Description
Author Ken Quixley, soft cover 125 pages. This is the second printing. Published by the Christadelphian Scripture Study Service - December 2017.
In October 1948 four young brethren in their early twenties set out on a preaching tour of outback Australia, across the treeless arid Nullabor Plain and on to Western Australia. Their six month trip of over 3,000km along mostly dirt roads in their ex Army truck is an inspiring story. Our purpose in republishing this lavishly illustrated book is not only to bring back memories of an age gone by but also to inspire a new generation on what can be achieved by willing hearts determined to work in our masters service.
The four brethren, Bill Gurd, David Hurn, Peter Hurn and Ken Quixley went on to lead active ecclesial lives in their home towns of Adelaide and Melbourne.
The books preface and table of contents
Preface
On Sunday 31st October 1948, three young brethren of the Adelaide ecclesia, joined with brother Ken Quixley, recently arrived from the UK, set off from “the Temple” in Halifax Street on a six months preaching campaign that would take them from Adelaide to Perth and back again. There was a diversion to Flinders Ranges in the first month and later a two month loop through the many towns of the south-west corner of Western Australia before they began their return trip to Adelaide on Tuesday the 26th April 1949. This was a spontaneous, independent initiative by this young team and privately financed, yet abetted by the Gospel Extension Society of the Adelaide Ecclesia. To balance the budget they had gathered quantities of various items of domestic use, believing that in the many isolated towns they would be passing through, there may be opportunity for sales to the local country folk! They also intended to grasp seasonal employment where it may be found and thus pay for the many extra expenses they would experience. This was pioneer preaching of a genuine kind yet it was organised thoroughly – they knew about halls for lectures and talks and had written before departure to local councils to book their planned venues on certain dates. They had a whole variety of lecture titles and had arranged for the printing of thousands of pamphlets for all of their scattered functions! They were also the local distributors of these invitations as they were also the chairmen and door-keepers and speakers! – and sometimes most of the audience! All their goods were stored in an ex-army Ford V8 utility with a canvas wrap to keep out rain and dust!...... and sitting in the middle
of all this was a 44 gallon drum of petrol, for once they left Ceduna there was no service station till Norseman or Kalgoorlie. From Adelaide to Perth was 1700 miles and the tempo didn’t abate right up to the last day of the mission – just read the last two pages!
We are reproducing the Diary of this remarkable initiative because the more you think of it the more it inspires! What faith to tackle the work and planning! What a vision to conceive the whole idea! What a grand picture to see four lads in their mid-twenties working happily together day by day for these six months, not in our present luxuries, pursuing a dusty track right through the Nullarbor, running through the streets of small country towns spreading the power of the Gospel, setting out the chairs in the halls, chasing up interested people and making notes for follow-up work. Whether it was a burst tyre or a complete overturning of the truck (with its 44 gallon drum) or waiting by the roadside for help with other issues, Bill and David and Peter and Ken pushed on with great purpose. Would to God that our young people and those of all ages may partake of the fire that burnt so strongly in the hearts of these four. This is the purpose of this second printing.
Brian Luke Secretary
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1. INTRODUCTION
Brief biographies William C. Gurd, David H. Hurn, Peter B. Hurn, Kenneth G. Quixley
2. DIARY OF TOUR TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1948)
2. DIARY OF TOUR TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1948)
Sunday 31st October. Adelaide – Kadina (90 miles). 14
Monday 1st November. Around Kadina. 16
Tuesday 2nd November. Kadina – Robertstown (approximately 110 miles). 17
Wednesday 3rd November. Robertstown – Hallett (50 miles). 18
Thursday 4th November. Hallett – Peterborough (35 miles). 19
Friday 5th November. Peterborough – Morchard (56 miles). 20
Saturday 6th November. Morchard – Copley (approximately 180 miles). 21
Sunday 7th November. Copley – Leigh Creek. 23
Monday 8th, Tuesday 9th November. Leigh Creek. 24
Wednesday 10th November. Leigh Creek – Oraparinna (approximately 100 miles). 25
Thursday 11th November. Oraparinna – Wilpena (approximately 25 miles). 27
Friday 12th November. Wilpena/Whyalla (150 miles approx). 29
Saturday 13th November. Around Whyalla. 30
Sunday 14th November. Around Whyalla. 32
Monday 15th November. Whyalla - ??? 33
Tuesday 16th November. Whyalla. 35
Wednesday 17th November. Whyalla – Cowell (70 miles). 35
Thursday 18th November. Cowell – Cleve (26 miles). 36
Friday 19th November. Cleve – Rudall – Cleve (28 miles total). 37
Saturday 20th November. Cleve – Port Lincoln (96 miles). 38
Sunday 21st November. Around Port Lincoln. 39
Monday 22nd November. Port Lincoln – Tumby Bay (30 miles).
Tuesday 23rd November. Tumby Bay – Wudinna (130 miles approximately). 40
Wednesday 24th November. Around Wudinna. 41
Thursday 25th November. Wudinna – Streaky Bay (approximately 80 miles). 41
Friday 26th November. Streaky – Ceduna (76 miles). 43
Saturday 27th November. Around Ceduna. 44
Sunday 28th November. Ceduna – Penong – Ceduna (total approximately 100 miles). 45
Monday 29th November. Around Ceduna. 46
Tuesday 30th November. Around Ceduna. 47
Wednesday 1st December. Around Ceduna. 48
Thursday 2nd December. Ceduna – Koonalda (260 miles). 49
Friday 3rd December. Koonalda – Madura (176 miles). 51
Saturday 4th December. Madura – Norseman (40 miles out) 360 miles. 53
Sunday 5th December. Near Norseman – Kalgoorlie (70 miles). 54
Monday 6th December. Around Kalgoorlie. 56
Tuesday 7th December. Kalgoorie – Southern Cross (140 miles). 57
Wednesday 8th December. Southern Cross – Merredin (67 miles). 58
Thursday 9th, Friday 10th December. Merredin - Cunderdin 63 miles. 60
Saturday 11th December. Cunderdin - Northam. 61
Sunday 12th December. Northam – Perth 70 miles – South Fremantle. 62
The stay in Perth. 64
3. REPORT OF TOUR OF THE SOUTH WEST AREA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1949) 66
3. REPORT OF TOUR OF THE SOUTH WEST AREA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (1949) 66
Tuesday 15th February 1949. Fremantle – Bunbury (110 miles). 66
Wednesday 16th February 1949. Bunbury – Yallingup (50 miles). 67
Thursday 17th February 1949. Touring in Yallingup/Busselton Area (approx. 70 miles). 69
Friday 18th February 1949. Busselton – Bunbury (33 miles). 70
Saturday 19th February 1949. Bunbury. 71 Sunday 20th February. Bunbury. 72 Monday 21st February 1949. Bunbury. 73
22nd February 1949. Bunbury. 74
Wednesday 23rd February 1949. Bunbury. 75
Thursday 24th February 1949. Bunbury. 76
Friday 25th February 1949. Bunbury. 76
Saturday 26th February 1949. Bunbury – Collie (36 miles). 78
Sunday 27th February 1949. Collie. 79
Monday 28th February 1949. Collie – Bridgetown (68 miles). 81
Tuesday 1st March 1949. Bridgetown. 82
Wednesday 2nd March 1949. Bridgetown. 83
Thursday 3rd March 1949. Bridgetown. 84
Friday 4th March. Bridgetown. 85
Saturday 5th March. Bridgetown. 85
Sunday 6th March. Bridgetown – Manjimup (23 miles). 86
Monday 7th March 1949. Manjimup. 87
Tuesday 8th March 1949 until Friday 11th March. Manjimup (Edwards' farm). 88
Saturday 12th March 1949. Manjimup – Albany (180 miles approximately). 90
Sunday 13th March 1949. Albany. 91
Monday 14th March 1949. Albany. 92
Tuesday 15th March 1949. Albany. 93
Wednesday 16th March 1949. Albany. 93
Thursday 17th March 1949. Albany. 94
Friday 18th March 1949. Albany. 94
Saturday 19th March 1949. Albany. 95
Sunday 20th March 1949. Albany. 97
Monday 21st March 1949. Albany – Mt. Barker (33 miles). 99
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th March. Mount Barker. 99
Saturday 26th March 1949. Mt. Barker – Boscabel via Kojonup (approx. 80 miles). 101
Sunday 27th March 1949. Boscabel. 101
Monday 28th March 1949. Boscabel – Near Narrogin (approx. 80 miles). 102
Tuesday 29th March 1949. Near Narrogin – York (approx. 80 miles). 103
Wednesday 30th March 1949. York. 104
Thursday 31st March 1949. York – South Perth South Fremantle (approx. 70 miles). 104
4. HOME, JAMES, AND DON'T SPARE THE HEROES 106
Thursday 31st March – Tuesday 26th April 1949. Perth. 106
Wednesday 27th April 1949. Tammin – Kalgoorlie (approx. 260 miles). 107
Thursday 28th April 1949. Kalgoorlie – Norseman (approx. 130 miles). 108
Friday 29th April 1949. Norseman – Nullarbor Plain (394 miles). 108
Saturday 30th April 1949. Nullarbor Plain – Ceduna (375 miles). 109
Sunday 1st May 1949. Around Ceduna. 111
Monday 2nd May 1949. Ceduna – Port Lincoln. 111
Tuesday 3rd May 1949. Port Lincoln – Tumby Bay (30 miles). 112
Wednesday 4th May 1949. Tumby Bay – Whyalla. 112
Thursday 5th May 1949. Whyalla – Port Pirie. 113
Friday 6th May 1949. Port Pirie – Kadina (approx 64 miles). 114
Saturday 7th May 1949. Kadina – Adelaide (90 miles). 115
All brothers and sisters will enjoy this amusing and well-written narrative. Full of action and excitement, it will inspire even the most jaded reader. But young people especially should read this book. It would make an excellent gift for a young person. All the expeditioners have now fallen asleep after lifetimes of diligent service for their God and their Lord, but their legacy of faithful dedication lives on in this Diary of a Preaching Tour to Western Australia. From a book review by Geoff Henstock published in The Lampstand May - June 2022