Historian’s column

James Bills, vice-principal (1923–28) and surrogate chaplain

Helen Penrose Carey’s Centenary Historian

The appointment of Baptist teachers to Carey’s staff was once regarded as imperative to fulfil the School’s aims to provide a Christian education. It would also improve the likelihood of Baptist families choosing Carey, or so the publicity of the 1920s hoped. In 1922, the Baptist Union of Victoria invited James Bills, an evangelical Baptist from South Australia, to apply for the position as Carey Baptist Grammar School’s Second Master (Deputy Principal). At that time, as Headmaster of Gawler High School, James Bills was regarded by South Australian educators as an ‘exceptional’ teacher of ‘splendid moral character’. Well-known as the secretary of the Gawler Baptist Church, he also contributed to church life as a lay preacher, ardent supporter of home and foreign mission fields, and an effective worker with Baptist boys’ groups, such as bible study. Regarded by the South Australian Baptist Union as a Baptist of ‘high standing’, the Baptist Union of Victoria did not hesitate to offer James Bills an attractive salary to move to Melbourne. James Bills taught English, Mathematics and Scripture at Carey from 1923 Above: James Bills (centre) with the 1924 Carey Cricket Team.

to 1928. An outstanding educator, his work as a spiritual leader both in classroom scripture lessons and all aspects of school life left a deep mark on Carey students because of his great personal Christian values. In this way he established the link between the position of vice-principal and a surrogate chaplaincy, long before the position of chaplain was created in 1942. In 1927, James Bills wrote of the supreme importance of religion in education. He approached this in his scripture lessons by teaching a knowledge of and love for the Bible. Younger students studied the New Testament, and only senior students were allowed to tackle the Old Testament. ‘The world is in need of strong Christian men, men of sterling character’, he wrote, asserting that Carey, a boys school at the time, achieved this through education. James Bills certainly played a strong role in working towards this aim during his six years at Carey. When he left in 1928 to return to South Australia to be the Headmaster of King’s College, the Carey community showered him with gifts.

The Carey Centenary Survey As Carey approaches its centenary year in 2023, we have enlisted the help of Helen Penrose of HistorySmiths and the highly dedicated Carey Heritage Committee to research Carey’s rich history. This research will be published as a comprehensive celebratory book released in our centenary year. A survey is currently open to the broader Carey community as an opportunity for others to contribute with personal accounts of the School and we encourage you to share your stories or memorable impressions in our survey, which can be found on our website: www.carey.com.au/about/carey-archive All contributors will be acknowledged in an index in the book.