Guide to the Papers of Hector Harrison
MS 6277
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Hector Harrison
- Title
- Papers of Hector Harrison
- Date Range
- 1915-1978
- Collection Number
- MS 6277
- Extent
- 5.18 metres (37 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The papers consist of personal and business correspondence, circulars, journal articles, brochures, leaflets, newscuttings, newsletters, notes, pamphlets, sermons and service sheets. They record Harrison's 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.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1096752).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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], Papers of Hector Harrison, National Library of Australia, MS 6277, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
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, Harrison's daughter.
Related Materials
An interview with Harrison, recorded by Mel Pratt in 1973, is held in the Oral History Section at TRC 121/46.
Arrangement
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.
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 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 Aidan's Presbyterian Church, Claremont, WA. |
| 1940 | Inducted on 9 May as Minister of St Andrew's 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 Andrew's Church on 21 November, 1978 conducted by the Reverend Alistair Christie, a close friend of Harrison. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 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 Aidan's Presbyterian Church, Claremont, WA. |
| 1940 | Inducted on 9 May as Minister of St Andrew's 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 Andrew's Church on 21 November, 1978 conducted by the Reverend Alistair Christie, a close friend of Harrison. |
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Correspondence, 1915-78
This series consists of personal correspondence and correspondence relating to church matters. The personal correspondence includes letters from Harrison's 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.
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 (File 3) - Box 1
Photocopies of letters, 1924-76 (File 4-5) - Box 1
The file contains letters of a personal nature from family and those relating to church matters. The familycorrespondents include Harrison's 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.
Correspondence between Harrison and Elsie Curtin, wife of former Prime Minister, John Curtin, 1945-60 (File 6) - Box 1
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.
Congratulatory messages received on his election as State-Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales, 1950 (File 7) - Box 1
Congratulatory messages on his receipt of the award of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1953 (File 8) - Box 2
Letters written by Harrison to his wife while on an overseas trip, 12 January-2 June 1961 (File 9) - Box 2
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 (File 10-12) - Box 2
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.
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.
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.
Photocopy of a cuttings book on the Salvation Army, 1920-39. Also included are cuttings relating to Harrison and his family (File 1) - Box 27
Folder containing newscuttings about Harrison or articles written by him, 1935-78 (File 3) - Box 27
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
Photocopy of a cuttings book, 1940-63, compiled while Harrison was at St Andrew's Church (File 4) - Box 27
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.
Series 5. Service sheets, 1937-78
This series consists of service sheets from St Andrew's 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.
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 Aidan's 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.
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.
Miscellaneous notes, invitations and cards, 1955-78. Included are some background notes on the organ in the Church of St Andrew, Canberra (File 2) - Box 35
Photocopy of a diary, July 1962-December 1977 (File 3) - Box 35
The majority of entries record the dates of Sunday services held at St Andrew's 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.
Minutes of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches Executive Committee (File 4) - Box 36
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
Anecdotes and jokes suitable for reading at weddings, cut from newspapers and magazines or have been handwritten on cards (File 5) - Box 36
Prayers for use during church services. The prayers have been handwritten on cards (File 6-7) - Box 36
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.