Francis Fraser Armstrong Print Page 
The window commemorates Francis Fraser Armstrong (1813 - 1897), a Methodist pioneer and missionary to Aborigines in Western Australia.
Francis Armstrong arrived in the Swan River Colony with his father, four brothers and sister on 15 Dec. 1829 aboard Gilmore from Dalkeith, Scotland. The family settled on the banks of the River Swan between Perth and Fremantle and named the locality Dalkeith after their home village in Scotland. While Francis Armstrong helped with the work associated with establishing themselves he met and befriended a number of the local natives. He felt strongly attracted to these primitive people and at once set out to learn something of their customs and dialect.
The young Francis Armstrong quickly associated himself with the Tranby Methodists and helped to establish the first Methodist Society in WA. In 1841 the governor granted to the Methodists an annual subsidy of £75 to help establish a mission for the Aboriginal people on the foreshore near the Mt Eliza Bay area. It was to Francis and Mary Armstrong, that the Rev John Smithies, the first minister of Wesley Church, turned to entrust the superintendency of this mission. He became so proficient in the language of the Aboriginal people he wrote or assisted in the writing of two books translating some of their dialects into English.
Location
| Address: | William & Hay Streets, Wesley Church, Perth, 6000 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.953359 Long: 115.856905 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Window |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
Dedication
A tribute by their grandchildren to the memory of Francis Fraser Armstrong, a foundation member of the Wesleyan Church in Perth.
And his wife Mary, teachers in the first school in Western Australia for Aborigines.
