Australian National University THESES SIS/LIBRARY R.G. MENZIES LIBRARY BUILDING NO:2 THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CANBERRA ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE: +61 2 6125 4631 FACSIMILE: +61 2 6125 4063 EMAIL: library.theses@anu.edu.au USE OF THESES This copy is supplied for purposes of private study and research only. Passages from the thesis may not be copied or closely paraphrased without the written consent of the author.
ASPECTS OF CONGREGATIONALISM IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA, CIRCA 1880 TO 1930 H.R. JACKSON thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the Australian National University January 1978
thesis is my own work.
iii. CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... iv ABBREVIATIONS... V T A B L E S... vi FIGURES... x S Y N O P S I S...... xi PREFACE... 1 1 Free and E v a n g e l i c a l... 3 2 The Making of Australian Congregationalism... 27 3 Who were the C o n g r e g a t i o n a l i s t s?... 53 4 L e a k a g e... 89 5 Church Involvement (1)... 119 6 Church Involvement (2)... 145 7 Religious Ideas... 168 8 Churches and the W o r l d... 196 9 M i n i s t e r s... 219 10 C e n t r a l i z a t i o n... 248 E p i l o g u e... 271 A P P E N D I C E S... 279 BIBLIOGRAPHY... 285
iv. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe much to the staff and students of the History Department, Research School of Social Sciences,A.N.U.. I could not have had a happier environment in which to do my research, nor one in which there was a greater opportunity to learn. I thank especially the following members of the Department who read chapters in draft: Professor K.S. Inglis, Professor 0.0.G. MacDonagh, Dr. G.W. Martin, Professor D.M. Schreuder. Dr. W.W. Phillips, of La Trobe University, helped with advice and encouragement at the beginning of my work. I also benefited from comments by Dr. Niel Gunson of the A.N.U., who read two chapters in draft. Many people helped in locating material, by sharing their memories of the Congregational churches and with hospitality. I thank them all, especially the Rev. Frank Butler and his staff at the (former) New South Wales Congregational Union office, and the Rev. Dr. G.L. Lockley. Ms. Wendy Adcock and Ms. Janice Aldridge assisted by their competence as typists. comment. Sandra, my wife, was an unfailing source of support and critical I thank her especially for help with proof-reading. Commonwealth and A.N.U. scholarships made my work possible. My greatest personal debt is to Dr. F.B. Smith. He suggested that I might do research on Congregationalism and provided expert supervision all along the way.
ABBREVIATIONS A.C.W. A.C.Y.B. A.Z.C.Y.B. A.I. A.Z.I. H.S. J.R.H. La L ML N.S.W. Cong. N.S.W.C.Y.B. N.S.W.I. SAA S.A. Cong. S.A.C.Y.B. V.C.Y.B. V.I. Australian Christian World Australian Congregational Year Book Australasian Congregational Year Book Australian Independent Australasian Independent Historical Studies of Australia and New Zealand Journal of Religious History La Trobe Library Mitchell Library New South Wales Congregationalist New South Wales Congregational Year Book New South Wales Independent South Australian Archives South Australian Congregationalist South Australian Congregational Year Book Victorian Congregational Year Book Victorian Independent
vi. TABLES Page 2.1 Approximate Numbers of Congregational Adherents in South-eastern Australia, 1851, 1891... 39 3.1 Sunday-scholars and Adherents, Selected Denominations, New South Wales, 1 8 9 1... 57 3.2 Distribution of Congregationalists and Total Population in South-eastern Australia, 1881 and 1933 (percentage metropolitan).... 59 3.3 Rankings of Sydney'Municipalities, Percentage of Congregationalists and Rooms per Person, 1891... 62 3.4 Rankings of Melbourne Municipalities, Percentage of Congregationalists and Rooms per Person, 1891... 64 3.5 Rankings of Adelaide Municipalities, Percentage of Congregationalists and Rooms per Person, 1891... 66 3.6 Rankings of Adelaide L.G.A's, Percentage of Congregationalists and Incomes of Residents, 1933.... 67 3.7 Rankings of Melbourne L.G.A.'s, Percentage of Congregationalists and Incomes of Residents, 1933.... 68 3.8 Rankings of Sydney L.G.A.'s, Percentage of Congregationalists and Incomes of Residents, 1933.... 69 3.9 Distribution of Male Breadwinners of Selected Denominations by Occupational 'Orders', New South Wales, 1901 (percentages)... 73 3.10 Distribution of Male Breadwinners Engaged in Non-agricultural and Pastoral Occupations of Selected Denominations by Selected Occupational 'Orders', New South Wales, 1901 (percentages)... 75 3.11 Distribution of Male Breadwinners of Selected Denominations by Selected Occupational 'Sub-Orders', New South Wales, 1901 (percentages)... 76 3.12 Distribution of Male Breadwinners of Selected Denominations by Occupational 'Orders', Australia, 1947 (percentages, excluding rural, fishing and hunting occupations)... 77 3.13 Indices of Dissimilarity with Congregationalists in the Distribution of Male Breadwinners, by Occupational 'Orders', Selected Denominations, Australia, 1947... 78
V I 1. Page 3.14 Distribution of Incomes of Male Breadwinners of Selected Denominations, Australia, 1933 (percentages).. 80 3.15 Indices of Dissimilarity with Congregationalists in the Distribution of Incomes of Male Breadwinners, Selected Denominations, Australia, 1933... 81 3.16 Education of Adherents of Selected Denominations, Australia, 1933... 82 3.17 Percentages of Females of Selected Denominations Able to Read and Write, New South Wales, 1 8 9 1... 82 3.18 Occupational Distribution of Delegates to Assemblies of the South Australian Congregational Union, 1883-85 (percentages)... 84 3.19 Occupational Distribution of Members of the Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney, 1881-84 (percentages).. 84 3.20 Occupational Distribution of Members of the Petersham Congregational Church, Sydney, 1884 (percentages).... 85 3.21 Average Improved Value of Land Owned in 1887 by Members of Selected South Australian Congregational C h u r c h e s... 86 4.1 Numbers of Scholars Enrolled in New South Wales Schools Connected with Protestant Denominations, 1890 and 1910. 95 4.2 Distribution of Congregationalists in Selected Inner Municipalities of Melbourne, 1891-1901... 103 4.3 Distribution of Presbyterians in Selected Inner Municipalities of Melbourne, 1881-1901...... 104 4.4 Distribution of Wesleyan Methodists in Selected Inner Municipalities of Melbourne, 1881-1901..... 105 4.5 Distribution of Congregationalists in Selected Outer Municipalities of Melbourne, 1881-1901... 105 4.6 Melbourne Congregationalists 1871-1911... 107 4.7 Congregational Churches and Preaching Stations in South-eastern Australia, 1883-1930... 112 5.1 Average Sunday Church Attendance of Selected Denominations, New South Wales, 189 3 and 1904... 120 5.2 Membership of the Independent Church, Collins Street, Melbourne, 1868-1926... 126
viii. Page 5.3 Sex Ratios of Communicants at Average Monthly Communions, Independent Church, Collins Street, Melbourne, 1868-1926... 127 5.4 Infrequent Communicants at Average Monthly Communions, Melbourne, 1868-1926... 128 5.5 Recruitment of Church Members from the Sunday-school, Brighton Congregational Church, Melbourne, 1858-1898.. 137 5.6 Congregational Membership Adherence Ratios, South-eastern Australia, 1890-1930... 138 6.1 Membership of Stow Memorial Church, Adelaide, 1890-1928.. 157 6.2 Congregational Census In-marriers as a Proportion of All Married Congregationalists, South-eastern Australia, 1891-1911 (percentages)... 164 6.3 Census In-marriers as a Proportion of All Married Adherents, Selected Denominations, New South Wales, 1891-1933 (percentages)... 164 9.1 Average Length of Pastorates of Ordained Congregational Ministers in South-eastern Australia, 1880-1938... 232 9.2 'Wastage' of Congregational Ministers in South-eastern Australia, 1868-1938... 233 9.3 Number of Persons Recruited to the Congregational Ministry in Australia in Selected Five Year Periods (unordained ministers excluded)... 235 9.4 Number of Ordained Congregational Ministers in South-eastern Australia, 1890, 1930... 236 9.5 Average Length of Ministries in South-eastern Australia, 1874, 1903, 1929... 236 9.6 Training and Educational Status of Persons Recruited to the Congregational Ministry in Australia, 1868-1929... 238 Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Numbers of Congregational Adherents, Australian States, 1881-1971... 279 Congregational. Adherents as a Proportion of Total Population,Australian States, 1881-1971 (percentages)... 280 Destination of Congregational Church Members Who Removed from the Balmain District, 1858-1876... 281
i x. Page Appendix A Appendix 5 Distribution of First A.I.F. Soldiers of Selected Denominations by Occupational Groups (percentages)... 282 Completed Family Size by Religious Denomination, Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, 1891, 1911... 283
X. FIGURES Tage 4.1 Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist Adherence in Australia, 1871-1971... 89 4.2 Congregational Adherence in South-eastern Australia, 1881-1933... 90 4.3 Percentage Distribution of Congregationalists and Total Population by Age and Sex, South-eastern Australia, 1 9 2 1... 92
SYNOPSIS The Congregational churches in south-eastern Australia between 1880 and 1930 were institutions under stress. From about 1890 the number of Congregational adherents decreased, largely in consequence of weak denominational attachment and a failure to build new churches in rapidly-growing districts. The doctrinal consensus which had characterized the denomination in the 1870's disintegrated. This change in turn accelerated the slackening of church involvement, which accompanied a revolt against many of the values propagated by the Evangelical Revival. Congregational leaders, responding to these problems, made only minor adjustments. And yet most of the churches survived. By the 1920's it was clear that, although most Congregationalists wanted a very loose relationship with their churches they were not prepared to do without them altogether.
PREFACE Churches as institutions occupy centre-stage of this study. It was not always meant to be this way: my original intention was to select a sample of Australians (Congregationalists seemed a likely choice) and examine their disengagement from organized religion. The sources nudged me away from my original plan, for it soon became apparent that to write a story around the lives of individuals would be difficult and time-consuming. I also found that there was much intrinsic interest in looking at the changing relationships between churches and people from the point of view of the churches. And so my inquiry turned into a study of institutions under stress: how the Congregational churches survived, yet failed to adapt to, social change; how they abandoned many of their fundamental doctrines, yet remained recogniz^ably Christian; how they lost popularity with their adherents, and yet retained a measure of support. I have not attempted to write a comprehensive denominational history, even within the time limits I set myself. I have dealt only with the Congregational churches in south-eastern Australia - that is New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. And there are aspects of Congregationalism which I have not attempted to write about at all or only considered as they fall into place around the main theme. Thus, in some respects this study is narrow in scope, dealing as it does with only some parts of the life of churches which never attracted the adherence of more than about 'three per cent of the Australian people. But there is an important compensation: I have been able to take a relatively long time span. This, I believe, is essential if one is concerned with social change whose main features may require years to
2. become apparent, and then perhaps only to the historian who is in a position to compare one generation with another. A final point: I have deliberately avoided using the term 'secularization'. This is not because I think secularization is a word best expunged from the dictionary. If it is precisely defined and used in a purely descriptive sense (ie. without any assumption that secularization is an inevitable process extending indefinitely into the future), it can be a helpful term. But I am inclined to think that it is not a word which historians of modern times should use - at least not in the present state of their studies. It is a short-hand term to be employed after the investigation is over - if it seems to be appropriate. To use it near the beginning is to risk begging important questions and making unwarranted assumptions.