MS 6277
Papers of Hector Harrison
Scope and Content Note
Papers
1914-78
5.18 m. (37 boxes)
Available for research. Not for loan.
The papers were donated to the National Library in three instalments in
1978, 1980 and 1993. Instalments one and three were donated by the
Reverend Alistair Christie, a close friend of Harrison, and instalment two
by Mrs Claire Lupton, Harrisons daughter.
The papers consist of personal and business correspondence, circulars,
journal articles, brochures, leaflets, newscuttings, newsletters, notes,
pamphlets, sermons and service sheets. They record Harrisons long
and distinguished career as a minister of the Presbyterian Church. He was
minister and friend to men and women from all walks of life including
Prime Ministers, Governors-General, ambassadors and his parishioners.
Correspondents include Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Viscount and
Viscountess Slim, Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies and Elsie Curtin,
wife of John Curtin.
The three instalments have been amalgamated and arranged into eight
series. Where possible, the original arrangement of the papers and file
titles have been preserved by the Library.
An interview with Harrison, recorded by Mel Pratt in 1973, is held in
the Oral History Section at TRC 121/46.
Biographical Note
1902 Born 5 April, in Northam, WA, into a Salvation Army family.
Harrison was educated at Northam State School.
1918-20 Enlisted in the Army at the age of 16 and served as a military
bandsman.
1922-25 Moved to Melbourne where he served as a Salvation Army officer
in Richmond, North Melbourne and Fitzroy. He resigned from the Salvation
Army in 1925 in order to prepare for the ministry.
1927-33 In 1927 he entered Ormond College at the University of
Melbourne. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1930,
followed by a Master of Arts in 1932. He gained his Bachelor of Divinity
from the Melbourne College of Divinity in 1933. Harrison also worked in a
parish while studying.
1931 Married Doris Tear on 30 May, 1931. They had four children: one son
and three daughters.
1933 Ordained, and inducted as Minister of New Town, Hobart, Tasmania.
1937-40 Minister of St Aidans Presbyterian Church, Claremont, WA.
1940 Inducted on 9 May as Minister of St Andrews Presbyterian
Church, Forrest, ACT. At that time, Canberra had only a population of
8,000 and one Presbyterian Church.
1940-55 Visiting chaplain to the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
1950-51 Moderator, Presbyterian Church of New South Wales.
1953 Awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
1955-65 Visiting chaplain to Harman Naval Wireless Station.
1961 Overseas trip to the United Kingdom, Europe, Israel and Palestine.
1962-64 Moderator-General, Presbyterian Church of Australia.
1964-70 Vice President, World Presbyterian Alliance. During this time he
made several overseas trips to attend conferences and meetings.
1978 Died on 19 November, 1978. A service of thanksgiving was held at St
Andrews Church on 21 November, 1978 conducted by the Reverend
Alistair Christie, a close friend of Harrison.
Series List
- Correspondence, 1915-78
- Sermons, 1931-78
- Subject files, 1916-77
- Newscuttings, 1932-76
- Service sheets, 1937-78
- Newsletters, circulars, 1968-78
- Other papers, 1914-78
- Publications, 1914-78
Series Description
Series 1. Correspondence, 1915-78
This series consists of personal correspondence and correspondence
relating to church matters. The personal correspondence includes letters
from Harrisons mother, his brother and nephew. There is also a
series of letters he wrote to his wife while on an overseas trip in 1961.
Correspondence relating to his role as a minister of the church includes
general correspondence with fellow clergy within the Presbyterian Church
on church and religious matters, letters from parishioners and prominent
people that Harrison met at official functions. These include Sir Robert
and Dame Pattie Menzies, Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Viscount and
Viscountess Slim and Elsie Curtin, wife of John Curtin. Harrison also
received many congratulatory messages on his receipt of the Order of the
British Empire and on the occasions of his election to various state and
national positions within the Presbyterian Church.
There are also numerous invitations to state receptions, garden parties
and other functions which were held on occasions such as royal visits, the
opening of Parliament and visits of foreign dignitaries.
Folder
1 General correspondence, 1936-64
2 General correspondence, 1964-78
3 General correspondence, 1975-78, notes and a letter written by a World
War I serviceman by the name of Stanley to his family in November 1915
4-5 Photocopies of letters, 1924-76. The file contains letters of a
personal nature from family and those relating to church matters. The
familycorrespondents include Harrisons mother, 1924-25, his brother
Allan, 1939-41 and his nephew Allan Harrison, 1940-41. Other
correspondents include Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Viscount and
Viscountess Slim and Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies. A detailed
listing of the correspondence is located in Folder 4
6 Correspondence between Harrison and Elsie Curtin, wife of former Prime
Minister, John Curtin, 1945-60. The file also contains biographical notes
on John Curtin, a note containing instructions from Curtin relating to his
funeral service, newscuttings on Curtin and other miscellaneous
memorabilia. A detailed listing of the correspondence can be found in the
folder
7 Congratulatory messages received on his election as State-Moderator of
the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales, 1950
8 Congratulatory messages on his receipt of the award of the Order of
the British Empire (OBE) in 1953
9 Letters written by Harrison to his wife while on an overseas trip, 12
January-2 June 1961
10-12 Congratulatory letters and telegrams on his appointment as
Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church in Australia, 1962. Folder 12
also contains newscuttings and other background material relating to the
proposed unification of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian
Churches, 1972-73
13 Greeting cards and invitations, 1923-78
14 Invitations, 1944-57
Series 2. Sermons, 1931-78
This series consists of sermons given by Harrison during his long career
as a minister. The sermons have been arranged by the Library in two
sequences. The first sequence is arranged according to the books of the
Bible. The second sequence contains sermons written for special occasions
such as Christmas and Easter or sermons on special topics such as
education. Many of the sermons have been written in standard exercise
books. A number of them have been re-used after children have written
notes in them from Sunday School classes. Harrison has annotated most of
the sermons with the dates they were given. Many of the sermons have been
repeated on numerous occasions.
Folder
1 Acts, 1933-78
2 Amos, 1939-75
3 Chronicles, 1958
3 Colossians, 1962-74
4-5 Corinthians, 1946-78
6 Daniel, 1965-76
6 Deuteronomy, 1947-74
7 Ecclesiastes, 1967-77
8 Ephesians, 1933-74
9 Exodus, 1971-73
10 Ezekiel, 1972-74
10 Ezra, 1969-72
11 Galatians, 1933-75
12 Genesis, 1958-78
13 Habakkuk, 1970-77
14 Hebrews, 1938-78
15 Hosea, (n.d.)
15 Isaiah, 1942-76
16 James, 1940-77
17 Jeremiah, 1944-77
18 Job, 1952-78
19-22 John, 1931-78
23 Joshua, (n.d.)
23 Jude, 1952-75
23 Judges, 1951-75
24 Kings 1 & 2, 1957-77
25-27 Luke, 1934-78
28-29 Mark, 1938-78
30-33 Matthew, 1937-78
34 Micah, (n.d)
34 Nehemia, 1938-53
34 Numbers, 1969-70
35 Peter, 1948-78
36 Philippians,1939-78
37 Proverbs, 1941
37 Psalms, 1969-70
38 Revelation, 1948-77
39-40 Romans, 1945-75
41 Ruth, 1975
41 Samuel 1 & 2, 1959-70
42 Thessalonians, 1965-78
43 Timothy, 1936-75
44 Titus, 1967-78
44 Zechariah, 1969-78
45 Anzac Day, Remembrance Day, 1939-78
46 Ascension, 1962-76
47 Australia Day, 1937-78
48 Baptism, 1972
48 Bible, 1956-75
49-50 Christmas, 1965-77
51 Church, 1960-78
52 Church and reformation, 1944-67
53 Confirmation, 1965-78
54-55 Easter, 1937-78
56 Education, 1949-78
57 Harvest Festival, 1935-56
58 Holy Spirit, 1943-77
59 Missions, 1958-76
60 Mothers Day, 1933-78
61 New Year, 1933-77
62 Palm Sunday, 1943-77
63 Social services, 1970
63 Stewardship, 1967-78
63 Trinity, 1967-78
64 Spring, 1937-75
65 Miscellaneous sermons, 1948-78
66-69 Miscellaneous sermons and notes, 1933-72
Series 3. Subject files, 1916-77
This series consists of journal articles, newscuttings, pamphlets,
brochures and notes on a wide range of church, religious, social and
economic issues. Many of the journal articles are from the Expository
Times and do not contain dates. Other journal titles include the Messenger
and Presbyterian life.
Folder
1 Alcohol
2 Ascension
3 Baptism
4-5 Bible
6-8 Christmas
9 Confirmation
10 Communion
11 Cross
12 Cults
13 Easter
14 Education
15 Evangelism and freemasons
16 Harvest festival
17 Hell and judgement
18-19 Holy spirit
20-21 Immortality
22 Mothers Day
23 New Hebrides and Africa
24 New Year
25 Nicene creed
26-27 Prayers
28-31 Presbyterian Church
32-36 Rome
37 Science
38 Social services
39-40 Social system
41 Stewardship
42 Trinity
43 Union of churches
44 Worship
45-55 Various topics
Series 4. Newscuttings, 1920-76
This series consists mainly of newscuttings, but also contains some
journal articles and pamphlets similar to the material in Series 3. They
cover most of the subject areas listed in Series 2 and 3 and additional
topics such as sport, gambling and war. There are also some cuttings
albums containing biographical information on Harrison and his family and
the Salvation Army. Folder 3 also contains newscuttings on Harrison and
his career and copies of journal articles, including book reviews, written
by him and published in the various state and national Presbyterian Church
magazines.
Folder
1 Photocopy of a cuttings book on the Salvation Army, 1920-39. Also
included are cuttings relating to Harrison and his family
2 Scrap album, 1933-72, containing cutting with religious themes
3 Folder containing newscuttings about Harrison or articles written by
him, 1935-78. Included is a copy of the service of thanksgiving on the
death of Harrison in November, 1978 and a special memorial supplement
dedicated to him in The Echo, December 1978
4 Photocopy of a cuttings book, 1940-63, compiled while Harrison was at
St Andrews Church. Included are cuttings on the death of John
Curtin, former Prime Minister, who was a close friend of Harrison.
Harrison conducted the Memorial Service for Curtin held at Parliament
House on 6 July, 1945 and the burial service at Karrakatta Cemetery, WA,
on the 8 July, 1945
5-38 Folders of miscellaneous cuttings on a wide range of topics,
1932-76
Series 5. Service sheets, 1937-78
This series consists of service sheets from St Andrews Church and
other churches, both in Australia and overseas. There are also sheets or
leaflets for special services such as weddings, funerals, dedications and
Anzac Day. They include a service of thanksgiving at the Australian War
Memorial to mark the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific area, 16
August 1945 and a service to mark the coronation of King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth on 12 May 1937. There are also a number of special service
leaflets for the many weddings Harrison conducted.
7 folders
Series 6. Newsletters, circulars, 1968-78
This series consists of newsletters and circulars from various
Presbyterian churches throughout Australia. They include copies of Presbyterian
News, the Presbyterian Church of Victoria News Sheet and Church
News, St Aidans Church, Claremont, WA. The file also includes
miscellaneous minutes of meetings of church committees at a national
level, e.g. minutes of the General Assembly of Australia, General Purposes
Committee and the Presbyterian Planning Committee.
7 folders
Series 7. Other papers, 1914-18
This series consists of miscellaneous material and some ephemera. A
diary kept by Harrison in 1962-77 records the dates of church services and
the type of sermon given. The diary, his annotations of sermons (Series
2), and his collection of prayer material listed in this series, reveal
the methodical and orderly manner in which he prepared his church
services.
Folder
1 Copy of the Australian Imperial Force Nominal Roll for Chaplains
(1914-18)
2 Miscellaneous notes, invitations and cards, 1955-78. Included are some
background notes on the organ in the Church of St Andrew, Canberra
3 Photocopy of a diary, July 1962-December 1977. The majority of entries
record the dates of Sunday services held at St Andrews Church and
the sermons given at each service. Harrison has also kept a record of
services he has officiated at or attended in other places, both in
Australia and overseas. Attendances at functions, receptions and meetings
are also included along with special events within the church. There are
occasional references to family events, the temperature on certain days
and references to the weather, e.g. snow on Red Hill
4 Minutes of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches Executive
Committee. The file consists of four papers from meetings in Baguio City,
Phillipines, 24-29 June, 1965; Strasbourg, France, 28 July-2 August, 1966;
Toronto, Canada, 27 July-1 August, 1967 and Cluj, Romania, 25-29 June,
1968
5 Anecdotes and jokes suitable for reading at weddings. They have been
cut from newspapers and magazines or have been handwritten on cards
6-7 Prayers for use during church services. The prayers have been
handwritten on cards.
8 Small sign showing times for Christmas Day services and a framed poem
titled Friends
9 Cover used during church services by Harrison to hold papers or books.
The cover is inscribed with his name
Series 8. Printed material, 1914-78
This series contains printed material in the form of pamphlets and
leaflets on religious, political and social issues including birth
control, Christianity, church union, communism, gambling and marriage and
a number of booklets on other churches. There are also copies of a
publication by Harrison titled Lift up your heads, which was an
address given in the Assembly Hall, Melbourne, 12 September, 1962.
6 folders
Box List
|
Box |
Series |
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
1 |
1-7 |
|
2 |
1 |
8-14 |
|
3 |
2 |
1-4 |
|
4 |
2 |
5-10 |
|
5 |
2 |
11-15 |
|
6 |
2 |
16-20 |
|
7 |
2 |
21-24 |
|
8 |
2 |
25-28 |
|
9 |
2 |
29-31 |
|
10 |
2 |
32-35 |
|
11 |
2 |
36-40 |
|
12 |
2 |
41-47 |
|
13 |
2 |
48-50 |
|
14 |
2 |
51-54 |
|
15 |
2 |
55-59
|
|
16 |
2 |
60-62 |
|
17 |
2 |
63-68 |
|
18 |
3 |
1-6 |
|
19 |
3 |
7-12 |
|
20 |
3 |
13-19 |
|
21 |
3 |
20-25 |
|
22 |
3 |
26-31 |
|
23 |
3 |
32-37 |
|
24 |
3 |
38-44 |
|
25 |
3 |
45-50 |
|
26 |
3 |
51-55 |
|
27 |
4 |
1-6 |
|
28 |
4 |
7-12 |
|
29 |
4 |
13-18 |
|
30 |
4 |
19-25 |
|
31 |
4 |
26-32 |
|
32 |
4 |
33-38 |
|
33 |
5 |
1-7 |
|
34 |
5 |
8-9 |
|
34 |
6 |
1-4 |
|
35 |
6 |
5-7 |
|
35 |
7 |
1-3 |
|
36 |
7 |
4-9 |
|
37 |
8 |
1-6 |
January 2000 |