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Western Australian Conference office, opened in 2019.

Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Tan.

Western Australian Conference

By Barry Oliver

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Barry Oliver, Ph.D., retired in 2015 as president of the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists, Sydney, Australia. An Australian by birth Oliver has served the Church as a pastor, evangelist, college teacher, and administrator. In retirement, he is a conjoint associate professor at Avondale College of Higher Education. He has authored over 106 significant publications and 192 magazine articles. He is married to Julie with three adult sons and three grandchildren.

First Published: January 29, 2020

The Western Australian Conference is a constituent of the Australian Union Conference. Its headquarters are located at 84–88 Welshpool Road, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia. Its unincorporated activities are governed by a constitution that is based on the model conference constitution of the South Pacific Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Current Territory and Statistics

The Western Australian Conference is a constituent of the Australian Union Conference.1 Its headquarters are located at 84–88 Welshpool Road, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia. Its unincorporated activities are governed by a constitution that is based on the model conference constitution of the South Pacific Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SPD). Its real and intellectual property is held in trust by the Australasian Conference Association, Limited, an incorporated entity based at the headquarters office of the SPD in Wahroonga, NSW.2

The conference executive committee has transferred most of its functions to three corporations to act as trustees for the conference: Seventh-day Adventist Church (Western Australian Conference), Limited, which oversees the day-to-day operations of the conference itself and was registered on April 30, 2003; Seventh-day Adventist Schools (Western Australia), Limited, which oversees the operation of the education entities within the conference and was registered on July 18, 2003; and Seventh-day Adventist Care (Western Australia), Limited, which oversees the operation of the aged-care facilities in the conference and was registered on April 30, 2003.3

The territory of the Western Australian Conference is “Western Australia, Cocos Islands, and Christmas Island.”4

In the 2017 Annual Statistical Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Western Australian Conference was listed as having 39 churches and 19 companies. Church membership at the end of 2016 was 6,536.5 The conference had 291 active employees. Its tithe receipts for 2016 totaled US$5,637,624. Its tithe and offerings per capita were US$1,302.98.6

The publication of the Conference is Connect, a monthly magazine produced in print and digital format that is distributed free of cost to all churches in Western Australia for circulation to church members.7 Connect is accessible online at: https://issuu.com/connectmagwa.

Schools of the Western Australian Conference 8

The first SDA school in Western Australia was opened at Osborne Park on August 11, 1905, by L. V. Finster, the conference president.9 The teacher was Priscilla Jane Prismall, and there was an opening enrollment of 14, which soon increased to 20.10 Shortly thereafter a second school was opened at Upper Preston, with an enrollment of nine. The teacher was Eva Clarke.11 Schools currently operating in the Western Australian Conference are:

Carmel Adventist College Primary. Located at 18 First Avenue, Bickley, WA, the school has an enrollment of 169 in kindergarten to grade 6, and a teaching staff of eight. In 1907 the early childhood program (prekindergarten and kindergarten) established a solid foundation for skills that are necessary in order to be successful in the succeeding years of school.12 The school was opened in 1907 and has operated ever since.13

Carmel Adventist College Secondary. Located at Glenisla Road, Carmel, WA, the school has an enrollment of 218 in grades 7 to 12, and a teaching staff of 18. Originally known as the Darling Range School, the college was opened in 1907 and has operated ever since.14

Esperance Christian School. Located at 2 Blake Street, Esperance, WA, the school has an enrollment of 80 in grades 1 to 6 and a teaching staff of three. The school was opened in 1979.15

Landsdale Christian School. Located at 77 Queensway Road, Landsdale, WA, the school has an enrollment of 151 in kindergarten to grade 12, and a teaching staff of 11. The school was opened in 1988.16

Victoria Park Christian School. Located at 27 Colombo Street, Victoria Park WA, the school has an enrolment of 93 in kindergarten to grade 6, and a teaching staff of four. The school opened in 1927.17 The school was rebuilt and reopened on October 27, 1946, at the current site.18

Health Food Operations

Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing operates one of its four Australian factories in Western Australia. The address of the factory is 210 Glenisla Road, Carmel, WA.

Campgrounds

Advent Park Campground. Located at 345 Kalamunda Road, Maida Vale, WA, this is the site of the annual Western Australian Conference camp meeting and convention.

Busselton Adventist Youth and Family Camp. Located at 228 Caves Road, Siesta Park, WA, on the shore of the Indian Ocean, this site hosts a wide variety of camps for youth, church groups, and members of the community.

Logue Brook Dam Camp. Designed as the conference youth camp, the camp was officially opened on September 13, 1992.19 The camp was severely damaged by a bushfire in 2016.20 As a result, it is not presently operating.

Nursing Homes and Retirement Villages

The corporate office of Adventist Care (Western Australia) is located at 31 Webb Street, Rossmoyne, WA.

Adventist Residential Aged Care Rossmoyne. Located at 31 Webb Street, Rossmoyne, WA. Now known as Rossmoyne Waters, the complex has been providing independent living units for retirees since 1963.21 In May 2019 Adventist Care opened the Australis complex, which comprises 86 architecturally designed apartments. Australis at Rossmoyne Waters is the first stage of a whole site redevelopment, to transform the existing village into a world-class residential facility. Adventist Residential Care: Busselton. Located at 320 Pettit Crescent, Busselton, WA, the Busselton Adventist Retirement Village has been providing independent living units for retirees since the late 1990s. It has ten two-bedroom units that are surrounded by open spaces.

The Origins of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Australia

In 1893 Frederick W. Reekie and his wife, Marion, were invited to move to the colony of Western Australia as literature evangelists.22 Marion Reekie worked with her husband for a short time until their first child, Jessie, was born, in 1894.23 Fred Reekie continued his work, riding his bicycle on the dusty bush roads.24 His habit was to make visits to as many homes as he could during the day and finding accommodation wherever he could, study the Bible with the family in the evenings. He traveled east to the newly developing goldfields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie and through the southwest and south to Albany. There were few homes he did not visit. After six years, in 1899, the family moved back to the eastern states.25

Fred and Marion Reekie were joined by others who engaged in selling books from door to door. Often they worked at great personal sacrifice. In the first edition of The Gleaner, a magazine published between 1896 and 1898 to report on the work of “canvassing agents,” Johann and Faith Johanson shared their experience:

Not far from the hotel we found a place where we obtained board and lodging. The bedrooms are situated in the backyard, and are in an iron shed such as you would put up for a stable, except that it is floored and partitioned off into small rooms by a thin matchboard lining, with no attempt at finishing. Our furniture consists of a bed occupying about two thirds of the room, rough packing cases, and one chair. For this handsome apartment we are paying a guinea a week, and one pound five shillings each for board, making our weekly expense three pounds 11 shillings. We have looked around, and are convinced that we are boarding very reasonably for Coolgardie.26

During their years in Western Australia, 1894–1897, the Johansons were very successful literature evangelists.27 While Faith was engaged in her ministry, Alice Campbell cared for their home and children. Alice later became Mrs. Benjamin Bradley and was the first convert to the church in Western Australia. Three of her children were to hold significant positions in church work.28

In 1898 the superintendent of the Western Australian Mission, Robert Hare, reported to the Australasian Union Conference session that the “canvassers” had accomplished “a great work.”29 His report continued: “Up to the present time about 6,000 copies of our books have been sold. . . . Throughout the colony are a number of scattered Sabbathkeepers who received the truth through the faithful efforts of the canvassers.”30

The first ministers to work in the conference were J. O. Corliss, who had arrived in Australia from the United States in 1885, and J. E. Collins. Together they conducted a short evangelistic series of meetings in Perth in the early months of 1896, and organized a church.31 Toward the end of 1896 Robert Hare was sent to Western Australia as superintendent of the mission.32 By 1898 the church membership was 32.33

In 1897 Hare and his wife were joined by Thomas and Elizabeth Craddock, who engaged in Bible work. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, and Miss Leila Harker, arrived and began community health work.34 A two-story brick building was rented as a health home at 253 Fitzgerald Street, West Perth. Treatments included “electric baths, massage, and the most approved methods of hygienic treatment.”35 Superintendent Robert Hare appealed for a physician to be sent to oversee the health work, but none was forthcoming, and the initiative had languished by 1902.36

A branch of the Australian Tract Society was organized in July of 1898. Its primary role was to support the work of the literature evangelists in the mission.37 A Helping Hand Mission was also organized in that year. “Each member of the church was assigned certain streets, and as time permitted, they made a house-to-house visitation in the streets allotted to them, searching out the cause of the needy, and interesting those who were able to assist in the work.”38 At the beginning of 1899 it was also decided to open a Helping Hand Laundry.39 The laundry offered employment for otherwise unemployed individuals, and remained open while it was able to operate at a profit.40 It was reported at the end of 1899 that “the workers consist of one minister, one licensed preacher, two Bible workers, one canvasser, and two nurses.”41

Between March 7 and 19, 1902, the first conference camp meeting convened in Perth. Visiting speakers included former superintendent Robert Hare, Dr. Kress from the Sydney Sanitarium, and George Irwin, president of the Australasian Union Conference. Irwin reported that “thirty-five family tents, besides the pavilion, book tent, and grocery, were erected on the ground. The order and neatness that characterized both the pitching and keeping of the camp coupled with the beautiful couch grass sod, and grove of shade trees in front, made it the most beautiful and attractive camp of the season.”42

Irwin was gratified with the outcome of the camp meeting, where the Western Australian Conference was organized. He stated: “Taken all together, the first Western Australian camp-meeting was a success, as a mold was given to the work, and an impression made that will give it character and standing with the people.”43

By 1906 the conference president, Lewis V. Finster, reported that there were 14 churches and three companies in the conference, with a membership of 353. The workforce comprised “two ministers, three licentiates, two Bible-workers, one Signs seller, and six canvassers.”44 One of the “canvassers” who was working in the conference at that time was Fairley Masters, who, with his parents, had been the first missionary sent from Australasia to a foreign country. They had gone to India in 1894.45 On his return he came to Western Australia and worked as a literature evangelist from 1899 to 1911.46 Others, such as R. A. Caldwell,47 W. J. Hunt,48 C. Hanbury,49 D. Nicholson,50 G. Robartson,51 and A. G. Minchin,52 also worked as literature evangelists in Western Australia during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Significant Events in the Organization of the Western Australian Conference

A group of Seventh-day Adventists from North America landed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1895 and commenced the work of establishing the church in the South Pacific.53 The first steps in organizing the church occurred after just three years when on the basis of the financial strength and the availability of local human resources, the Australian Conference was organized in September 1888. Attending the session were 22 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.54 The territory of Western Australia came under the oversight of the Australian Conference.

Then in 1894 an Australian Union Conference (AUC) was organized during the time of the Australian camp meeting, January 15–25. It comprised District 7 of the General Conference districts, and included the conferences of Australia and New Zealand. The stated object of the union was “to unify and extend the work of the third angel's message, under the general direction of the General Conference, in the Australasian field.”55 It was anticipated that as the work expanded, other local conferences would be organized.56

Arthur Daniells later described further steps taken to organize the conferences and missions in Australia. He wrote: “At the beginning of 1894 it was felt that the Australian Conference had more territory than it could well manage, so the colonies of Queensland and West Australia were separated from the conference, and placed under the care of the union conference as mission fields.57

With the arrival of J. O. Corlis at the beginning of 1896, the formal work of the West Australian Mission began.58 In that year, on April 11, the Perth church was organized as the first church in the mission. It had 31 members.59 As a mission the SDA Church in Western Australia supplied annual reports to its governing body, the Australasian Union Conference, until it was organized into a conference with its own constituency and constitution in March 1902.60 The first president of the conference was Jesse Pallant; the vice president, William Knight; and the secretary/treasurer, Susie Gurner. An executive committee of five was appointed to oversee the affairs of the conference. At that time there were three organized churches and four companies with an aggregate membership of 152.61

The Western Australian Conference continued as a constituent conference of the AUC until 1949. Up until that time the Australasian Union Conference, also designated as the Australasian Division, operated as a collection of conferences and missions throughout its designated territory.62 In 1949 four unions were organized within the territory of the division, which also was now designated as the Australasian Inter-Union Conference:63 “1. Central Pacific Union Mission with headquarters in Suva, Fiji; 2. Coral Sea Union Mission with headquarters in Lae, Papua New Guinea; 3. Trans-Commonwealth Union Conference with headquarters in Melbourne, Victoria; and 4. Trans-Tasman Union Conference with headquarters in Gordon, New South Wales.”64 The Western Australian Conference was part of the Trans-Commonwealth Union Conference.65

In 1953 the territory of the Coral Sea Union Mission was divided into a Coral Sea Union Mission and a Bismark-Solomons Union Mission.66 This reorganization did not directly affect the Western Australian Conference, but it meant that there were now five unions in the Australasian Division. Then in 1976 the Trans Commonwealth Union Conference of which Western Australia was a constituent conference, changed its name to the Trans Australia Union Conference.67

In 2000 a further reorganization of the unions in the South Pacific Division occurred at the division session.68 The number of unions in the division was reduced from five to four. The Australian Union Conference came into existence in this reorganization.69 The Western Australian Conference was designated as one of nine local conferences in the Australian Union Conference. The reorganized structure took effect as of January 1, 2001.70

Some Significant Evangelistic Events in Western Australia

193671 Perth City and suburbs W.M.R. Scragg
194972 Perth City Stuart Uttley
195073 Fremantle Stuart Uttley
195274 Perth City Stuart Uttley
196175 Perth City Austin Cooke
196476 Perth City Russell Kranz
196777 Perth City Austin Fletcher
198078 Perth City and suburbs Geoff Youlden
198479 Bunbury Arthur Duff
198780 Kalgoorlie Peter Jack
198881 Rockingham Don Fehlberg
199282 Busselton and Bunbury Geoff Youlden

Mission and Strategic Plans of the Western Australian Conference83

The mission statement of the Western Australian Conference is: “To enable faithful followers of Jesus to share the good news.”84

The vision of the Western Australian Conference is: “To create a renewed Adventist movement and transform communities by giving meaning and significance to individuals’ lives.”85

The core values of the conference are:

  • “Integrity: we strive to do mission in a manner that is beyond reproach, transparent, ethical, and honest (Romans 14:12).

  • “Innovation: we seek to encourage creative and adaptable outreach evangelism, worship, and resource-creation as we share the good news of Revelation 14:1–12.

  • “Excellence: We have high ideals (Philippians 4:4–8).

  • “Relationship: We seek to uphold personal accountability to God in all aspects of life. As such, we value personal relationships, personal and accountable leadership, and seek to empower boards, employees, and members by fostering unity, teamwork, small groups, and grassroots church ministry as we journey together as disciples of Christ.

  • “Service: We value selfless service, sacrifice, humility, meekness, and seek to encourage servant leaders (Mark 10:43, 44; 1 Corinthians 9:19).”

The key strategic objectives of the conference are:86

  • To be Spirit-led: We must adopt a posture of humility, being led by the Holy Spirit in all that we do.

  • To structure for growth: We must improve our structures (and operational practices) to enable and facilitate growth.

  • Collaboration: We must achieve better collaboration together on all levels across the conference.

  • Attractive local churches: We must cultivate thriving local churches for all generations.

  • Community impact: We must have a positive impact on our communities.

Some Recent Successes That the Conference Has Experienced87

* Establishment of the Karla Bidjar church for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in 2005

* The continued operation of five schools in the conference

* The participation of young people in church leadership, including the recent appointment of 29-year -old conference secretary

* Youth and conference-wide camps convened on an annual basis—provide opportunity for many people to make decisions for baptism

* Increased focus by the Western Australian Conference in relation to empowering and equipping lay members to lead local churches and reach their communities

Some Remaining Challenges Faced by the Conference88

* The physical size of the conference territory, which totals 2.64 million square kilometers. There is an ongoing struggle to equip and resource small groups which are situated in remote locations throughout Western Australia. The most northerly church is Derby, in the Kimberley region of the state. The southernmost church is located at Esperance. Approximately 2,912 kilometers separate the Derby church and the Esperance church.

* The retention of young adults— an issue faced by all conferences in the Australian Union.

* Western Australia’s mining economy. Fluctuations in employment and investment influence the Western Australian economy, which inevitably affects the amount of tithe paid by members.

*The procurement of ministers (and families) who are able to live and minister in remote locations within the conference.

Presidents of West Australian Mission

John O. Corliss (1896); John E. Collins (1896–1897); Robert Hare (1897–1898); Thomas Craddock (1898–1900); Jesse Pallant (1900–1902).

Presidents of Western Australian Conference

Jesse Pallant (1902–1904); Lewis V. Finster (1904–1907); A. H. Piper (1907–1909); W.L.H. Baker (1909–1913); A. H. Piper (1913–1916); Alexander W. McCormack ( 1916–1918); Edwin S. Butz (19181921); Harold E. Piper (1921–1926); Andrew G. Stewart (1926); Harold C. White (1926–1928); E. G. Whittaker (1928–1930); Ludwig D. A. Lemke (1930–1935); Edmund B. Rudge (1935–1937); Roy A. R. Thrift (1937–1941); Laurence C. Naden (1941–1943); James W. Kent (1943– 1944); Erwin E. Roenfelt (1944–1946); William John Richards (1946–1955); H. White (1955–1959); Frank T. Maberly (1959–1965); Wilfred E. Rudge (1965–1968); Cyrus S.. Adams (1969–1975); Rex M. Moe (1976–1979); Gordon Lee (1981–1985); Peter J. Colquhoun (1985–1989); Laurence J. Evans (1990–1991); Kenneth L. Vogel (1992–1999); Murray House (2000–2003); Glenn W. Townend (2004–2013); Terry Johnson (2013–2017); Stephen Goods (2017– ).

Sources

2017 Annual Statistical Report: 153rd Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for 2015 and 2016, accessed July 17, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2017.pdf.

An Evening With the Australasian Inter-Union Conference.” ARH, July 27, 1950.

“Arrangements have been made . . . .” The Gleaner, September 1896.

Chuang, Linden. “Bushfire Claims Lives, Church Campground.” Record, February 6, 2016.

“Connect,” accessed April 4, 2019. http://wa.adventist.org.au/connect/.

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

“Early Childhood,” accessed April 6, 2019. http://www.carmelcollege.wa.edu.au/.

Finster, L. V. “Report of the West Australian Conference.” Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906.

Fletcher, Austin G. “The Harvest in the West.” Australasian Record, February 5, 1968.

Grieve, S. C. “New Church School in Perth Opened by Minister of Education,” Australasian Record, December 16, 1946.

His Majesties Theatre in Perth . . . .” Australasian Record, May 30, 1949.

House, Colin. “Camp Logue Brook Officially Opens.” Record, October 17, 1992.

“In WA Small-Town Evangelism Brings Promising Audience.” Australasian Record, July 9, 1988.

Irwin, George A. “The West Australian Camp Meeting.” Australasian Record, May 1, 1902.

Johnson (sic), J. “We are at Coolgardie . . . .” The Gleaner, July 1896.

“Just as we are going to press . . . .” Australasian Record, June 5, 1950.

“Kalgoorlie Gold.” Australasian Record, September 28, 1987.

Manners, Bruce. “Session Votes for Restructure.” Record, November 25, 2000.

Masters, F. “Canvassing Experiences in Western Australia.” Australasian Record, May 29, 1911.

“Media Centre Evangelism Brings Baptisms.” Record, December 12, 1992.

“Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work.” Union Conference Record, August 1, 1902.

“Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work. ” Union Conference Record, August 3, 1908.

“Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Australasian Record, March 6, 1911.

“On the 8th . . . .” The Bible Echo, September 17, 1894.

“On Tuesday, October 27 . . . .” The Gleaner, October 1896.

Organization in Australia.” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, October 1888.

“Our Canvassers.” Union Conference Record, September 1, 1899.

“Our Vision,” accessed April 4, 2019. http://wa.adventist.org.au/mission/.

Palmer, E. R. “Summary of Australian Canvassing Work.” Australasian Record, January 1, 1898.

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

Piper, H. E. “Special Session, Australasian Union Conference.” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948.

Powrie, R. H. “Perth’s ‘Faith for Today’ Crusade.” Australasian Record, May 26, 1952.

Reekie, F. W. “Opening the Work in Western Australia.” Australasian Record, December 16, 1935.

“Rockingham, WA.” Australasian Record, July 16, 1988.

Roenfelt, Erwin E. “Alice Marie Bradley obituary.” Australasian Record, May 14, 1934.

“Rossmoyne Waters,” accessed April 6, 2019. http://www.adventistcare.org.au/retirement-living/our-villages/rossmoyne.

Scragg, W. M. R. “Perth Mission.” Australasian Record, February 19, 1936.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

South Pacific Division Quinquennial Session minutes, Action 2.5, “Realignment of Union Boundaries,” October 31, 2000. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives.

“South Pacific Division Summary of Staff and Students, for Annual Statistical Report to the General Conference,” December 31, 1917. Office of the Director of Education, South Pacific Division, Wahroonga, NSW.

Speaking of the Youlden Report . . . .” Australasian Record, April 14, 1980.

Speck, D. A. “Outstanding Evangelistic Mission in Perth.” Australasian Record, January 2, 1961.

Steed, Ernest H. J. “First Baptism by Perth City Mission.” Australasian Record, January 2, 1950.

Steed, Ernest H. J. “Perth City Mission Opens.” Australasian Record, June 6, 1949.

“Strategic Planning Imperatives settled by the WA Conference Executive Committee on March 10, 2019.” (Lesleigh Bower, email to author, April 9, 2019).

“The West Australian Conference.” Australasian Record, June 6, 1927.

“The West Australian Mission,” Union Conference Record, April 14, 1899.

Thomas, Edna. “Arthur Duffy Mission in Bunbury.” Australasian Record, December 8, 1984.

“Three city missions . . . .” Australasian Record, May 11, 1964.

Thrift, R. L. “Where There’s a Will . . . .” Australasian Record, March 26, 1979.

W. A. Tract Society.” Australasian Record. October 1, 1899.

Ward, Henry. “A Church-school in West Australia.” Union Conference Record, October 1, 1905.

“West Australian Mission.” Australasian Record, January/February 1898.

Notes

  1. Special acknowledgment is given to Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australia Conference, and to Nerolie Hiscox, a teacher at Carmel Adventist College, for their assistance in compiling the data in this article.

  2. The webpage of the Western Australia Conference is: www.wa.adventist.org.au.

  3. Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australia Conference, email to author, April 9, 2019.

  4. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Western Australia Conference,” page 351, accessed April 4, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB2017.pdf.

  5. 2017 Annual Statistical Report: 153rd Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for 2015 and 2016, accessed July 17, 2018, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR2017.pdf.

  6. Ibid.

  7. “Connect,” accessed April 4, 2019, http://wa.adventist.org.au/connect/.

  8. Enrollment statistics are supplied by Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australia Conference, email to author, May 13, 2019; staff statistics are supplied from “South Pacific Division Summary of Staff and Students, for Annual Statistical Report to the General Conference,” December 31, 1917, Office of the Director of Education, South Pacific Division, Wahroonga, NSW.

  9. Henry Ward, “A Church-school in West Australia,” Union Conference Record, October 1, 1905, 7.

  10. L. V. Finster, “Report of the West Australian Conference,” Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906, 47.

  11. Ibid.

  12. “Early Childhood,” accessed April 6, 2019, http://www.carmelcollege.wa.edu.au/.

  13. See Carmel Adventist College in this encyclopedia.

  14. Ibid.

  15. L. R. Thrift, “Where There’s a Will . . . ,” Australasian Record, March 26, 1979, 10.

  16. Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australia Conference, email to author, July 2, 1918.

  17. “The West Australian Conference,” Australasian Record, June 6, 1927, 3.

  18. S. C. Grieve, “New Church School in Perth Opened by Minister of Education,” Australasian Record, December 16, 1946, 4.

  19. Colin House, “Camp Logue Brook Officially Opens,” Record, October 17, 1992, 10.

  20. Linden Chuang, “Bushfire Claims Lives, Church Campground,” Record, February 6, 2016, 7.

  21. “Rossmoyne Waters,” accessed April 6, 2019, http://www.adventistcare.org.au/retirement-living/our-villages/rossmoyne.

  22. George A. Irwin, “The West Australian Camp Meeting,” Australasian Record, May 1, 1902, 11.

  23. F. W. Reekie, “Opening the Work in Western Australia,” Australasian Record, December 16, 1935, 3.

  24. Ibid.

  25. Ibid; “W.A. Tract Society,” Australasian Record, October 1, 1899, 12.

  26. J. Johnson (sic), “We are at Coolgardie . . . ,” The Gleaner, July 1896, 5.

  27. E. R. Palmer, “Summary of Australian Canvassing Work,” Australasian Record, January 1, 1898, 15.

  28. Erwin E. Roenfelt, “Alice Marie Bradley obituary,” Australasian Record, May 14, 1934, 6.

  29. “West Australian Mission,” Australasian Record, January/February 1898, 22.

  30. Ibid.

  31. Ibid.

  32. “Arrangements have been made . . . ,” The Gleaner, September 1896, 10; “On Tuesday, October 27 . . . ,” The Gleaner, October 1896, 28.

  33. “West Australian Mission,” Australasian Record, January/February 1898, 22

  34. Ibid.

  35. Ibid.

  36. Ibid; Geo. A. Irwin, “The West Australian Camp Meeting,” Union Conference Record, May 1, 1902, 11.

  37. “The West Australian Mission,” Union Conference Record, April 14, 1899, 13.

  38. Ibid.

  39. Ibid.

  40. Ibid.

  41. Ibid.

  42. Geo. A. Irwin, “The West Australian Camp Meeting,” Union Conference Record, May 1, 1902, 11.

  43. Ibid.

  44. L. V. Finster, “Report of the West Australian Conference,” Union Conference Record, October 1, 1906, 47.

  45. “On the 8th . . . ,” The Bible Echo, September 17, 1894, 296.

  46. First reported as being in Western Australia in “Our Canvassers,” Union Conference Record, September 1, 1899, 10; reported as leaving Western Australia in F. Masters, “Canvassing Experiences in Western Australia,” Australasian Record, May 29, 1911, 3.

  47. “Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Union Conference Record, August 1, 1902.

  48. “Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Union Conference Record, August 3, 1908.

  49. Ibid.

  50. “Monthly Summary of Australasian Canvassing Work,” Australasian Record, March 6, 1911.

  51. Ibid.

  52. Ibid.

  53. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Australian Mission Including New Zealand and Other Pacific Islands,” pages 131–133, accessed April 8, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1888.pdf.

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

  55. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Australasian Union Conference,” pages 40, 61, accessed April 8, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1894.pdf.

  56. Ibid.

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

  58. “The West Australian Mission,” Union Conference Record, April 14, 1899, 13.

  59. Ibid; Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australia Conference, email to author, July 2, 1918.

  60. Geo. A. Irwin, “The West Australian Camp Meeting,” Union Conference Record, May 1, 1902, 11.

  61. Ibid.

  62. H. E. Piper, “Special Session, Australasian Union Conference,” Australasian Record, September 13, 1948, 2, 3.

  63. Ibid.

  64. Ibid.

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

  66. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Bismarck Solomons Union Mission,” page 83, accessed February 13, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1953.pdf.

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

  68. Bruce Manners, “Session Votes for Restructure,” Record, November 25, 2000, 8, 9.

  69. For further information, see Australian Union Conference, South Pacific Division in this encyclopedia.

  70. South Pacific Division Quinquennial Session minutes, Action 2.5, “Realignment of Union Boundaries,” October 31, 2000, South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives.

  71. W.M.R. Scragg, “Perth Mission,” Australasian Record, February 19, 1936, 8.

  72. Ernest H. J. Steed, “Perth City Mission Opens,” Australasian Record, June 6, 1949, 5; “His Majesties Theatre in Perth . . . ,” Australasian Record, May 30, 1949, 8; Ernest H. J. Steed, “First Baptism by Perth City Mission,” Australasian Record, January 2, 1950, 5; “An Evening With the Australasian Inter-Union Conference,” ARH, July 27, 1950, 268.

  73. “Just as we are going to press . . . ,” Australasian Record, June 5, 1950, 8.

  74. R. H. Powrie, “Perth’s ‘Faith for Today’ Crusade,” Australasian Record, May 26, 1952, 3.

  75. D. A. Speck, “Outstanding Evangelistic Mission in Perth,” Australasian Record, January 2, 1961, 12.

  76. “Three city missions . . . ,” Australasian Record, May 11, 1964, 16.

  77. Austin G. Fletcher, “The Harvest in the West,” Australasian Record, February 5, 1968, 1.

  78. “Speaking of the Youlden Report . . . ,” Australasian Record, April 14, 1980, 16.

  79. Edna Thomas, “Arthur Duffy Mission in Bunbury,” Australasian Record, December 8, 1984, 3.

  80. “Kalgoorlie Gold,” Australasian Record, September 28, 1987, 8.

  81. “In WA Small-Town Evangelism Brings Promising Audience,” Australasian Record, July 9, 1988, 10; “Rockingham, WA,” Australasian Record, July 16, 1988, 12.

  82. “Media Centre Evangelism Brings Baptisms,” Record, December 12, 1992, 10.

  83. Supplied by Lesleigh Bower, secretary, South Australian Conference, email message to author, July 2, 2018.

  84. Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australian Conference, email to author, June 4, 2018.

  85. “Our Vision,” accessed April 4, 2019, http://wa.adventist.org.au/mission/.

  86. “Strategic Planning Imperatives settled by the WA Conference Executive Committee on March 10, 2019” (Lesleigh Bower, email to author, April 9, 2019).

  87. Lesleigh Bower, secretary of the Western Australian Conference, email to author, June 4, 2018.

  88. Ibid.

×

Oliver, Barry. "Western Australian Conference." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Accessed October 09, 2024. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=787M.

Oliver, Barry. "Western Australian Conference." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Date of access October 09, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=787M.

Oliver, Barry (2020, January 29). Western Australian Conference. Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved October 09, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=787M.