Bush Brotherhood

All Saints Chapel, known as the Bush Brotherhood of St Paul, Charleville, 1933

The Reverend Harold Victor Hodson, Bush Brother from England, stationed at Richmond, Queensland, 1913—1916

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 1.^{[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 fro m typhoid in 1913, the first Brother to die in service ^{[12][16][17][18]}
• Richard Thomas, Bishop of Willochra
• Graham Howard Walden, Bishop of The Murray^[19]

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. "Ministry in rural and outback communities". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
2. "The Church.". The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 6 April 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
3. "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.
4. "No title.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954) (Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 21 September 1897. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
5. "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.
6. "Bush Mission Work.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia). 3 September 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
7. "COUNTRY.". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 13 July 1911. p. 8. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
8. "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.
9. Radford, Robin. Robin, Bryan Percival (1887–1969). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
10. "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.
11. "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.
12. "St Peter's Anglican Church and Hall (entry 600022)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
13. "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.
14. "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.
15. "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.
16. "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.
17. "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.
18. "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.
19. "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