Solomon Islands . . . ,” Australasian Record, August 8, 1921, 8.↩

103. “Pastor G.F. Jones sailed from Sydney. . . ,” Australasian Record, vol. 28, no. 22, June 2, 1924, 8.↩

104. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “New Caledonia Mission,” accessed August 20, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1955.pdf↩

105. A. H. Piper, “The Cook Islands,” Union Conference Record,” April 1, 1902, 5.↩

106. Decisions of the Union Conference Council, Held August 29 to September 12, 1916,” Australasian Record, September 25, 1916, 5.↩

107. 1894: WC White elected president AUC. (BE February 28, 1894, p. 62). They probably began in the same office as the Australian Tract Society. i.e., 2 Cook Street, Glebe Point, Sydney. A check of addresses on WCW letters in the White Estate during 1894 may confirm the locality of his office.

     Late 1894  the ATS moved back to Melbourne Echo office in order to save on rent costs (BE November 19, 1894, p. 357-358). The AUC office probably moved back with ATS to the Echo.

     1896 In Box 709 at Avondale Archives there is a little booklet titled "Beginnings." It's mainly about North Fitzroy Church but on pages 22 and 23 there are pictures of the AUC office at 251 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North in 1896. At the same time it was also the office for the Australian Tract Society.

     Jan/Feb 1898, 24: 251 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North↩

108. “Union Conference Record,” Union Conference Record, August 1898, 92.↩

109. “The Australasian Union Conference . . . ,” Union Conference Record, April 26, 1899, 11.↩

110. “Union Conference Record,” Union Conference Record, June 15, 1903, 8.↩

111. “Special Notice,” Union Conference Record, September 1, 1904, 8.↩

112. O. A. Olsen, “Change of Location,” Union Conference Record, November 5, 1906, 8.↩

113. J. E. Fulton, “Our New Conference Office,” Union Conference Record, December 19, 1910, 6.↩

114. “All correspondence for the Union Conference . . .,” Australasian Record, May 8, 1911, 8.↩

115. Article X, Section 6 of the General Conference Bylaws, General Conference Bulletin 1922, vol. 9, no.11, 246↩

116. “From the New Division in the Far South Seas,” ARH, November 30, 1922, 19.↩

117. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Victoria-Tasmania Conference,” accessed May 2, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1923.pdf↩

118. W. G. Turner, “Union Conference Proceedings: Secretary’s Report,” Australasian Record, October 2, 1922, 9.↩

119. “Union Conference Proceedings: Plans and Recommendations,” Australasian Record, October 16, 1922, 57; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Queensland Conference,” accessed July 30, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1924.pdf; Queensland Conference Executive Committee Minutes, May 19, 1923, and October 27, 1923.↩

120. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1925.pdf↩

121. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Eastern Polynesian Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1925.pdf↩

122. “Plans and Recommendations,” Australasian Record, October 4, 1926, 31.↩

123. Ibid.↩

124. E. G. Whittaker, “Tasmanian Conference and Camp Meeting,” Australasian Record, May 30, 1927, 3.↩

125. Darren Slade, President, Northern Australian Conference, email to author, July 27, 2018.↩

126. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 130, accessed February 13, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1930.pdf↩

127. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Mandated Territory of New Guinea,” page 129, accessed January 20, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1930.pdf↩

128. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Territory of New Guinea,” page 73, accessed January 20, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1933.pdf↩

129. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Society Islands Mission,” accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1943.pdf↩

130. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” page 77, accessed January 19, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1946.pdf↩

131. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua Mission,” page 130, accessed January 20, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1930.pdf↩

132. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” page 75, accessed January 19, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1948.pdf↩

133. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” page 75, accessed January 19, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1948.pdf↩

134. J. T. Howse, “Onward into New Fields, Australasian Record, August 18, 1947, 3-4.↩

135. A. W. Anderson, "Dedicatory Address of the New Administration Building of the Australasian Union Conference," Australasian Record, September 14, 1931, 1-3.↩

136. Ibid.↩

137. Ibid.↩

138. The 1949 Yearbook stated: “The Australasian Union Conference was reorganized as of January 1, 1949, as the Australasian Inter-Union Conference, but designated to continue its status as a Division created by the action of the General Conference in session at San Francisco, California, May 24, 1922” (Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Australasian Division,” page 73, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

139. H. E. Piper, “Special Session Australasian Union Conference, August 16-21, 1948,” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948, 2.↩

140. E. B. Rudge, “President’s Opening Address,” Australasian Record, October 1, 1945, 3.↩

141. “Proposal regarding New Divisional Organization,” Australasian Record, October 8, 1945, 7.↩

142. “Proposal regarding New Divisional Organization,” Australasian Record, October 8, 1945, 7. It is noticeable that this proposal is very similar, insofar as the first four unions are concerned to one that was adopted by the Division in 2000 and which exists as the structure of the Division at present. It should also be noted that the proposal called for the Division to be called the ‘Southern Pacific division.’↩

143. “The Australasian Inter-Union Conference A New Organization,” Australasian Record, January 3, 1949, 2, 8.↩

144. H. E. Piper, “Special Session Australasian Union Conference, August 16-21, 1948,” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948, 2.↩

145. H. E. Piper, “Special Session Australasian Union Conference, August 16-21, 1948,” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948, 2; “The Australasian Inter-Union Conference A New Organization,” Australasian Record, January 3, 1949, 2, 8.↩

146. W. G. Turner, “The Opening Address of the Special Session Held at Avondale December 1 – 10,” Australasian Record, January 3, 1949, 3.↩

147. “The Australasian Inter-Union Conference A New Organization,” Australasian Record, January 3, 1949, 2, 8.↩

148. Ibid; Australasian Union Conference Executive Committee Minutes, December 21, 1948, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives, Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.↩

149. “The Australasian Inter-Union Conference A New Organization,” Australasian Record, January 3, 1949, 2, 8.↩

150. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Central Pacific Union Mission,” page 74, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

151. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 76, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

152. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Trans-Commonwealth Union Conference,” page 77, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

153. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Trans-Tasman Union Conference,” page 80, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf; K. S. Parmenter, “Australasian Division Mission Field Development,” Australasian Record, May 14, 1973, 1.↩

154. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Institutions in the Australasian Inter Union Conference,” page 83, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

155. K. S. Parmenter, “Australasian Division Mission Field Development,” Australasian Record, May 14, 1973, 1.↩

156. H. E. Piper, “Special Session, Australasian Union Conference,” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948, 2-3; South New South Wales Conference, 49^th Annual Session Minutes, September 23, 1948, Greater Sydney Conference Archives, Epping, NSW, Australia; Greater Sydney Conference Executive Committee Minutes, January 19, 1949, Greater Sydney Conference Archives, Epping, NSW, Australia..↩

157. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North East New Guinea Mission,” page 76, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

158. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papuan Mission,” page 77, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

159. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Solomon Islands Mission,” page 77, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

160. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Society Islands Mission,” accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1948.pdf↩

161. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Society Islands Mission,” page 75, accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1949.pdf↩

162. C. A. Hart, “The Coral Sea Union Mission Reorganization, Australasian Record, April 10, 1950, 3.↩

163. C. A. Hart, “The Coral Sea Union Mission,” Australasian Record, April 10, 1950, 3↩

164. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Central Pacific Union Mission,” page 82, accessed January 28, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1951.pdf↩

165. E.g., Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “East Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “West Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf↩

166. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “French Oceania Mission,” accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf↩

167. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Samoan Mission,” accessed February 2, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf↩

168. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Bismarck Solomons Union Mission,” page 83, accessed January 20, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf↩

169. Ibid.↩

170. Ibid.↩

171. Ibid.↩

172. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 89, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf↩

173. Ibid.↩

174. Ibid.↩

175. Ibid.↩

176. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Morobe Mission,” page 90, accessed January 30, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf↩

177. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Coral Sea Union Mission,” page 89, accessed January 31, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1954.pdf↩

178. Ibid.↩

179. Ibid.↩

180. Alec C. Thomson, “Progress in the Gilbert Islands,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, November 15, 1954, 6-7.↩

181. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Gilbert and Ellice Islands Mission,” accessed February 2, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1969.pdf↩

182. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “New Caledonia Mission,” accessed August 20, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1955.pdf↩

183. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Queensland Conference,” accessed July 30, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1957.pdf.↩

184. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Bismarck Mission,” page 70, accessed February 2, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1957.pdf↩

185. “World Newsogrammes,” Australasian Record, January 7, 1957, 11.↩

186. Masthead, Australasian Record, February 4, 1957, 8.↩

187. See inscription on the plaque commemorating the opening of the building, Adventist Media Building, 150 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.↩

188. Alan Holman, “We’ve Changed Our Name,” Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, April 20. 1981, 7.↩

189. L. V. Heise, “The Official Opening of the Sydney Adventist Hospital,” Australasian Record, vol. 77, no. 31, July 30, 1973, 4.↩

190. Ibid.↩

191. Shirley R. Tarburton, “PAU Twenty-five Years Ago,” Davaria: Journal of Pacific Adventist University, 1 (2009), 5, accessed January 29, 2019, http://pau.adventistconnect.org/uploaded_assets/440599-Davaria_Volume_1.pdf?thumbnail=original&1431991708↩

192. Shirley R. Tarburton, “A Place Chosen By God”, 66-68, booklet produced in 2005 by Shirley R Tarburton, held in the private collection of Raymond Wilkinson↩

193. Australasian Division Executive Committee Minutes, February 28, 1972, South Pacific Division Archives, Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.↩

194. R. R. Frame, “Report to the Church: Mission field Re-Organization,” Australasian Record, April 24, 1972, 1.↩

195. Australasian Division Executive Committee Minutes, “C.P.U.M. Headquarters Auckland,” December 21, 1972, South Pacific Division of the General Conference archives.↩

196. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Trans Australian Union Conference,” accessed November 18, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1976.pdf.↩

197. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “East Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1958.pdf↩

198. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “West Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1958.pdf↩

199. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “West Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf↩

200. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “West Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1959.pdf↩

201. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “French Polynesia Mission,” accessed February 3, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1960.pdf↩

202. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Milne Bay District,” page 81, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1962.pdf↩

203. Ibid.↩

204. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Talasea Station,” page 75, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1962.pdf↩

205. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Milne Bay Mission,” page 90, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1964.pdf↩

206. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Papuan Mission,” page 91, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1964.pdf↩

207. “Appropriate action has been taken . . . ,” Australasian Record, July 1, 1963, 8; A. R. Mitchell, “We Are Glad We came to the Mission Field,” Australasian Record, July 22, 1963, 6.↩

208. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Malaita Mission,” page 86, accessed April 24, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965,66.pdf↩

209. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “New Ireland Mission,” page 87, accessed February 3, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf↩

210. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Manus Mission,” page 86, accessed February 3, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf↩

211. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “East New Britain Mission,” page 86, accessed February 11, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf↩

212. Ibid.↩

213. A. R. Mitchell, “We Are Glad We Came to the Mission Field,” Australasian Record, February 12, 1963, 6.↩

214. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “West New Britain Mission,” page 87, accessed February 12, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965.pdf↩

215. E. g., Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Fiji Mission,” accessed January 27, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1967.pdf↩

216. Gordon A. Lee, “The Battle for Betio,” Australasian Record, August 25, 1969, 10 – 11.↩

217. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 109, accessed January 19, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf↩

218. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Papua New Guinea Union Mission,” page 109, accessed February 12, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf↩

219. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Bougainville Mission,” page 128, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1978.pdf Then in 1995 the name was changed back to Bougainville Mission (Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Bougainville Mission,” page 293, accessed January 22, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1995.pdf)↩

220. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Gilbert and Tuvalu Mission,” accessed February 2, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1978.pdf↩

221. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Kiribati and Tuvalu Mission,” accessed February 2, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1980.pdf↩

222. Ibid.↩

223. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Vanuatu Mission,” page 156, accessed February 13, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1981.pdf↩

224. “Session Actions,” Australasian Record,” October 12, 1985, 12.↩

225. “Name Changes,” Supplement to Australasian Record, July 20, 1985, 1.↩

226. Geoff Garne, “The End of an Era,” Australasian Record, October 5, 1985, 2.↩

227. Ibid.↩