Bush Brotherhood
The Bush Brotherhood was a group of Anglican religious orders providing itinerant priests to minister to sparsely-settled rural districts in Australia. They were described as a "band of men" who could "preach like Apostles" and "ride like cowboys".[1]
History
The St Andrew's Bush Brotherhood was established in 1897 in Longreach, Queensland, by the Bishop of Stepney, Canon Body and the Bishop of Rockhampton, Nathaniel Dawes.[2][3][4] The first group of brothers was led by the Reverend George Halford.[5]
The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd was established about 1903 in Dubbo, New South Wales.[6]
The Bush Brotherhood of St Boniface operated in the Diocese of Bunbury in Western Australia from July 1911 to 1929.[7][8]
In 1922, Bryan Robin published a book "The Sundowner" about his experiences in the Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas in North Queensland from 1914 to 1921. This book attracted other priests to join the brotherhood.[9]
The Brotherhood of St John the Baptist was established in Murray Bridge, South Australia.[5]
The Bush Brotherhood of St Paul operated in Charleville and Cunnamulla in Queensland.
Operation of the orders
There were a number of different orders of Bush Brothers, but all operated on a similar basis of an almost monastic life, committed to:[1]
- temporary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience
- periodic returns from the bush to a community house for spiritual replenishment
- obedience to a warden or principal (often a bishop)
Their duties included:[6]
- giving religious instruction in schools
- holding services
- administering sacraments
The Bush Brothers were either single (or left their wives behind during their period of service). Many were recruited from England where life in the Outback had a romantic appeal. Australian brothers were less frequently recruited.[1]
Although the Bush Brothers originally rode horses, they drove vehicles in later years.
Notable members
- William Barrett, Dean of Brisbane
- Wilfrid Belcher, Bishop of North Queensland
- Stephen Davies, Bishop of Carpentaria
- William Elsey, Bishop of Kalgoorlie
- John Feetham, Bishop of North Queensland
- Godfrey Fryar, Bishop of Rockhampton
- George Halford, Bishop of Rockhampton
- Frederick Hulton-Sams, known as the "fighting parson" for his boxing skills, he died in 1915 in World War I.[10][11][12][13][14] His friends wrote a book about his experiences as a bush brother.[15]
- John Hazlewood, Bishop of Ballarat
- Barry Hunter, Bishop of Riverina
- Hamish Jamieson, Bishop of Carpentaria and Bunbury
- Lionel Renfrey, Dean of Adelaide
- Bryan Robin, Bishop of Adelaide
- Guy Roxby, died from typhoid in 1913, the first Brother to die in service [12][16][16][17]
- Richard Thomas, Bishop of Willochra
- Graham Howard Walden, Bishop of The Murray[18]
In popular culture
The narrator of Nevil Shute's novel In the Wet is a member of the Bush Brotherhood and provides a (fictional) account of the life of one of these itinerant priests.
References
- 1 2 3 "Ministry in rural and outback communities". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "The Church.". The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 6 April 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ↑ "Work Without Pay.". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922). Barcaldine, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 18 November 1901. p. 14. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ↑ "No title.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 21 September 1897. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- 1 2 "Religious News And Views.". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 11 January 1947. p. 12. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- 1 2 "Bush Mission Work.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 3 September 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ↑ "COUNTRY.". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 13 July 1911. p. 8. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Brotherhood of St Boniface.". Great Southern Herald (Katanning, WA : 1901 - 1954). Katanning, WA: National Library of Australia. 11 September 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Radford, Robin. Robin, Bryan Percival (1887–1969). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- ↑ "Rev. and Lieut. Frederick Hulton Sams, B.A.". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922). Barcaldine, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 14 August 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Frederick Hulton--Sams.". The Western Champion (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1922 - 1937). Barcaldine, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 18 July 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- 1 2 "St Peter's Anglican Church and Hall (entry 600022)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ↑ "FIGHTING PARSON KILLED.". Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954). Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY.". Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. : 1912 - 1936). Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 21 August 1915. p. 12 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "THE LATE REV. F. HULTON SAMS.". The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 15 April 1916. p. 19. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- 1 2 "The Late Rev. G. J. Roxby.". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922). Barcaldine, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 19 April 1913. p. 11. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.". The Maitland Weekly Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1931). NSW: National Library of Australia. 5 July 1913. p. 5. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Years of faith for this bush brother". The Daily Liberal. The Daily Liberal. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
Further reading
- Webb, Paul (1978), Brothers in the sun : a history of the Bush Brotherhood Movement in the outback of Australia, Rigby, ISBN 978-0-7270-0623-3
- Robin, B. P. (Bryan Percival) (1922), The Sundowner, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
- Frederick Hulton-Sams, the fighting parson : impressions of his five years' ministry in the Queensland bush, recorded by some who knew and loved him, Theo. F. Barker, 1915 — available online