Founding of the New Guinea MissionPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the founding of the New Guinea Mission in August 1891 by the Reverend Albert MacLaren.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD. Sir,- My attention has just been called to a letter in your issue of July 8, asking for information concerning the Anglican mission to New Guinea and as no one is better able to give such information than myself, though late in the day, I trust you will be good enough to permit mo to do so through the columns of your paper.

1. The mission is directly under the Australasian Board of Missions of which the Primate is president. The clergy and lay helpers of the mission are licensed by him as Primate. 2. The present members of the mission are the Rev. Copland King M.A., and myself, together with Mr Kennedy, a lay helper, and Mr and Mrs Tomlinson, an artizan missionary and his wife. 3. The district allotted to the Anglican mission is from Cape Ducie to Mitre Rock on the north-east coast of British New Guinea. At a meeting held in Port Moresby in 1890 at which representatives of the London Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Missionary Society, as well as myself were present, it was felt that in the interests of the natives, it would never do to initiate them into the mysteries of our unhappy divisions.

Consequently a division of territory was agreed to which met with the warm approval of Sir W MacGregor K.C.M.G. It is to be hoped therefore, that the different religious bodies will work side by side without in any way interfering with each other's field of labour 4. The support of the mission ought mainly, if not entirely, to depend on the Church people of Australia and Tasmania and judging by the result of my recent appeal for money and the generous response to it I am hopeful of the future help that will be necessary for the well being of the mission towards the initial expense of founding the mission, New South Wales has contributed a sum of nearly £2000 for the purchase of a mission ship, given by five persons only in addition to liberal help subscribed to the general fund of the mission. Victoria has generously given the buildings for the head station which, together with the purchase of the land, transhipment of buildings missionaries, carpenters and the erection of the buildings in Chads Bay, will cost not much less than £1800. 

The whole of this I trust will be forthcoming from the Church people of Victoria. The dioceses of Brisbane and Tasmania have also given liberally towards the first expenses of the mission, the latter having given a first-class whaleboat costing over £80, built in Sydney, under the direction of Captain Grainger.  5. The Grace Lynn, a schooner of some 100 tons, has been chartered for three months, or longer if necessary, at £145 a month, and we are daily expecting her arrival at Cooktown to embark in her and proceed at once to Chad's Bay, British New Guinea, where we intend to form our head station. 6.  In addition to money raised in Australia, two block grants have been made in England viz, £1000 from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and £500 from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. 
l am, &c.
ALBERT A. MACLAREN.
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 1 August 1891.

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