Progress in West Australia by O. A. OLSEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 7, 1906

Progress in West Australia

By O. A. OLSEN

The West Australian camp-meeting and conference was held at Woodbridge, about twelve miles by railway east of Perth. They had a very favorable location. It was a grassy paddock, although we did not see much grass for that time of the year. Things were rather dry.

Brother Finster had done his best in working up an interest, and inviting attendance at the meeting, by visiting various places, and also sending out letters to the churches and companies and isolated Sabbath-keepers, making mention of the camp-meeting, and urging their attendance. The result was that we had the largest attendance, in proportion to the membership, that we had at any of the camp-meetings here this season. There were seventy tents pitched, and on Sabbath morning, in the Sabbath-school there were two hundred and seventy persons present, while more came in for the service. The whole membership is only a little over three hundred. The ground was convenient to the station, so it was very accessible both for our own people and the community about.

The Guildford district, in which the meeting was held, is a nice community, and contains a good class of people. On both Sunday afternoon and evening our tent was comfortably filled, and others could not find seating accommodation, and the best of attention was given to the word spoken.

The laborers attending this meeting, besides their own, were Brethren Hennig and Johanson, Sister Graham, and myself. The meeting passed off harmoniously, and it was felt to be a very profitable occasion. All the different lines of work received attention, and there was a very good and hearty response. The conference is coming up financially, also. The treasury has a fair surplus, and they are in a position to slightly increase the number of their laborers.

The health work received considerable attention. Dr. Kress was invited to speak in one of the largest halls in the city, where he had a good, enthusiastic attendance; and the papers took up the matter, giving large portions of his address, with many comments favorable to us. There is an excellent opportunity to open a café in Perth, but the difficulty there, as in many other places, is the lack of efficient help to conduct it.

An Interesting Visit

At the close of the camp-meeting proper, in company with Brother Finster, I spent several days visiting other places, in order to become better acquainted with the country, the situation of our own people, and the nature and characteristics of the work in that field. We visited six other places outside of Perth. One interesting feature was finding so many of our brethren going to the country. A number of those who formerly lived in the city of Perth have moved out into the country, to a place called Osborn Park, where they have taken up several acres each, and where there is an excellent opportunity for gardening. I spent one night in this place, and had a very interesting meeting. The next day we took the train farther eastward, to Wooroloo. This is only a small country station. A brother met us, and took us about two or three miles into the country, where there are a few Sabbath-keepers, and others are interested. The prospect is that a nice little company of believers will soon be established there. These, also, are farmers and fruit growers. The next day we went on to Norwood. A tent-meeting was held here some time ago. We visited a few friends in the village, after which Brother Smith came in from the country, and took us to his place, seven miles out. His wife and daughter attended the camp-meeting, and were baptized, having recently accepted the truth. In the evening they invited in a number of their friends and neighbors, and we had a very pleasant meeting.

On Sabbath morning this brother and his family took us fourteen miles by wagon to a place called Wongamine. Here we had a meeting in the farmhouse, at the home of John Smith, a brother to the one who took us there. More Sabbath-keepers live in this community. Here we had our Sabbath-school, and services forenoon and evening, also on Sunday forenoon and afternoon. It reminded me of the old times in Wisconsin, when we could get together in our large log cabins, for Sabbath services. All the time was occupied in meetings and study, except when the room and table were needed for serving the meals.

A Fine Country

I had considerable prejudice against West Australia, from the reports I had heard, as it had been presented as a sort of sandy waste; but my mind was considerably changed by what I saw and learned. I have not seen the farms looking so well anywhere, except in New Zealand. I found, too, that the government is very favorable to people's going on the land. Government land can be bought for ten shillings an acre; or by paying six pence an acre yearly, the land will belong to the individual in twenty years. This affords an excellent opportunity for people to go on the land. The government will also give any bona fide settler one hundred and sixty acres free, and after five years' residence and improvement, a freehold deed. These are better offers than any other Australian state is holding out at the present time.

We also visited a place called Heidelberg, which is out in the hills about twenty-five miles from Perth. Here a number of brethren have located, and are developing beautiful farms. I saw among the brethren here some

of the best fruit I have ever seen anywhere in the world, and they have excellent opportunity for marketing. Here, too, they showed me a site for a church which they are preparing to build. At this place the price of land is a little higher, although the first ones to locate here got theirs for ten shillings an acre. We also had a good meeting here. Some people who had never attended before came in, and listened attentively.

This little trip around in the country was a matter of great interest and pleasure to me, and gave me a much better idea of the general situation than I could have had by only remaining in the city.

Our last meeting was at Freemantle, the night before we took the boat. Here our brethren are just finishing a neat little church. One of our sisters gave them a small lot upon which to build, and they have taken hold, and have put up a nice little stone and brick structure.

The outlook for the work in West Australia is just as favorable as in any other part of the Australian Conference, and more favorable than in some parts.

O. A. OLSEN.