Salvation Army Community Ministry in Central Christchurch 1883 -2012
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Salvation Army community ministry in central Christchurch 1883 -2012 Compiled by William Allott PART I – Diary PART II – Abridged narrative INDEX Page 3 Preface Page 4 Part I – Diary Page 125 References Page 127 Index Page 131 Community Ministry Settings Page 134 Part II – Narrative Preface In 2010, a record of Salvation Army community ministry in the city of Christchurch was contained in a three volume history diary held at the Hope Centre at 32 Lichfield Street. The third volume needed updating and that's where this current project commenced. The content of the first volume of this history encouraged me to look at other early sources and that took me back to the arrival of The Salvation Army in Christchurch in 1883. The first two volumes were seemingly lost when the Hope Centre was damaged in the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Due to the presence of asbestos little could be retrieved from the front of the building before it was demolished. It's therefore fortunate that these volumes were eventually retrieved by someone astute enough to realise their value. The third volume of the history was not at the Hope Centre at the time of the earthquake. It commences with the opening of the Hope Centre in Lichfield Street in 2000. As an organisation the Army has many corps and institutional histories but little record of the work being done within the developing field of community service. It's always been my preference to see Salvation Army history in its contemporary context. That's why a tabulated two-column format has been chosen for Part I. In the first column current events and parallel Salvation Army developments have been noted while in the second column the focus is on Salvation Army community ministry within the central city of Christchurch as bounded by its four avenues. In the early years of settlement these were known as the Town Belt or more specifically the North (Bealey / Harper Avenues), East (Fitzgerald Avenue), South (Moorhouse Avenue) and West (Deans Avenue) Belts. Part II is an abridged narrative based on the Part I diary. The diary version attempts to be an objective record of the history while the narrative version includes some identification of trends and the occasional interpretation of the record. References supporting the information contained in this narrative version can be located through the list of References, the Index and the Dates of entries in Part I. WJA PART I 1883 Events and SA Developments Salvation Army Community Ministry in central Christchurch bounded by its four avenues (Non-Army entries in italics) Pre - 1883 6 May 1883 The Long Depression 1877-93. The Gaiety Theatre on the north east corner of Cathedral Square was leased by The Salvation Army. A sign on its facade called it The Barracks. In February 1882 the first shipment of frozen meat was 20 May 1883 exported on the steamship On this date the opening attack by The Salvation Army took place in Christchurch . “Dunedin”. The advent of The opening services were held at the Gaiety Theatre. The two captains, Pollard and Wright, were quite young refrigeration meant that NZ had men, Captain Edwards being a trifle older. All three possessed a good deal of homely eloquence. The audience at a new export commodity in the 11.00am meeting was most attentive and orderly, but a few boys created a little disturbance that soon subsided. addition to wool, grain and At the evening meeting the building was filled to overflowing. There was a considerable amount of disturbance extractive commodities. It also the whole time. Captain Wright appealed to those present saying the Army “was advocating no political opened the door to shipments of movement, it came interfering with no one, but simply to tell the old Gospel story which they all know so well”. butter and cheese. Though told that the meeting had closed, those in the theatre refused to leave and commenced whistling and A Destitute Person's Ordinance hooting. Ultimately, Captain Pollard had to call in the assistance of the police to clear the building. was enacted in 1846. It was repealed as the Destitute There was an immense crowd outside the theatre and Captain Pollard was set upon when he emerged. He was Person's Act in 1877, 1883 and hustled by larrikins all the way up Colombo Street. Meanwhile Captain Wright, who had remained near the 1894. Its fundamental Cathedral waiting for a conveyance to take him home, was surrounded by a large number of persons, but no expectation was that immigrants violence was offered him, and he ultimately got away safely. The Press reporter commented, “If the officers of the would provide for themselves Army can do any good with the opposition army of larrikins which Christchurch evidently possesses, they will be and their families. entitled to our warmest gratitude. At any rate, it is to be hoped the authorities will take steps to prevent the repetition of the disgraceful proceedings of last night, which cannot be too strongly reprehended by all right An official was first appointed to thinking men, whatever may be their opinions.” (CP) administer a Charitable Aid Fund in April 1863. (CP) A Hospital and Charitable Aid Board met in Christchurch for the first time in July 1878. It was responsible for allocating government money to hospitals, homes and individuals. (CP) 1883 29 May 1883 New Zealand was part of The A service at the Salvation Theatre was well attended, and passed off in the most orderly manner. Salvation Army's Australian Territory. 12 June 1883 A man was charged with making a disturbance at the Sunday morning service of The Salvation Army. On his Captain Pollard appealed in the ejection he had used obscene language. He was fined three pounds. (CP) (This early report was similar to many War Cry for “subscriptions and that followed where people were charged with offences relating to Salvation Army meetings.) donations”. He also announced the formation of a league known July 1883 as the Salvation Army The Christchurch City Corps was formed in the first week of July. Auxiliaries. It had two categories: subscribers and collectors. The former were asked to give at least one guinea per year and the latter to collect at least 10 shillings per quarter. (CB) 9 August 1883 15 September 1883 Sydenham Corps opened. In less than four months, in Christchurch alone, no fewer than 1,637 persons had professed conversion, of whom the leaders of the Army estimated, not more than ten percent had fallen away. The number of soldiers in the Christchurch Corps was 450. The attendance for the previous Sunday at the Gaiety Theatre was 625. (TS) 15 October 1883 Two men described as bookmakers were convicted of assault on Captain Edwards of The Salvation Army. They threw eggs at him when he held a meeting on the bank of the river near the Manchester Street bridge. They were each fined two pounds and ordered to pay costs. The Bench said, “These people [the Army] conducted their service in a peaceable way, and because the service might seem foolish in the defendant's eyes that did not justify any interference.” (TS) 13 January 1884 February 1884 Kaiapoi Corps opened. The Army's National Headquarters was transferred from Dunedin to Christchurch. A small shop in Armagh Street (Closed 15 April 1977) was used. (WC 04/09/1976) 15 March 1884 Lyttelton Corps opened. (Closed 26 February 1959) 22 March 1884 Rangiora Corps opened. 9 April 1884 24 April 1884 Leeston Corps opened. A Hallelujah Lass was brought before the Magistrates Court on a charge of drunkenness. The prisoner threw up (Closed 1 October 1948) her arms, and went off at the top of her voice into a blasphemous rant about her Maker, the Prophets, The Salvation Army, Generals and Captains. The magistrate asked, “Is this Salvation Army results?” A police inspector responded, “Salvation Army and drink, I fear.” (CP) 18 July 1884 The Canterbury Catholic Literary Society offered “a prize of two guineas, to be given in books for the best essay on The Salvation Army, open to all members who are not over 24 years of age on August 1st next.” (CP) 22 August 1884 October 1884 Statistics for charitable aid The Army's National Headquarters was moved into a warehouse at 48 Manchester Street, Christchurch. (WC provided in Canterbury through 04/09/1976) the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for the year ending 30 27 December 1884 June 1884 were: Number in A Salvation Army Congress was held in Christchurch. There were 26 corps represented with seven bands, 900 receipt of relief 1,089; Males soldiers and 50 officers. (CP) 105 (employed on relief work 24, ill and unable to work 50, aged and infirm 31); Females 245 (widows 92, deserted by husbands 27, husbands in gaol 8, sick 59, aged and infirm 47, husbands in lunatic asylum 5, women with illegitimate children to support 7); Children 739. (CP) January 1885 23 February 1885 A Christchurch Prison Gate The Christchurch City Council passed the following motion: “That the Mayor interview the Inspector of Police Mission was commenced under with respect to the suppression of the nuisance of The Salvation Army parading the streets on Saturday nights with the auspices of the Blue Ribbon flags and banners, and that the Mayor seek such legal advice as may be necessary.” This was included as an Temperance Union aided by the agenda item after a man caught his foot in a stirrup when he was thrown from his horse that had been frightened by Women's Christian Temperance the noise of the band.