Guide to the Records of Reid Uniting Church
MS 7625
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Reid Uniting Church
- Title
- Records of Reid Uniting Church
- Date Range
- 1927-1985
- Collection Number
- MS 7625
- Extent
- 1.4 metres (10 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Records of Reid Methodist Church, previously known as South Ainslie Methodist Church before a name change in 1929. They include correspondence, an early marriage register, extension plans, minutes of Trust and Circuit meetings, correspondence and records of Church organisations, and financial papers.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1510679).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], MS 7625, National Library of Australia, Records of Reid Uniting Church, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
The records were donated to the Library in five instalments between 1983 and 1989.
Separated Materials
Some financial papers were returned to the Church.
Administrative History
The site for the church at Reid was selected in 1926, and the Foundation Stone for the South Ainslie Church (now Reid) was laid in 1927. The Methodist Church at South Ainslie was opened on 8 October 1927, and it became known as Reid Methodist after April 1929. On 22 June 1977 the Reid Methodist Church became part of the Uniting Church in Australia. The Church building of 1927 has been added to four times.
The first minister was the Rev. E. L. Vercoe, and the first full time minister, Rev. Gordon Arthur.
Item Descriptions
Correspondence, 1927-28 (File 1-6) - Box 1
Correspondents are mainly the Trust and Trust Committee Secretaries, and, after June 1977, the Church Property and Finance Committee Secretary. Mr T.W. Atkins (1927-31) and Mr L. Courtenay Key (1931-44) were the early correspondents. The bulk of the later files were maintained by Mr Ron Winch, a member of the Trust for fourteen years before becoming Secretary in 1974.
Church extension plans (File 8) - Box 1
Plans include the specifications and proposed plan (1951) for the building of the War Memorial Youth Centre, incorporating the existing Church Hall, and the Articles of agreement (1956) with the builder, A.V. Collins.
Minutes of Trust and Trust Committee meetings, 1927-78. The volumes contain lists of the Trustees in 1958 and 1976 (File 9-10) - Box 2
Church properties were vested in and managed by the trustees. The Trust Committee was, until the Union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches in 1977, a principal arm of government of the Methodist Church at the local level. The first Trust meeting was held on 2 July 1927.
Minutes of Leaders' meetings, 1945-62 (File 11) - Box 2
All Trustees became a member of the body of Church leaders known as 'The Leaders' Meeting'.
Canberra Methodist Circuit, 1929-74: Files including correspondence, 1969-70, minutes of meetings of the Joint Commission for Church Development, 1966-71, and budgets, 1970-74, maintained by Max Bassett, Senior Circuit Steward in the late 1960s and early 70s, and Mr D. R. Campbell, in the late 1960s (File 16-18) - Box 3-4
Reid organisations, 1927-85: Ladies' Guild (including later names). Treasurer account books, 1928-46; receipts and payments, 1953-77 (File 19-20) - Box 5
The Ainslie Methodist Church Ladies' Guild was established in August 1926, becoming the first Methodist organisation in Ainslie. Its name later changed to Reid Methodist Ladies' Church Aid Society and in the 1970s to the Reid Methodist Women's Fellowship.
Reid organisations, 1927-85: Sunday School: Minutes of Teachers' meetings, 1927-43; returns, 1943-48 (File 21) - Box 5
The Sunday School began about the time of the Church opening.
Reid organisations, 1927-85: Society of Christian Endeavour. Roll book, 1941-49 (File 22) - Box 5
The Christian Endeavour groups were also established early in the life of the Church.
Reid organisations, 1927-85: Mens' Brotherhood: Correspondence, 1956-85 (File 23-28) - Box 5-6
Correspondents include the Secretaries of the Mens' Brotherhood, Alf Nicholls, Eric Goudie, Arthur Wicks, Alan Cox and Harry Edwards. Minute books, 1950-85; annual reports, 1951-60. The Mens' Brotherhood was founded in 1950.
Reid organisations, 1927-85: Couples' Club: Correspondence, 1973-70 (File 29-31) - Box 6
Correspondents include the Secretaries of the Couples' Club, the Goddards, the Holgates, the Matthews, the Hills, the Mullers and the Faulkners. Minute book, 1957-71. The Couples' Club was founded in 1956.
Stewardship campaign, 1971 (File 32) - Box 7
File maintained by Max Bassett, Senior Circuit Steward and General Chairman of the Reid Stewardship campaign.