Elizabeth's Church Pages | |
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St
John's
Clergy
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| In the parochial care of Mildura. | The Revd H E Noltenius B.A., Vicar of Mildura, held the first Church of England Service in Merbein, in the State School, on Sunday 8 Dec 1912, at 3pm, and continued fortnightly till he left Mildura early in 1913. He died 6 Jan 1961, aged 81 The Revd Rowland B Davison commenced ministry at Merbein on 11 May 1913, at 3.30pm and continued fortnightly. He held the first celebration of Holy Communion on Sunday 12 Oct 1913, with 17 present and 6 took communion. Following this service, a meeting was held to begin the work of forming the Merbein Parish. The Revd Howard C Russell became Vicar of Mildura in 1916, and continued the ministry to Merbein. He participated in the ceremony of the laying of the Foundation Stone of St John's, on Sunday 26 Oct 1919, by the Bishop of Ballarat, Dr Maxwell-Gumbleton. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Rev George Eric Menlove Our First Resident Priest 1 Jan 1920 - 28 Jan 1923 He died in Melbourne, 1960 The church was built, and dedicated on 10 April, 1921. The vicarage family lived in rented rooms until the vicarage was built, then blessed and dedicated by the Bishop on Sunday 13 Nov 1921. In Feb 1922 the Committee of St John's agreed to pay the Vicar 30 pounds to get a buggy and harness, he was to provide the horse and feed it. In June 1922 the Committee made an application to the Bishop for Merbein to be declared a Parish. The Revd Menlove took his last service in the parish on Sunday 28 Jan 1923, at 7.30pm, when 102 were present. He moved to the Parish of Warracknabeal. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Launcelot Coulson Ferris First Vicar of Merbein 4 Feb 1923 - 26 Oct 1924 The Revd L C Ferris was the first Vicar of Merbein, because the status of the Parish changed from Parochial District to a Parish. He came from Scottsdale in Tasmania, and served from 4 Feb 1923 to 26 Oct 1924. It is a measure of his success that 45 attended his Induction, and 64 attended his last service before he and his family moved over the river to St John's Wentworth. The Revd Launcelot Coulson Ferris died whilst Rector of South West Rocks, in the Diocese of Grafton, during 1946. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Leslie Underwood Alley - 9 Nov 1924 - 28 June 1925
Revd Alley also came from the Diocese of Tasmania - he had been Rector of Forth with Leven. He was Inducted on Sunday 9 Nov 1924 at 11am. and took his first service as Vicar the same evening at 7.30pm. His ministry has the distinction of being the shortest of any Priest at Merbein. Eight months after his Induction, on 28 June 1925, he took his last service before moving to Warracknabeal, vacated by Rev Menlove's next appointment.
The Revd Leslie Cula, assistant Priest of Red Cliffs, took services at St John's Merbein during the interregnum, 5 July to 23 August, 1925. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Kenneth Paul Goodisson 12 July 1925 - 4 Feb 1929 The Revd Goodisson was Curate in Mildura, before being appointed Deacon-in-charge of Merbein. He was ordained as priest on 21 Dec 1925 (St Thomas's Day) and celebrated his first Communion at Merbein Christmas Day, 1925. For reasons which may be associated with the change of Diocese and Installation of Bishop James, as well as economic hard times, Rev Goodisson was not Inducted and Instituted until Monday 26 Sept 1927, when the parish status was restored. Rev Goodisson took his last service on 24 Feb 1929, and became the Priest-in-Charge of the Parochial District of Dunolly. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Revd Ernest Joseph Lees 3 Mar - 24 Nov 1929 Revd Lees came from the task of Priest-in-Charge of the Parochial District of Fresco, took his first Service for us on 3 March 1929, and just 9 months later was farewelled, on 24 Nov 1929 to become Rector of Sea Lake, then Archdeacon of St Arnaud and later Archdeacon of Gippsland. His highlight was the Consecration of St John's which had became debt free, due to a gift from an unknown donor. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Arthur Hazlehurst Gribble 11 Jan 1930 - 11 Mar 1934 Rev Gribble was Chaplain to the Forces from 1915 to 1918, and was badly gassed. He arrived at Merbein from Emerald, Queensland, with his wife, on New Years Day 1930 and served four years and three months before ill health forced him to retire to Victor Harbour before settling at Glenelg in 1935. He died 24 Sep 1952. See the paragraph 1932, for some of his results. In retirement, he and his wife provided a home for up to six wards of the state at a time - Mrs Gribble recorded 28 years of this work, and had five children, aged from 18 years to four months, when she wrote in 1961. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Albert Edward Bellemy 18 Mar 1934 - 25 Feb 1940 Our longest serving Leader Albert had been Stipendiary Reader in charge of the Parochial District of Talbert, and was made a Deacon on 29 June 1933. He took his first services at Merbein on 18 March 1934, as Deacon-in-Charge - Merbein was in debt for the Vicarage, and had lost it's Parish status. He was ordained on St Barnabas' Day, 1935 in St Martin's Church, Charlton, and licensed as Priest-in-Charge of Merbein the same day. He conducted his first Holy Communion at 8am on Sunday 23 June 1935. Merbein was unable to clear its debt, so Rev Bellamy was not made a Rector or the Parish Status restored. In May 1937 a weekly freewill offering was established in the parish, and in Oct 1937 the Vestry decided to institute a Christmas Good-will offering involving every Anglican grower of Dried fruit. Mr Bellamy took his last services at Merbein on 25 Feb 1940, when the Vicarage debt had been reduced to 350 pounds. The parish had four worship centres, at Merbein, South Merbein, Koorlong and Tullilah (18 miles along the Werrimul Rd.), plus a Sunday School at Birdwoodton led by Mrs Ford. Back to the Clergy list. | |
 and Rev Mutton. |
Arthur Joseph Gray 1 Mar 1940 - 30 June 1943 Rev Gray moved from Murrayville to become Vicar of Merbein, and one of his early experiences was watching St John's cricket club win the District Shield for 1939-40. Mr Scott, choirmaster, gave sets of Australian Psalters and Canon Wheeler's Communion Service, so the Choral Eucharist was sung for the first time. This resulted in the senior Choir gaining more members. Attitudes to the war shifted after Dunkirk, and in April 1942 the Evening Service time changed to 4.30, due to brown-out regulations. The GFS sent 46 parcels to parish boys overseas. The Vicar emlisted, and was appointed RAAF Chaplain as from 17 June 1942, and granted Leave of Absence for the duration of the war. He was first stationed at Mildura, then served in New Guinea. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Vernon Desmond Hartwig Acting Vicar 16 June 1942 - 1944 First Rector 1944 - 7 April 1946 Rev Hartwig of Quambatook become the Local Tenens of Merbein on 16 June 1942, when he relieved Rev Gray. Bishop James met the Church Wardens and Vestry of St John's to discuss the amalgamation of the Parochial Districts of Werrimull with Merbein. Arrangements were made, and Rev Hartwig commenced taking services at St Nicholas', Werrimull on Sunday 25 Oct 1942, and did so till staff shortages forced him to stop on 30 June 1943, taking up the services at Wentworth from the next day. Rev Hartwig married Naida Bonita Chaffey, daughter of Mr and Mrs WH Chaffey of Merbein, on 2 July 1943. On 25 June 1944 Bishop James Inducted and Instituted Rev Hartwig as the first Rector of the parish of Merbein, preached the sermon, and baptised Michael Chaffey Hartwig, infant son of the Rector and Mrs Hartwig. Rev Hartwig, now Canon Hartwig of Broken Hill, came back to preach for us on Temple Day, Sunday 15 Nov 1953 and the offering for the day was 229 pounds 11 shillings and 7 pence. Money has changed its buying power since 1943 when Rev Hartwig's annual stipend was 249 pounds then increased to 250 pounds so the Parochial District was restored to the status of Parish. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Albert George Church 7 April 1946 - 28 March 1948 Rev Church came from Birchip to Merbein, and was Instituted and Inducted the same day Rev Hartwig was farewelled - a smooth piece of organisation! Rev Church's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was born during his term in Merbein. The Vestry protested to the Shire Council against the proposed trotting track at Kenny Park. The Cricket team was reformed after a lengthy recess. A garden party was attended by 400 people. Rev Church became Locum Tenens at St James' Ivanhoe in Melbourne Diocese. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Herbert Lionel Pratt 4 April 1948 - 1 Jan 1952 Rev Pratt followed Rev Church from Birchip. The Rector dedicated the furnishings for the new children's corner (in the tower) on 13 June 1948 On 30 January, 1949 the Church received wind and water damage from a cyclone which caused the cancellation of the Evening Service. The Church building at Birdwoodton, erected as a Sunday School Hall in 1939, was renovated and on 6 Nov 1948 was dedicated as St Alban's Birdwoodton by Bishop James. St John's Cricket Club won every match for the 1948-9 season, but were beaten in the final. Rev Pratt was installed as a Canon on 21 Dec 1951, took his last service at Merbein on Sunday 30 December 1951 when there were 72 people present at the 7.30pm service, and left Merbein to become Vicar of Carisbrook. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Lennox Thomas Newton-Hamilton 25 Mar 1952 - 31 Oct 1956 Rev Newton-Hamilton came from being Vicar of Nyah-Woorinen to become Rector of Merbein. In July 1952 two men, Messrs A J Antcliff and K C Hollingworth were licensed as Lay Readers. Rev Newton-Hamilton's wife, Edith, died on 29 Oct 1953. The Foundation Stone of the Merbein Memorial Hall was laid in Sept 1956, and the Rector had the honour of laying the 'Corner Stone'. He was also a member of the original team which inaugurated Sunday Evening 'Epilogue' over radio 3MA. He commented in 1961 "I first joined the Diocese 32 years ago, and my stay at Merbein is the longest of any inducted Rector. With Canon Martin, we are the only Pioneer Priests still in the Diocese. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Peter Ralph Monie 28 Mar 1957 - 10 May 1959 Rev Monie arrived in Merbein with his family three days after his arrival in Australia from Northampton, England. He was Instituted and Inducted as Rector of Merbein on Thurs 28 March 1957, by Bishop Winter and 10 clergy. There were 166 people present at the service. Innovations he sponsored include Family Eucharist on the Second Sunday of each month, the first Every Member Canvass, and in 1957-8 had a record 2921 communicants, with another record of 188 on Christmas Day, also a record for any one day. The idea of a 9.45 am Family Service every Sunday in conjunction with Sunday School was tried and proved very successful. The new St John's Memorial Hall was opened in 1958 and cleared of debt the last Sunday of Rev Monie's incumbency, 10 May 1959. On that day at 11am, he also dedicated three stained glass windows in the Baptistry and Porch, in memory of Frederick Campbell Lowe, then at 7.30pm he dedicated a Sanctuary Lamp in memory of Stanley Joshua Whiting. A party of six parishioners journeyed to St Arnaud to see Rev Monie collated as Archdeacon of St Arnaud, on 24 Feb 1960. Mr Lowe had been a member of the original Church Committee in 1918, served as parish Secretary then Priest's Warden 1936-53. He died 1 March 1954. Mr Whiting took over as Priest's Warden until he died on 9 March 1958. Back to the Clergy list. | |
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Leslie Percival Gordon Smith 11 Dec 1959 - ? Rev Smith arrived from Kapunda, South Australia with his family and was Instituted and Inducted by Bishop Winter on Friday 11 Dec 1959, assisted by six clergy, and with 102 people present. Christmas Day 1960 gave us another record - 213 took communion. The St John's Cricket Club continues to make life hard for it's opposing teams - it won the premiership of the B Grade MMCA in March, 1961. Rev Smith wrote the book of the History of St John's, for their celebrations from the Dedication Service Sunday 9 April to the Thanksgiving Sunday 16 April, 1961. We all extend a very big vote of thanks to him for the clarity with which he has presented 'Our Story'. |
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