Series 093/12 - Draft autobiography and related papers

Identity area

Reference code

AU AU-MTC 093/12

Title

Draft autobiography and related papers

Date(s)

  • 1938-1975 (Creation)

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Loose papers

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Name of creator

(1915-1996)

Biographical history

Mary Maria Andrews was born at Dry Plain Station (near Cooma, NSW) in 1915 to Albert and Ann Andrews. The family moved to Mittagong in 1925 then Sydney in 1927 for educational purposes following the separation of her parents. Mary was educated at Homebush Intermediate High School and later Hornsby Girls' High. She underwent training as a General Nurse at Gladesville Mental Hospital from 1933-1935, . studied at Sydney Missionary and Bible College from 1935-6 and was a resident at Deaconess house from 1937-8 at the recommendation of the Church Missionary Society of Australia (CMS), to which she had applied as a missionary to China in 1937.
Sailing to China in September 1938, she engaged in language learning at the College of Chinese Studies in Peiping (which was under Japanese occupation at the time) and later in Lin Hai, where she performed missionary work until she was forced to leave in late 1943 in fear of Japanese troops. She worked in Lahore, India, during 1944, and returned to Australia on furlough in 1946, during which time she was 'set apart' as a Deaconess. She returned to China in June 1947, working as a missionary in Shaohsing until she was forced to leave due to pressure from the Communist government in 1951.
Following her missionary career she continued to be heavily involved in CMS Candidates and General Committees and was a committed supporter of the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) and served on their Candidates and Pastoral Committee.
She began work as the Principal of Deaconess House in 1951, and was commissioned as Head Deaconess in the Diocese of Sydney in early 1952. As Principal, she oversaw a dramatic expansion of the institution in both physical size and occupancy. She held the position until her reluctant retirement in 1975. Many of the women who trained at Deaconess House continued to correspond with her, confide in her and shares the joys and trials of ministry with her until her life's end.
She then took on the role of part-time chaplain to three retirement villages - Goodwin Village, Woollahra (where she also resided); Elizabeth Lodge, Kings Cross, and St John's Village, Glebe. Not only did she conduct Bible studies and hold devotional meetings with the residents but she also encouraged them to give generously to missions, other Christian work and organisations for the aged. Additionally, she increased her involvement in a number of ecumenical and women's associations and was a fixture at these for the remainder of her life. Material found in her papers suggests that she supported the Healing Ministry at St Andrews Cathedral, Basilea Schlink of Darmstadt and that she attended the Billy Graham Crusade in 1979.
In 1980 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her Services to Religion.
Mary Andrews throughout her career and ministry was a strong proponent of greater inclusion of women into church life. She was actively involved in the events leading up to a number of milestones, including an increased prominence of the Deaconess order, the inclusion of women in the Anglican synod, and the ordination of women as Anglican Deacons. Late in her life she was fiercely in favour of the ordination of women as priests, and was a member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW).
She had a healthy interest in a wide range of Christian beliefs and recorded broadcast interviews of Chrisians from Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, and various other Christian denominations from Australia and abroad.
Recreationally she enjoyed traditional hymns, English Cathedral music and when time permitted attended performing arts particularly 'classical' music. In fact she entered into correspondence occasionally regarding the programs of concerts and the choice of operas if she thought they were unsuitable. She also had a life-long interest in photography and left behind an exhaustive documentation of the work of Deaconess House, the organisations that she was involved with, her many overseas trips, significant occasions in the ministry of former students and friends and of women's ministry in general.
She died on the 16th of October 1996, a few weeks after the 50th anniversary of her 'setting apart' as a Deaconess.

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Scope and content

Mary had a strong sense of her role in history. Following her return from China her roles as Principal of Deaconess House and as Head Deaconess saw her taking a unique position in women’s ministry, she was tireless at taking every opportunity to address church groups of various kinds on her twin loves as missionary work in China and women’s ministry; she kept copious diaries.[See Series 2, 1932-1996] She played a major role in many organisations developed to foster women’s ministry and she was a figure in some secular organisations This sense of being chosen led to her prepare an autobiography. The manuscript was offered to Anzea Publications but on 1 March 1975 the Manager advised that no-one was available to edit the manuscript for publication. It is unknown whether she offered it to other publishers.
The original order of the manuscripts in this series is unclear. There is one major sequence of 88 pages but many drafts particularly of her period in China. The major section was originally in a folder with several other sections. The page numbering was not helpful in determining the order so this material has been treated as one item. Other sequences were identified separately and each sequence has been considered separate item.
It is possible that she prepared more than one draft. And also likely the the various drafts on her period in China were used as source material by Margaret Yarwood Lamb whose partial biography 'Going it Alone: Mary Andrews - missionary to China 1938 to 1951' published by Aquila Press in 1995 is confined to Mary’s formative years and missionary service.
This series also includes material that appears to have been collected for the purposes of a biography - letters, reports, short histories. This material includes letters to family members and circulars for the mission field; her license to serve as a female Deacon in Shaohsing-Chekiang, March 1948; news clippings.

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Open access

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  • Shelf: C 9
  • Shelf: C 15