James BensonPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates James Benson who was the Rector of Bodalla from 1925 to 1928.
He was also a missionary in New Guinea from 1937 to 1956, and the Canon of St Peter`s and St Paul`s Cathedral in Dogura, New Guinea from 1947 to 1956.
"Reverend James Benson of the Anglican Mission in Papua, has been found alive in a prison camp near Rabaul." This news was flashed to Australia in September, 1945. For more than three years it had been believed that Mr. Benson was dead. After the Japanese landing the natives reported that he had been beheaded on the beach. Mr. Benson, who will arrive in Launceston on Monday, is an Australian. He served with the Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd, Dubbo, in N.S.W. After ordination he and his wife worked with the New Guinea Mission.
Returning to Australia, he became rector of Bodalla, N.S.W. There, as the result of a tragic accident at an unlighted river crossing, he lost his wife and four children. After a period of retirement with the Community of the Ascension, Goulburn, he returned to the New Guinea Mission. Now he comes "back from the grave" to tell the story of those tragic days. With two companions, Miss Hayman and Miss Parkinson, after hiding in the jungle, they were betrayed by natives. The two mission sisters were murdered and he was made prisoner.
Examiner (Launceston, Tas.), 9 March 1946.
Location
| Address: | 42 Princes Highway, All Saint`s Church, Bodalla, 2545 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.085034 Long: 150.047968 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
Dedication
To the glory of God
And in memory of James Benson
Rector of Bodalla 1925 - 1928
Missionary in New Guinea 1937 - 56
Canon of St. Peter`s and St. Paul`s Cathedral Dogura 1947 - 1956
