Erin Mollenhauer, Senior Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
Sydney Anglicans have had a long-standing relationship with the evangelical church in various parts of Africa, and the College’s archives hold a wealth of material relating to this history.
There are strong historic links with the Anglican church in Tanzania, formerly the British Tanganyika Territory. George Alexander Chambers (1877-1963) served as Vice Principal of Moore College and Rector of Dulwich Hill before his appointment in 1927 as the Bishop of Central Tanganyika. His extensive personal papers include sermons, letters, and the Central Tanganyikan Diocesan Newsletter between 1929 and 1965. He also owned one of the most unusual items in our archives—a ceremonial sword! It was given to Chambers in 1952 when he visited Dodoma to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Diocese, and represents the fact that he had “cut through” their difficulties.
Another Sydney Anglican with links to Tanzania, and papers in our archives, is Dr Paul White, best known for his ‘Jungle Doctor’ stories for children. After serving as a CMS missionary for three years in Tanzania, he returned to Sydney and began working with the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (now AFES).
A close relationship has existed for many years between the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Church of England in South Africa (CESA), now called REACH-SA. One of the key pieces of research into the history of CESA is ‘From Silvertrees to Lambeth: the Australian connection and the Church of England in South Africa, 1933-1948’ by Peter Spartalis, who also donated his collection of papers to the archives. A key figure in the relationship between Sydney and CESA was Archbishop H.W.K. Mowll (1890-1958). According to Church History lecturer Mark Earngey, ‘Mowll went to great lengths … to support the CESA. He sent advice for a constitution, … and he leveraged an extraordinary array of ecclesiastical relationships in the service of securing episcopal oversight.’[1] After retiring as Moore College Principal in 1985, D. Broughton Knox went to South Africa to help establish George Whitefield College in Cape Town. He wrote in the GWC Newsletter in 1991: ‘Keen and Gospel-preaching Christians are here in abundance and for that we thank God!”[2]
[1] Mark E. Earngey, ‘Howard Mowll and the Church of England in South Africa’, in E. Mollenhauer (ed.), Howard and Dorothy Mowll: Global Anglican Pioneers (London: Latimer Trust, 2022), 167.
[2] George Whitefield College Newsletter, November 1991, Series 047-12, D.B. Knox Papers, Samuel Marsden Archives.
