12 September
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On
In Australian Church History

  Rev William McIntyre (1806-70), Australian Presbyterian Pioneer Rowland S. Ward     William McIntyre (6 March 1806-12 July 1870) was a Scottish-Australian Presbyterian minister and educator.   Background William McIntyre was the 5th son and 7th child of Duncan McIntyre and Catherine Kennedy, who were sheep farmers in the parish of Kilmonivaig, Scotland near Spean Bridge. He was proficient in Latin and Greek when he commenced at the University of Glasgow in 1823. He graduated MA in 1829, completed Divinity in 1832, and was licensed by the Presbytery of Dunoon. He taught in a Glasgow school conducted by his older brother Allan and wasRead More →

25 June
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On
In Australian Church History

JOHN DUNMORE LANG (1799-1878) TURBULENT PRESBYTERIAN LEADER This is the wikipedia article as at February 2008 which is substantially as written by Rowland S. Ward, May 2006 Lang was the first Presbyterian minister on the mainland of Australia, arriving in 1823.     Background and Family Lang was born near Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland, the eldest son of William Lang and Mary Dunmore. His father was a small landowner and his mother a pious Presbyterian, who dedicated her son to the Church of Scotland ministry from an early age. He grew up in nearby Largs, and was educated at the University of Glasgow, where he excelled,Read More →

23 June
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On
In Australian Church History

ROBERT ALLAN & HIS BEQUEST The Vision of a 19th Century Victorian Presbyterian lives on.   From The Presbyterian Banner, March 2006. Updated 18/3/2012 Concerning Robert Allan, I was very surprised to read yesterday (15 February 2006), in my newly acquired copies of the “See for Yourself” teachers’ handbooks produced last year by the Christian Education & Nurture Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, the following words: “Unfortunately, not a great deal is known about the man himself, his life, connections, profession, and so on.” This article aims to put on record some details about a remarkable individual. Robert Allan was the 3rd ofRead More →

23 May
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On
In Australian Church History

Rev William Miller (1815-1874) of John Knox Church, Melbourne Rowland S. Ward   William Miller (1815-10.08.1874) was a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria who served the John Knox Church, cnr Little Lonsdale and Swanston Streets, Melbourne 1851-64, and had early involvement with Scotch College. Miller’s name is spelt Millar in church records prior to his arrival, and he himself appears to have briefly used that spelling, but very soon followed the more common usage. He is not to be confused with a contemporary, Rev William Baird Millar/er (ca.1808-1868), who was a minister of the United Presbyterian Church of Victoria 1851-53 who heldRead More →

23 May
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On
In Australian Church History

James Forbes (1813-1851) – Melbourne’s first Christian minister   Rowland S. Ward Last updated 2 May 2010 Early life James Forbes was the oldest of the ten children (only five surviving infancy) born to Peter and Margaret Forbes who farmed “New Braes” on the estate of Sir Arthur Forbes in the parish of Leochel-Cushnie about 40 km west of Aberdeen, Scotland. He was baptised on 4 April 1813, and was educated locally and at Aberdeen Grammar School. Education He entered King’s College, Aberdeen in 1826 and completed the Arts course in 1829 but, like the majority of students who regarded it as an expensive formality,Read More →