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
editThe 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 St Barnabas was established in 1902 in Herberton, Queensland by Aneirun Vaughan Williams and Joseph Braybarton. It was also known as the North Queensland Brotherhood.[6]
The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd was established about 1903 in Dubbo, New South Wales.[7] The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd published The Bush Brother magazine from 1904 to 1980.[8]
The Bush Brotherhood of St Boniface operated in the Diocese of Bunbury in Western Australia from July 1911 to 1929.[9][10]
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.[11]
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
editThere 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:[7]
- 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
edit- 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.[12][13][14][15][16] His friends wrote a book about his experiences as a bush brother.[17]
- John Hazlewood, Bishop of Ballarat
- Barry Hunter, Bishop of Riverina
- Hamish Jamieson, Bishop of Carpentaria and Bunbury
- Ken Mason, Bishop of the Northern Territory, Chairman of the Australian Board of Missions
- Lionel Renfrey, Dean of Adelaide, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Adelaide
- Bryan Robin, Bishop of Adelaide
- Guy Roxby, died from typhoid in 1913, the first Brother to die in service [14][18][19]
- Richard Thomas, Bishop of Willochra
- Graham Howard Walden, Bishop of The Murray[20]
- Arnold Wylde, Bishop of Bathurst
In popular culture
editThe 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.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Ministry in rural and outback communities". Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "The Church". The Australasian. Melbourne. 6 April 1901. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Work Without Pay". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 18 November 1901. p. 14. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Untitled". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 21 September 1897. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "Religious News And Views". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 11 January 1947. p. 12. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Brotherhood of St Barnabas (BSB)". Anglican Consecrated Life. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Bush Mission Work". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 September 1903. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd (Dubbo, N.S.W.) (1904), The Bush brother : a quarterly paper, Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd, archived from the original on 30 August 2022, retrieved 25 June 2018
- ^ "COUNTRY". The West Australian. Perth. 13 July 1911. p. 8. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Brotherhood of St Boniface". Great Southern Herald. Katanning, WA. 11 September 1929. p. 6. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Radford, Robin. Robin, Bryan Percival (1887–1969). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ "Rev. and Lieut. Frederick Hulton Sams, B.A." The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 14 August 1915. p. 6. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Frederick Hulton-Sams". The Western Champion. Barcaldine, Qld. 18 July 1925. p. 4. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "St Peter's Anglican Church and Hall (entry 600022)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ^ "FIGHTING PARSON KILLED". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW. 22 August 1915. p. 3. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY". Daily Standard. Brisbane. 21 August 1915. p. 12 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "THE LATE REV. F. HULTON SAMS". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, Qld. 15 April 1916. p. 19. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Late Rev. G. J. Roxby". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 19 April 1913. p. 11. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "NEWS OF THE CHURCHES". The Maitland Weekly Mercury. NSW. 5 July 1913. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Years of faith for this bush brother". The Daily Liberal. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
Further reading
edit- 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