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Marella Mission originated with Gwen and Keith Langford-Smith accommodating Aboriginal foster children on their farm property at Kellyville. Marella was conducted as part of The Sky Pilot Fellowship, which formally commenced on May 23rd, 1949 with Keith Langford-Smith as permanent Director and member of Council. The main activity of The Sky Pilot Fellowship was initially evangelical radio broadcasts. Marella was maintained by fund raising activities and donations received through The Sky Pilot Fellowship. Marella's general administration from 1950-1986 was assumed by its Secretary-Treasurer, Norma Warwick. On October 7th, 1954, The Sky Pilot Fellowship, Ltd., was formed, commencing operation as a non-profit making company on April l st 1955. Since this Company was not exempt from Land Tax, on April 19th, 1978, Marella Mission Farm Ltd. took over the assets and liabilities of The Sky Pilot Fellowship Ltd., so that the land at Kellyville could be donated. At this time, the farm at Kellyville ceased operating as a foster home, with the children being places in Church of England group homes nearer the city. Marella continued to function as a sponsoring organisation to the Church of England Homes "Marella Project" with a seat on the Marella Management Committee.
In 1978 the site was taken over by Parramatta Regional Mission, run by the Uniting Church of Australia, who renamed it Koompartoo Mission Farm. The mission cared for homeless teenage boys, and operated there until 1986. Marella Mission Farm was later subdivided. It is bounded by present day York Road, Presidents Avenue, Green Road and Marella Avenue. It contains the Bernie Mullane Sporting Complex and YMCA, Kellyville High School and housing.
Further information is available on Find and Connect http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE01291

The mission was named 'Marella' after a ship - the SS Marella, which was owned by Burns Philip & Co. and sailed between Sydney and Singapore via Darwin. Many missionaries used it to travel to the mission at Roper River. The ship had originally belonged to the German Kaiser and was captured by the Australian navy during World War 1. (Sky Pilot News, June 1970)

Donald William Bradley Robinson was born in 1922 and ordained Deacon in 1950 and Priest in 1951. In 1952 he was appointed lecturer at Moore Theological College and was Vice-Principal of the College from 1959 until 1972. He was Canon of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, from 1964 to 1973 and taught Divinity at Sydney University from 1964 to 1980. In 1973 he was appointed Bishop of Parramatta, a position he held until his appointment as Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales in 1982. He retired from the position of Archbishop in 1993 and was succeeded by Harry Goodhew. Donald Robinson died on September 7, 2018, at HammondCare North Turramurra.

Moore Theological College (M.T.C.), Australia's oldest theological college, began tuition in the home of Thomas Moore (1762-1840) at Liverpool on March 1st, 1856. Moore was a wealthy pastoralist and benefactor of the early Church of England in Australia who bequeathed property and funds for the establishment of a theological training college. The Reverend William A. Hodgson was the first tutor of the new college, which remained at its Liverpool site until 1888. For three years the College was closed, re-opening at its present Newtown site in 1891. The "Moore Theological College Ordinance of 1919" placed the government of the College under the Church of England Synod, and established a committee to administer its various functions. In 1921, a Synod Ordinance was passed empowering the College's Trustees to use the Liverpool assets for the Newtown College's use. In 1933 a Board of Reference was established to assess prospective applicants, and 1937 saw the establishment of the College's Women's Auxiliary.

Following training at Moore College and ordination in 1908, the Rev. O. G. Dent went to England and studied at Durham University. During the war he was a chaplain with the 5th Division of the B.E.F. He was rector of St. Mary Magdalene from 1919 to 1927.