Biographical entry
| Home | Browse | Search | Previous | Next |
|
|
Unlocking Regional Memory
Biographical entry
|
|
Johnstone, Rev Thomas (1829 - 1909) |
|
|
|
| Born: 11 January 1829 Upper Garrel, Kirkmichael, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Died: 3 February 1909 Armidale, New South Wales. | |
Born in Scotland in 1829, the Reverend Johnstone, a Presbyterian minister, arrived in Sydney in 1857. Settling in Armidale, his ministry covered much of New England and lasted for decades. He was described as ‘an able, zealous and successful minister of our Church.' He was made a minister emeritus in 1903 and died in 1909. |
Career Highlights |
|
The eldest of 13 children, Johnstone attended the local parish school at Lochmaben, near Lockerbie, and studied theology at St Andrew's University. He arrived in Melbourne on the Tiptree in 1857 as the 33rd Scottish minister assisted by the Church of Scotland's Colonial Committee to travel to New South Wales. He travelled from Melbourne to Maitland in New South Wales, then rode on horseback (although never having ridden a horse before) to Armidale. For 46 years he was based in Armidale, baptising over 3000 children and conducting at least 800 marriages. He travelled throughout New England on horseback, referring to himself as an 'evangelical boundary rider'. Johnstone was instrumental in the erection of six churches at Armidale, Hillgrove, Kilcoy, Wandsworth, Guyra and Bendemeer. In Walcha, in 1863, he was presented with a purse of 100 guineas and received many like tributes and gifts throughout his incumbency. One gift was the sum of £300 from his parishioners to enable him to travel to Scotland for a visit. He married Eliza Glass in Armidale on 5 July 1866 and they had eight children. In 1894 St Andrews University bestowed on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. [Brief Biography compiled by Robin Hammond, January/February 2004] |
|
|
| ||
|
Published by The Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 5 April 2004 Prepared by: Acknowledgements Updated: 23 February 2010 http://www.nswera.net.au/biogs/UNE0232b.htm |