Ferris, Walter Geoffrey (1904–1985) and Christina (Lowe) (1904–1955); later Myrtle Marie (Allum) (1919–2006)

Walter Geoffrey Ferris was an Australian Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) minister who spent some 28 years in missionary work in Fiji, Tonga, Pitcairn Island, Lord Howe Island, Cook Islands, and Gilbert and Ellis Islands in the South Pacific, becoming a skilled sea captain.

Early Life

Walter Ferris was born February 23, 1904 in the small country town of Dookie in Victoria, Australia, to Arthur (1869-1961) and Jessie (nee Dunlop, 1879-1958) Ferris.¹ At the time, his father was running an orchard and was studying to become a Seventh-day Adventist.² Walter and his twin brother, David (1904-1987), had an older brother, Norman (1902-1958) and three younger sisters, Esther (1906-1922), Muriel (Mrs. Peter Ferris, 1918-2006) and Edna (Mrs Verner Heise, 1922-2006).

Education and Marriage

When he was six years old, Walter’s parents went as SDA missionaries to Norfolk Island where they served for the next ten years.³ Here he commenced his schooling. When, early in 1921, following a furlough, the family moved to a new appointment on Lord Howe Island, Walter and his brother stayed in Australia and enrolled at the SDA Australasian Missionary College (Avondale).⁴ Here he spent seven years altogether, completing three different courses.⁵ After graduating from his second course in 1926 he spent two years in colporteur ministry in the South Australian Conference, then returned to Avondale for a further year of college in 1929.⁶ Following this, in January 1930, he commenced colporteur evangelism in the Victorian Conference.⁷

While at Avondale he met Christina (Chrissy) Lowe who was doing the Business Course. She left Avondale in 1926 and went to work at the Australian Union Conference Office, the headquarters of the SDA Church in Australia, located in Wahroonga, NSW, working there for nearly four years.⁸ Walter and Chrissy’s friendship culminated with their marriage on July 6, 1930 at Warburton, Victoria.⁹

Chrissy was the eldest daughter of Alexander and Jeannie Lowe and had been born July 29, 1904 at Ayr, north Queensland. She had two older brothers: William (1899 – 1992) and John (1902 – 1980); two younger brothers, Gordon (1909 – 2005) and Charles (1921 – 1999) who was an SDA pastor; and a sister, Alice (1919 – 2007) who worked in Sabbath School leadership in Australia and at the General Conference.¹⁰

Ministry

The first eighteen months of their marriage was spent in Victoria where both Walter and Chrissy worked in colporteur ministry, travelling through the farming district around Euroa by bicycle;¹¹ then Walter gained evangelistic experience with Pastor L. Were’s mission program.¹² Tragedy entered their lives with the death of their first-born, Shirley, a day after her birth on December 5, 1931.¹³

In the same month they accepted an appointment to Fiji. From 1932 to 1936 Walter was district director for the Lau Group of islands, with his headquarters at Mualevu on Vanua Balavu.¹⁴ During this time, two more children were born and died, Ronald Bobby, born on June 7, 1933, died the next day, after Chrissy sustained an injury on a rough sea voyage to the hospital in Suva,¹⁵ and Jean who died on January 25, 1935, when one day old.¹⁶

When their next child was due, Chrissy travelled to Sydney, Australia, and there, on October 12, 1936, Arthur Elwin was born safely and healthy.¹⁷ About the same time, the family moved from the Lau Islands to Vanua Levu, being stationed on the Vatuvonu School campus at Buca Bay, where Walter’s appointment as district director for the northern region of the Fiji group extended until 1943.¹⁸ He was ordained to the gospel ministry on March 4, 1940, in Suva, Fiji.¹⁹

As so much travel was by mission ships, Walter gained extensive knowledge of the waters around Fiji, and became a skilled navigator and ship’s captain. In 1941 he gained international recognition when, on November 24, he rescued Mrs. Fern Thompson, only surviving member of a group of four Americans, from their partly submerged yacht, the Wing On, which was wrecked on a remote Fijian reef.²⁰

During 1944 -1945 his parish was a land-locked one, as he was director of the Viti Levu West district. This saw the Ferris family move from Buca Bay on Vanua Levu to Nadarivatu in Viti Levu’s central mountains.²¹

From 1946 to 1949, Pastor Walter Ferris was the president of the Tongan Mission, making the transfer by sailing the new Tongan Mission ship from Fiji to Tonga, a route he had never sailed before.²² In Tonga, Walter developed cordial relations with the government, becoming a personal friend of members of the royal family. These relationships enabled the Mission to operate freely in Tonga. Queen Salote, herself, applied her seal to his first ‘unlimited master’s certificate’ in navigation and sailing.²³

It was in mid-December, 1949, that he experienced a close encounter with drowning. He, with the mission ship, the Endeavour, was on a mercy run on behalf of the Tongan Government Medical Officer. While negotiating a narrow channel at night during strong winds, the ship was impaled on a reef and rapidly broke up under the pounding of the waves. Miraculously, all on board were able to make the shore of a nearby island in the dinghy or by clinging to floating wreckage.²⁴

The time in Tonga was followed by a return to Buca Bay as the president of the newly-created East Fiji Mission from 1950 to 1955.²⁵ As he was also appointed as the secretary-treasurer of the mission, Chrissy voluntarily took over those responsibilities. Again, most of Walter’s itinerating was done by sea. He kept close links with all parts of his territory and saw growth throughout the Mission.²⁶

While in Sydney, Australia, on furlough, his wife, Chrissy, died unexpectedly on January 26, 1955, following an operation.²⁷ Pastor Ferris and Elwin, now eighteen years old, returned to Buca Bay in Fiji until August, when they moved back to Australia.²⁸

Walter accepted a posting to evangelistic work in Queensland,²⁹ but after a few months was transferred to work with his older brother, Pastor Norman Ferris, at Mona Mona, an aboriginal mission in northern Queensland.³⁰ Here, on June 6, 1957, he married the station’s nurse and medical advisor, Myrtle Marie Allum.³¹ She also had a missionary background, being born of missionary parents in Shanghai, China, on May 4, 1919.³²

Myrtle’s parents, Pastor Francis Arthur and Eveline (nee Osborne) Allum, were English emigrants who married in Sydney in 1906 and spent 16 years working for the SDA church in China.³³ They had three sons and three daughters, Myrtle being the 5^th child. Her brothers were Wallace (1908 – 2004), Harold (1910 – 2000) and Elwyn (1914 – 1999), and her sisters were Wilma (married name, Rowe, then Foots, 1917 – 2012), and Dorothy (Cooke, 1922 – 1986).³⁴

Walter and Myrtle were blessed by the birth of Merian Joy.³⁵ When she was just five weeks old, the family sailed for the Cook Islands, where Walter had been appointed as president of the Cook Islands Mission.³⁶ However, after just nine months there, he was transferred to the presidency of the newly enlarged (by the lifting of restrictions on entry to the Ellis Islands) Gilbert and Ellis Islands (Kiribati and Tuvalu) Mission; another mission whose extensive spread made travel by sea imperative.³⁷

At the beginning of 1963, the Ferrises transferred to the challenging station of Pitcairn Island for a two-year term.³⁸ Here, Myrtle’s medical expertise as a triple-certificated nurse was as appreciated as Walter’s spiritual leadership.³⁹ He also undertook to teach navigation to the young men of the island⁴⁰ and assist the islanders with repair and maintenance of buildings and equipment.⁴¹

Walter’s next posting was as Superintendent of Aboriginal Welfare at Kuranda, North Queensland. This was close to Mona Mona Mission and the people received the Ferrises back with joy.⁴² During this period his services as a master mariner were engaged to sail a new mission ship, the Pacifique, from Brisbane, Queensland, to the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) mission.⁴³

Later Life

In August, 1967, the Ferrises commenced a second term on Pitcairn Island, which was completed in September 1969.⁴⁴ They returned to Australia, where Walter retired in November, 1969, taking up residence in Cooranbong, NSW, near Avondale College.⁴⁵ Almost immediately, Walter’s services were required to sail the mission ship, Fetu Ao from the New Hebrides to the Gilbert and Ellis Islands Mission.⁴⁶ Four months later, he was asked to sail the same ship from Suva, Fiji, back to the New Hebrides.⁴⁷

In the 1970 New Year Honors conferred by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Myrtle Ferris was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal for her services as Medical Officer on Pitcairn. This was not only an honor for Mrs. Ferris, but also for the SDA Church.⁴⁸

The next year, Walter received his own royal approbation when the Royal College of Arms in London consented to prepare a coat of arms for Pitcairn Island from suggestions he had provided. This was accepted by royal warrant and registered in London to become part of the Pitcairn flag and to be used on official documents.⁴⁹

In retirement, the Ferrises were often in demand as speakers at camp-meetings and consequently did quite a bit of travelling. In February 1979 they went to Lord Howe Island to spend the year as the volunteer pastoral team.⁵⁰ On their return to Cooranbong, Walter studied for, and obtained, his radio operator license to enable him to retain contact with his many associates in the islands.⁵¹

Walter died in the Sydney Adventist Hospital, NSW, on March 18, 1985 and was buried at the Avondale Cemetery in Cooranbong.⁵² The following year, his son, Elwin, erected a church on the island of Taveuni, Fiji, where Walter had pioneered for the SDA church, naming it the Pastor Walter Geoffrey Ferris Memorial Church, to commemorate over four decades of mission service-most of it in isolated places.⁵³

On September 27, 1987, Myrtle married widower Charles William ‘Edgar’ Allen.⁵⁴ He passed away in March 2001 and Myrtle died March 18, 2006. They are both buried in the Avondale Cemetery in Cooranbong.⁵⁵

Sources

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Ferris, W. G. “The Badge Of Authority.” Australasian Record, March 15, 1971.

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Ferris, W. G. in “Notes From Headquarters.” by Forbes, A. H. Australasian Record, October 19, 1942.

Ferris, Walter and Chrissie. “We are situated on Vanua Balavu . . .” Australasian Record, January 13, 1936.

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Forster, Jack. “Henderson Ahoy!” Australasian Record, April 12, 1965.

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Garne, G. E. “Duke Of Edinburgh Awards.” Australasian Record, August 21, 1982.

Gilmore, Robert. “Pastor In Plaster.” Australasian Record, November 11, 1963.

Gimore, Laurence. "‘San’ Nurses Of Yesterday At Reunion.” Australasian Record, July 20, 1970.

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Heise, Edna I. “We Planned A Tight Schedule, But, The Governor Wasn't In A Hurry.” Australasian Record, August 13, 1979.

Heise, Edna. “Missionary Twins.” Australasian Record, April 21, 1984.

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Heise, V. “Family Fortitude.” Australasian Record, August 18, 1958.

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Howse, E. W. “Annual Conference in Tonga.”Australasian Record, August 29, 1949.

"’I have just returned . . .’” Australasian Record, October 18, 1948.

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Lane, R. W. “We very much enjoyed . . .” Australasian Record, June 10, 1935.

“Late in September . . .” Australasian Record, October 18, 1965.

Lee, Gordon A. “Faith Under Suffering - Pitcairn.” Australasian Record, August 26, 1968.

Leeder, S. “Answering a Call”. Australasian Record, August 29, 1932.

“List of Appointments.” Australasian Record, January 13, 1930.

McMahon, B. H. “Itinerating in Fiji.” Australasian Record, August 17, 1936.

“Miss Hilda Hagart . . .” Australasian Record, November 1, 1926.

“Mrs. W. G. Ferris wrote from . . .” Australasian Record, May 30, 1938.

Myrtle Marie Ferris Worker’s Biographical Record. South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Ferris, Myrtle Marie.” Document: “Worker’s Biographical Record.”

Nichol, Helen. “A Hurricane Provided One Of His Moments; Another Was A Volcano . . . !” Australasian Record, February 19, 1973.

“On furlough from Fiji . . .” Australasian Record, November 16, 1936.

Palmer, C. S. “Voyaging from New Zealand to Fiji.” Australasian Record, April 16, 1945.

Palmer, C. S. “The Annual Meeting in Tonga.” Australasian Record, August 5, 1946.

Parmenter, V. B. “Tasmanian ‘Convocation’.” Australasian Record, August 16, 1976.

Parr, R H. “To The Front Line.” Australasian Record, October 3, 1967.

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“Pastor Walter G. Ferris flew out . . .” Australasian Record, March 30, 1970.

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“Pastor W. G. Ferris is now . . .” Australasian Record, August 12, 1957.

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Piper, A. H. “Life Sketch, Francis Arthur Allum.” Australasian Record, November 1, 1948.

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Simmonds, W. H. “Infant Mission Of The Central Pacific Union.” Australasian Record, August 1, 1960.

Simmonds, W. H. “A Tribute To The Sailor Wives Of The Mission Field.” Australasian Record, August 8, 1960.

Simmonds, W. “A Clear Conscience Before Money.” Australasian Record, May 9, 1960.

“Sister W. G. Ferris writes. . .” Australasian Record, July 9, 1934.

Stewart, A. G. “Gathering out a Remnant From the Islands of the Sea.” Australasian Record, May 7, 1934.

Stewart, A. G. “Letter From Fiji.” Australasian Record, July 27, 1936.

Stewart, A. G. “Providence, and the Tragedy of the Wing On.” Australasian Record, February 3, 1941.

Stewart, A. G. “Another Visit to the Friendly Isles.” Australasian Record, June 7, 1948.

Stewart, A. G. “Delegates to the Australasian Division Session.” Australasian Record, December 13, 1954.

Stewart, A. G. “The Late Sister Walter Ferris, A Brief Life Sketch.” Australasian Record, February 28, 1955.

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“The last night before he sailed . . .” Australasian Record, May 16, 1932.

“The superintendent of the Aboriginal . . .” Australasian Record, October 10, 1966.

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Notes

1. Victorian Births Index, Ferris, Walter Geoffrey, 1904/1838.↩

2. Edna Ferris Heise, “Interest on a Colporteur’s Investment.” Australasian Record, December 14, 1985, 10.↩

3. “Brother A. H. Ferris . . .” Union Conference Record, May 17, 1920, 8.↩

4. “After a furlough. . . ” Australasian Record, April 18, 1921, 7.↩

5. Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016.↩

6. “Brethren Walter Ferris . . .” Australasian Record, January 17, 1927, 8, and Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016.↩

7. “Following is a list . . .” Australasian Record, January 13, 1930, 8.↩

8. “Miss Chrissie Lowe . . .” Australasian Record, vol. 30, no. 44, November 1, 1926, 8, and A. G. Stewart, “The Late Sister Walter Ferris, a Brief Life Sketch.” Australasian Record, February 28, 1955, 6-7.↩

9. G. G. Stewart, “Wedding Bells. Ferris – Lowe.” Australasian Record, August 25, 1930, 7.↩

10. Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016.↩

11. L. N. Hawkes, “Life Sketch of Walter Geoffrey Ferris.” Australasian Record, May 18, 1985, 13.↩

12. “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Personal Service Record.” South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Ferris, Walter Geoffrey.” Document: “Personal Service Record.”↩

13. Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016 and Linden Chuang, “Lest We Forget.” Australasian Record, August 1, 2014, 11.↩

14. “Brother and Sister W. G. Ferris.” Australasian Record, April 4, 1932, 8; R. H. Adair, “Our Visit to Fiji.” Australasian Record, July 2, 1934, 3; Walter and Chrissie Ferris, “We are situated . . .” Australasian Record, vol. 40, no. 2, January 13, 1936, 8; “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Personal Service Record.”↩

15. Linden Chuang, “Lest We Forget.” Australasian Record, vol. 119, no. 4, August 1, 2014, 11, and Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016.↩

16. Ibid.↩

17. “On furlough from Fiji . . .” Australasian Record, vol. 40, no. 46, November 16, 1936, 8 and “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Worker’s Biographical Record.” South Pacific Division of the General Conference Archives. Folder: “Ferris, Walter Geoffrey.” Document: “Worker’s Biographical Record.”↩

18. “From their station in Vanua Levu . . .” Australasian Record, May 4, 1936, 8 and “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Worker’s Biographical Record.”↩

19. E. E. Roenfelt, “Recommendations Passed by the 1939 Council for Ordination and Credentials.” Australasian Record, October 2, 1939, 7 and “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Worker’s Biographical Record.”↩

20. A. G. Stewart, “Providence, and the Tragedy of the Wing On.” Australasian Record, February 3, 1941, 3.↩

21. “From the Viti Levu West district . . .” Australasian Record, May 29, 1944, 8.↩

22. “A radio recently received . . .” Australasian Record, April 1, 1946, 8 and Walter Ferris, “Exciting Days on Tonga.” Australasian Record, June 22, 1946, 3.↩

23. Palmer, C. S., “The Annual Meeting in Tonga.” Australasian Record, August 5, 1946, 5, Howse, E. W., “Cameos from the Kingdom of Tonga.” Australasian Record, October 11, 1948, 3 and Nichol, Helen. “A Hurricane Provided One Of His Moments; Another Was A Volcano . . . !” Australasian Record, February 19, 1973, 6-7.↩

24. W. G. Ferris, “The Loss of the "Endeavour." Australasian Record, February 6, 1950, 4.↩

25. “In response to a call . . .” Australasian Record, July 3, 1950, 8.↩

26. ‘Another Missionary,’ “She Was A Cheerful Giver.” Australasian Record, May 30, 1955, 12 and A. G. Stewart, “The Late Sister Walter Ferris, A Brief Life Sketch.” Australasian Record, February 28, 1955. 6.↩

27. “Suddenly and unexpectedly . . .” Australasian Record, February 14, 1955, 8.↩

28. “Pastor W. G. Ferris, president . . .” Australasian Record, August 29, 1955, 8.↩

29. “After many years of mission service . . .” Australasian Record, September 10, 1956, 8 and “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Personal Service Record.”↩

30. “Pastor W. G. Ferris is now . . .” Australasian Record, August 12, 1957, 8.↩

31. W. J. Richards, “Ferris - Allum.” Australasian Record, July 22, 1957, 14.↩

32. Lyell Heise and Adrian Craig, “Allen, Myrtle Marie obituary.” Australasian Record, June 3, 2006, 14.↩

33. A. H. Piper, “Life Sketch, Francis Arthur Allum.” Australasian Record, November 1, 1948, 7.↩

34. Ibid.↩

35. Colin and Merian Richardson, e-mail message to author, November 15, 2016.↩

36. “To fill the position of president . . .” Australasian Record, September 22, 1958, 8.↩

37. “Because health reasons prevented . . .” Australasian Record, May 4, 1959, 8.↩

38. “Division delegates to the annual . . .” Australasian Record, February 11, 1963, 8.↩

39. Eric Were, “They Live Cheerfully With Danger.” Australasian Record, September 23, 1963, 2.↩

40. Jack Forster, “Henderson Ahoy!” Australasian Record, April 12, 1965, 2.↩

41. Robert Gilmore, “Pastor In Plaster.” Australasian Record, November 11, 1963, 4.↩

42. “Pastor and Mrs. W. G. Ferris and daughter . . .” Australasian Record, November 29, 1965, 8.↩

43. W. E. Battye, “People and Events.” Australasian Record, October 10, 1966, 16.↩

44. “Pastor and Mrs. Walter G. Ferris . . .” Australasian Record, August 21, 1967, 8 and “Pastor and Mrs. A. F. Parker . . .” Australasian Record, August 11, 1969, 16.↩

45. “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Personal Service Record.” and “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Worker’s Biographical Record.”↩

46. “Pastor W. G. Ferris left Sydney . . .” Australasian Record, December 1, 1969, 16.↩

47. “Pastor Walter G. Ferris flew out . . .” Australasian Record, March 30, 1970, 16.↩

48. “Pitcairn services.” The Fiji Times, January 1, 1970, 14.↩

49. W. G. Ferris, “The Badge Of Authority.” Australasian Record, March 15, 1971, 8.↩

50. “Walter Geoffrey Ferris, Personal Service Record.”↩

51. Hawkes, L. N., “Life-Sketch Of Walter Geoffrey Ferris.” Australasian Record, May 18, 1985, 13.↩

52. Ibid.↩

53. Robert B. Hansford, "It Must Be A Dream!." Australasian Record, May 24, 1986, 1-2.↩

54. L. C. Coombe, “Weddings. Allen—Ferris.” Australasian Record, October 31, 1987, 14.↩

55. Avondale Cemetery Records, Cooranbong, NSW.↩