QB archives
Treasures in little yellow boxes
Treasures are likely to come in any shape or form. For the Baptist Church Archives Qld, they came recently in fifty or more little yellow boxes – the kind used for Kodak colour slides. There were hundreds of slides from the late Rev Vic Bowring’s collection, donated by his family. They feature people, churches and pastors from the time when Mr Bowring was Superintendent of the Queensland Baptist Home Mission (1958-1975). Many of the slides are in good condition, especially considering their age, and are capable of being electronically scanned.
Superintendent and staff who travelled wherever there was a possibility of meeting the needs of the state’s far flung and diverse population.
The slides record a fascinating variety of places, covering the state from the far north to the west and south (and some interstate as well). Thankfully, most are identified and include images that are not otherwise available to the Archives, such as various church leaders, openings of buildings, official formations of churches and anniversaries. A number are of gatherings of Home Mission staff and denominational events. The collection reflects an extremely vigorous time of outreach and church planting into mining, resort and remote rural areas. They show a Home Mission
Most of the Bowring collection relates to churches that were established or were undergoing growth and development in the period of his leadership of the Home Mission. One church that is not included in this period and for which no picture is currently available is the
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The Archives possesses an extensive collection of photographs, but many are not identified. We are keen to collect more documents and photographs of churches, people and pastors. Information can be sent to archives@qb.com.au. Help is also needed processing these slides and other similar material already in the possession of the Archives.
The qb FEBRUARY 10 www.qb.com.au
Thompson Estate Church which was erected in 1885 in O’Keefe Street, Buranda, near the PA Hospital (the site is currently occupied by a Seventhday Adventist church). This church, formed originally by South Brisbane, had a good ministry but it closed in the late 1950s. The building materials were used to construct the Carina church in Creek Road (since closed, and now an Exclusive Brethren building) and the proceeds from the sale of land were devoted to new outreaches. If any reader has a photo of the Thompson Estate church or more information about its history, please contact the Archives at 53 Prospect Rd, Gaythorne Q 4051 Australia on phone 07 3354 5642 or 0404 083 108. David Parker Baptist Church Archives Qld