• The Church at Seven Hills, N.S.W. by G. L. Piper.
• Theo Edwards--1881 - by Theo Edwards.
• Principal Alexander Russell Main, M.A., D.D. (cont'd) by Wilkie J. Thomson.
• Acknowledgments of Annual Membership Fees and New Members

      The Seven Hills Church (or what was known as Prospect) commenced by meeting for Breaking of Bread in the home of Mr. Thomas Hawkins, Church Lane, Prospect, in the year 1890 and consisted of Mr. Thomas Hawkins, his wife, Sarah Marchment Hawkins, two daughters, Misses Ellen Sarah Hawkins and Alice Mary Hawkins, and son Henry John Hawkins. These were joined by Mr. William Piper and his wife Agnes Grace Piper.

      (For above see page 334 Jubilee History of Churches of Christ).

      The Lord's Day morning meetings were continued in the home of T. Hawkins until September 3, 1905. During most of this time Open Air Gospel meetings in the afternoon were held a little distance from W. Piper's home. Seven Hills Road, Seven Hills. These were continued until the erection of the Chapel.

      Owing to the removal of the Hawkins family from the district, morning meetings were transferred to W. Piper's home, beginning on September 10, 1905. During the following years visiting brethren assisted considerably. In the early part the Andrews family of Rookwood (now Lidcombe) helped mainly.

      In July, 1916, it was decided to buy a block of land in Seven Hills Road, Seven Hills, and erect a chapel, which was opened on November 5, 1916, in conjunction with a fortnight's mission conducted by W. Gale.

      Prior to this a Bible School had been held in the home. This was recommenced by Mr. Gale in the Chapel on November 26, 1916.

      During the years, the Church being without a full time preacher, was assisted by many visiting brethren. From 1927 to 1929 Hartley Gray, Circuit Preacher for Granville-Seven Hills Circuit, ministered to the Church. In November, 1929, members and friends attended the Vawter Mission at Granville and during that campaign seven were added to the Seven Hills Church. H. O. Gray was followed by B. G. Corlett, Circuit Preacher for Granville, North Parramatta and Seven Hills, who continued well into 1938. During Mr. Corlett's ministry, meetings were begun at Doonside and later a church was established there. The Hinrichsen Mission at Granville was supported by the Church with eight being added to the Seven Hills Church at the time. In 1939 David Hammer ministered in the Seven Hills-Pendle Hill-Doonside Circuit until he left to go to the New Hebrides.

      Later, Brethren Verco and Rapkins as Seven Hills-Doonside Preachers ministered for a short time. In 1948 a Manse was erected during G. H. Eager's ministry of two years. Following this the work was carried on by local and visiting brethren and Bible College students.

      As the population increased nearer to Seven Hills township, the Manse and Chapel were sold to enable a much larger Chapel at 19 Seven Hills Road South, Seven Hills to be opened on Saturday, January 31, 1959. Additional members have been added.

      From January, 1961, H. T. L. Davies conducted a circuit ministry with Doonside and Seven Hills Churches for two years. This was followed by several Student Ministries until January, 1968, when A. J. Davis commenced a part-time ministry. In March, 1968 the new Manse was completed and occupied.

      CHURCH SECRETARIES: H. J. Hawkins from latter part of 1890 to September 3, 1905. G. L. Piper from September 3, 1905 and is still Secretary.

--G. L. PIPER, N.S.W.      

      [G. L. Piper became Secretary of the above Church in 1905. As he is still Secretary, he is in his 64th year in that office. Surely this is a record! Could we hear from others.--Ed.]

      My father was an Elder in the church at Glenlyon Road, Brunswick, Victoria. I was born at Collingwood, Victoria, February 5, 1881, and was baptized by Ferd Pittman at Brunswick, November 3, 1893. I left state school at Laverton at the age of 12 years.

      My father, a saddle-tree manufacturer of Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, employed me. For seven years we were isolated from church fellowship, but continued worship in the home supplemented, when possible, with a drive in a floating rail vehicle to North Williamstown. A change of residence brought us within driving distance of Surrey Hills and Bayswater, Victoria. I entered the Australian College of the Bible, Lygon Street (Jubilee History Churches of Christ), distant thirteen miles. Transport was push bicycle on macadamised roads. Principal Dr. James Johnstone approached me about the ministry. This involved an absence of years, and considerable expense. I held freehold in Springvale Road, Tunstall, five acres of land. Spiritual impulse led to their sale.

      Shortly afterwards, in the home of G. T. Walden Enmore, N.S.W. I grasped hands with J. E. Thomas and I. A. Paternoster, absolute strangers, but on the same mission. My destination was Texas Christian University, Waco, Texas, and they were my companions across the Pacific. At 21 years of age I faced alone, yet not alone, a new course in life. State newspapers had reported I would be black, and unable to speak the English language. I made early contact with President E. V. Zollars, Dean Marshall, President J. W. McGarvey, both outstanding authors and scholars, and Prof. Hamner, conductor of University choir, and Glee Club. The annual vacation, liberated the independent student from study, and gave him the opportunity to travel, to see every-day life under changed conditions and gain experience.

      Members of the faculty had an oil well on the "Humble" oil field, outside Houston and isolated students were encouraged to go there.

      How can the experience be described, mounting the seventy foot derrick, wallowing around in crude oil, gushers, blow outs, oil and sand sent through the seventy foot derrick and the unearthly roar, fires-what a place for a biblical student! But the opportunity came! At night, the field was encircled with escaping gas passed through three inch tubing and lit. It was noticed that in some instances, families would leave their tents, and being summer time, sit out on fallen pine logs. The singing of hymns "Lead kindly light", "Abide with Me", etc., gathered them closer, and the word, almost in complete silence, was spoken.

      Vacation closed with a train trip to Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico, a town which three years before, had, by tidal wave been practically carried out to sea. It was then being rebuilt. There were streets of residences on high stilts and sand from the sea being pumped underneath them. The roof of the Church of Christ chapel was still to be seen and an entrance was made like a narrow alley-way.

      The time of my return to Australia was nearing, with the intention of returning and completion of a course. I had yet to preach the gospel at home, and baptise. In the U.S.A. I had baptised in rivers and ponds some of which had to have the ice broken before the baptism. Just before leaving the church at Antioch, Missouri, after the service on Sunday morning, I baptised in a pond, a few miles distant, twenty-five converts. I had been invited to the Church at Geelong.

      On arrival home, I was delighted to hear that my parents and family had become foundation members of the recently established church at Blackburn, Victoria. A great welcome home, but the restful life had gone, for an impassioned desire to succeed had taken the place of youthful complacency.

      At, Geelong I married Elsie May, the youngest daughter of Duncan Macallister and sealed a loving partnership which continued for sixty years. She was loved and adored by all her associates. I transferred to Home Missions in South Australia and later to Gisborne, Onehunga, New Zealand. Acting on medical advice I returned to Australia to commence an interim for J. E. Thomas, Balwyn, following which I went back to South Australia. There 1 commenced an eight years ministry at Glenelg, proclaiming the unsearchable riches in Christ.

      My wife and I were honoured, as presidents, together, of the State and Sisters Auxiliary Conferences. My wife was Life President of the Women's United Churches Association, I was president and secretary of the State Council of Churches and representative on the Council of Religious Instruction in state

      schools when the Bill was passed. For nine years I edited freely, the State paper the "Challenge". Impelled, I made the house to house canvass leading to the establishment of the Edwardstown church. Reconsideration of future claims upon time and possible increasing responsibilities of full time work, I resigned while in happy fellowship with the church at Kadina, followed by years of interim ministries until the call of my dear wife, November 15, 1966.

      Now at 88 years, dwelling on memories of years passed, days of thanksgiving and praise mingling with those of mistakes, disappointments and battles fought, lost and won. I see every member of my family, in-laws, ten grandchildren, teachers in school and J.C.E. around the Lord's table in my presence while I await the call that will restore a loving unity in the Glory Land.

--THEO EDWARDS, S.A.      

      [Note--For fifteen years I have been searching for an old family Bible belonging to the Mains'. Since the last issue of this paper, I have found it in the possession of Mrs. Patten, of Ringwood, a niece of A. R. Main. Although the birth certificate of A.R.M. states his mother's maiden name as Muir, her maiden name is Mair in the Bible; and this name was borne by his sister, the late Mrs. Isabella Mair Turnbull.--W.L.T.]

      Working, studying and preaching became the common round of Alexander's life. He gave eleven Sunday morning addresses in 1895 and five gospel messages, the first in the city being at Williamstown. But in 1896 he was really sought-after as a preacher. He listed eighteen morning "addresses", as he refers to them and which was customary then, and twenty gospel messages. His first decisions for Christ came in this year, the first of the two being Miss Low of Malvern and the second, Alf Finger of Hawthorn.

      Throughout this year and 1897, he seems to have preached at most of the existing Churches of Christ around Melbourne-both small and large. He also preached the gospel messages at Hawthorn from August 30, 1896 to October 4, 1897, and at Surrey Hills until November 8, and re-commenced at Hawthorn on December 6, where he preached at the gospel services consistently throughout 1897 and 1898, excepting on a few occasions when he was called upon to give special addresses in other places. His note-books show that he had twenty-seven decisions for Christ to the end of 1898.

      It must be remembered that these were days when brethren in the churches did much of the exhorting themselves whilst the "evangelist" gave the gospel messages. The principle of the "open platform" was maintained for the most part in a very orderly manner. Men were encouraged to "exhort" the church, and it was considered that it did the man himself good and the church as well. But for the most part men had to "tarry in Jericho 'till their beards be grown" before they were acceptable to this work of exhortation. That A. R. Main should have been used so widely throughout the Melbourne churches speaks volumes concerning the preaching of a young man of 18-21 years, for there were a great number of able speaking brethren at that time as well as preachers.

      On April, 1899 he commenced preaching at Berwick. Here he made lifelong friends of E. Hillbrich and Paul Aurisch, who no doubt taught him to fish in Cardenia Creek. This was the only sport he seemed to follow actively and he fished every stream he could get to. Past students may re-call his illustration about "looking up" and how he looked down when crossing a stream on a slippery log. His own vivid word picture of how the downward look caused him to finish the crossing straddling the log and lifting himself on his hands, left much room for merriment, as we saw his then Pickwickian figure-he wore steel-rimmed glasses as well--struggling across the log in that way. That he would sit at the edge of Gardiner's Creek, which ran through the college grounds, with a piece of string tied to a stick and a bent pin for a hook, I considered to be apocryphal, although 1 have seen a snap of him sitting fishing there.

      In his Hawthorn days he had come to know Miss Violet Somerville. It was one of her stories, told I imagine, to discreet ears, that during Alexander's courting days and after saying "good-night" at the front gate Violet said, "Can I go in now?" "I don't know whether you can or not but you may", replied her lover. So much for the budding teacher.

      From the first issue of the Australian Christian in 1898, A. R. Main contributed the page on the Sunday School lessons each week and later conducted the Christian Endeavour columns. With study, preaching, pastoral work and writing, he was a busy man. But he still found time for courting and on October

30, 1900, he married Violet Rose Somerville at her parent's home, Inverlieth Street, Auburn. The officiating minister was Joseph Pittmann and the witnesses, Isabella McCallum and George Russell Main. The bridegroom's "profession or rank" is given as "Evangelist".

      Mr. Main had accepted an invitation to labour with the church at Arm Street, Brisbane, Queensland, the city church. One can well imagine that Arm Street was very glad to have such a fine looking couple as the Evangelist and his wife, although there must have been some who shook their heads dourly about such a young man serving such an august church. Alex was young and looked it, because of his fresh complexion, but people were surprised when they heard him speak. It did not seem possible that such sound wisdom should come from such a youth!

      Queensland in that day did not have many paid Evangelists and much of the preaching in country churches was done by local brethren. Somehow they managed to make exchanges, church with church, despite long distances and from time to time were helped by speakers from the city. When one realises the immensity of the State, it leaves a sense of wonder and admiration for those who gave their time and suffered the discomforts of such travelling as at the turn of the century. Although being a preacher of the church in Brisbane, we find Mr. Main also preaching at Zillmere, Rosewood, Mia Mia Creek, Mt. Whitestone, Rosevale, Mt. Walker, Boonah and Beaudesert over his two and half years ministry. Sometimes there appears little notes to his visits "No gospel meeting. Very wet".

      In 1903 he was president of the Queensland Conference and this no doubt demanded his travelling about a good deal.

      He was appointed to prepare the Queensland section for the Jubilee History, which he did so well. The editor, A. B. Maston, included a large picture of Main on Page 110. He also appears amongst the deacons of the Brisbane Church and Mrs. Main amongst the members of the Sewing Class. As kind as they may have been, one cannot help but feel sympathetic in the obvious discrepancy in their ages and of those around them. Within his review of Churches of Christ in Queensland on pages 103-108 in the Jubilee History, as he draws near to the conclusion Mr. Main mentions some of the things that were deterrents to the advance of the work in this State, and says, "After all, the chief deterrent comes from within. When we better learn we have been saved for service, that a plea for Christian Union is most effectively made by exemplifying that unity, and that soundness of doctrine should be accompanied by goodness of living, we should more speedily go forward."

      New Life Member, Mr. Percy Herbert Morton, N.S.W. ($24).

      South Australia: Stirling East, J. Hull, E. E,. Walton, W. N. Bartlett.

      New South Wales: Hamilton, Hurstville, Rockdale, Miss M. Cox ($2), Auburn, Helena G. Piper, Lane Cove, Maitland, G. L. Chapman, T. W. Stone, H. E. Hayward.

      Western Australia: D. A. Beavis, East Victoria Park.

      Queensland: A. E. Boetcher ($2), Mrs. B. Wiltshire ($4), Rosevale, Hawthorne, Harlaxton.

      Victoria: Christian Women's Fellowship, R. A. Strongman, Essendon, Echuca, Nth. Essendon ($5), Box Hill ($2), Cheltenham ($3).

      All one dollar excepting where otherwise stated. Thank you! In Victoria all cheques have a special 5c. tax on them. This is automatically provided for in every Victorian cheque, but the tax has to be paid on every interstate cheque. Could we ask if that tax could be included on every interstate cheque--5 cents.

      Thanks are due to A. Cant and the Church at Blackburn for the duplicating of 500 envelopes to meet the requirements of the Postal Department.

      Amongst many bits and pieces that have been forwarded from time to time, more recent acquisitions have been histories of Mayfield, Taree, Eastwood, Seven Hills, Beverley Hills, Austral, Hornsby, Marrickville for the Federal Archives. These are all from N.S.W.