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This series contains prayer letters sent by Mary Andrews to CMS to be distributed to supporters, written between 1947 and 1951 during her time in China; and also letters and drafts of letters written for publication in the CMS "Round World" magazine, with an intended audience of children.
These letters are intended for a praying audience, and contain particulars of Mary Andrews' life and ministry in China as well as devotional commentary and descriptions of her state of mind, health, encouragement, and other concerns.
The prayer-letters in this series had been previously set apart and placed in acid free folders. New series numbers have since been added and fasteners replaced with plastic paper-clips, but no other changes have been made.
The published versions of some of the "The Round World" articles have been placed in series 13.
This series was originally combined with Series 6.

This series contains newsletters sent by Mary Andrews to friends and supporters. Until 1975, these were distributed under the title of "The Church of England Deaconess Institution Prayer Fellowship Letter". In 1976 the title becomes "News Letter", reflecting Dss Andrews' retirement and roles in other organisations. From 1982 onwards, the title is "The Anglican Deaconess Institution Prayer Fellowship Letter" following a decision by the Deaconess Council to revive the earlier newsletter - aside from a small number in 1982 under the banner of The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.
The newsletters contain homilies or spiritual insights from Dss Andrews, news relevant to the Deaconess institution (and other organisations, following Dss Andrews' retirement), personal news and travel reports. Dates and times for events related to the Deaconess Association (and others) are also listed, as are prayer requests and brief news from other members of the Association. Occasional attachments such as invitations to Deaconess House graduations are also included.
Newsletters were published once every 2-3 months in the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s; yearly from 1975; then once every three months from 1982.
This series had been previously set apart and placed in acid-free folders. New series numbers have since been added and fasteners replaced with plastic paperclips, and duplicates have been discarded, but no other changes have been made.
This series was originally combined with Series 5.

United Church Women of Australia (UCWA) was formed at a meeting of the Australian Council of Churches (ACC) on 4 October 1962. UCWA comprised of representatives from the Federal Denominational Women’s Organisations, State Women’s Inter-Church Councils, Australian Council of Churches Committee on Women’s Work and State Committees for Women’s World Day of Prayer. Representatives were appointed approximately equally from office-bearers of the existing organisations and other people appointed for their abilities as Christian leaders. UCWA was affiliated with the Australian Council of Churches to assist in the establishment of links with similar organisations internationally. An Interim Committee was formed to recommend a structure for the ongoing organisation. The Committee recommended that a National Committee be formed together with state and local Committees. The National Committee included six women resident in Sydney who would form the Executive. At the Annual Meeting of the Australian Council of Churches in February 1963 the establishment of Australian Church Women (ACW) was authorised.
At the Annual General Meeting of the ACC in 1964 the recommendation of a consultation held in Sydney in March of that year received 'general approval'. The recommendations covered the aims of ACW, its federal structure and its structure within the ACC.
The aims were

• To unite Australian Church Women in their allegiance to their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;
• to provide opportunities or Christian worship, study, fellowship and service across denomination divisions;
• to promote co-operation of men and women in the church, family and society;
• to help Christian women to take a more effective place in the total life and mission of the church; and
• to unite them through the Fellowship of the Least Coin with Christian women of all countries.
  There was a National Committee that met at least annually, an Executive that met monthly and a Working Committee. The Working Committee consisted of members resident within one state and included all of the office-bearers viz - President, two Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer. Of the undesignated members of the Working Committee one was the of the Winifred Kiek Scholarship Committee. The working committee dealt in particular with ACW activities including the world community day and relationships with the Fellowship of the Least Coin.
  The Winifred Kiek scholarship was awarded annually from 1965. Rev. Winifred Kiek was ordained as a Congregational Church Minister in 1927 and was commemorated for her work as an ordained female minister and within the Australian Council of Churches where she encouraged ministry to women. A subcommittee of ACW was formed to deal with the applications, to recommend candidates for the award and to make arrangements for the applicants when in Australia. The scholarship was available to young Christian Women from developing countries and enabled the to study and gain professional experience in Australia in addition to participating in women's' Christian groups . The papers relating to the Winifred Kiek Scholarship contained in this collection include Sub-Committee correspondence (Mary Andrews was the Convenor of the Committee for many years) occasional reports, printed material including leaflets concerning scholarship holders and their schedules while in Australia, and publicity from the project.
  Two major annual activities were World Community Day and Fellowship Day. It seems that orders of service were produced centrally for use and adaptation in the various state units and local branches. The records of these in this collection include, fliers and other publicity and orders of service. The revised Constitution of 1985 allowed for a biennial National Conference which was held in conjunction with the National Committee meetings. The earliest records of National Conferences date from 1985. There was a new Constitution in 1988 Newsletters were issued to members commencing in August 1964. Initially these appeared to be irregular but by1976 they were issued monthly. By April 1970 the Newsletters were known as 'Women at Work' . From October 1985 the Newsletter was known as ACW News. The Newsletters emanated from the Branch where the Executive at the time was situated although mist issues contained. Many issue have been lost. The State Units pre-dated the federal organisation. The NSW Branch held its inaugural meeting on 18 November 1938 and the Victorian Branch was established by the adoption of its constitution on 13 June 1941.
  The records that comprise this series are not the official archives of Australian Church Women, but those that were held by Mary Andrews. There are some gaps that might indicate the periods of greatest involvement in ACW or normal accidents of record keeping. The series comprises both the records that have survived from the Federal organisations and the State Units and occasionally local branches. Most of the surviving branch records emanated from NSW.

This series contains a variety of paperwork relating to women's organisations in which Mary Andrews was involved or interested. It includes religious (charitable, ecumenical and political) organisations as well as nonreligious charitable and advocacy organisations.
Individual organisations with large quantities of associated paperwork have been assigned separate series, as has the collection of organisations that were not specifically related to women.
Mary Andrews had been involved with many of these organisations for decades; however, for the majority of them her involvement increased noticeably following her retirement in 1975.

This series contains a variety of paperwork relating to ecumenical organisations in which Mary Andrews was involved or interested. Mary was one of the designated representatives for the Anglican Church (or Diocese of Sydney, or Anglicanism in the state of New South Wales, depending on the organisation's scope) in a number of these organisations. Mary Andrews had been involved with many of these organisations for decades; however, for the majority of them her involvement increased noticeably following her retirement in 1975.

The National Council of Women of New South Wales was established at a meeting held on 26 June 1896. The objects of the Council were to promote:

• Sympathy of thought and purpose among the people of New South Wales
• The social, civil, moral and religious welfare of the community
• such conditions of life as will assure to every child an opportunity for full and free development; and to form a link with National Councils of Women in other countries through the National Council of Women of Australia and the International Council of Women.
  Members of the Council included both organisations committed to improving the status of women and their families and individual members.
  Both at the state and federal levels there were standing Committee for many issues relating to women including the arts, children and families, education, environment, health, housing, international relations and peace, laws and suffrage, the media, migration, social welfare and employment
  Councils were established in other states of Australia and in 1931 the National Council of Women of Australia was established and the state organisations were affiliated with it. The NCWA is affiliated with the International Council of Women. The National Council of Women of Australia was incorporated on 28 November 1988. Triennial Conferences were held for some years. There are full records of the Conference for 1973-76.
  The Deaconess Institute was a member of the Council and Mary Andrews was associated with the Council since 1976 And served on the Executive at least in the following years 1976-7, 1982, 1984, 1987 and 1991.

The Women's World Day of Prayer originated in the US after the Civil War, starting in 1887 as a day of prayer for home missions and taking its approximate modern form in 1920. Traditionally held on the first Friday in March, the Day proper consists of a worldwide day of ecumenical affirmation and prayer along with the conduction of specially prepared services (these services were often developed by a single national committee for use worldwide).
National and regional committees were responsible for the preparation and distribution of WWDoP materials. Mary Andrews served as National Liaison Officer from 1978 to 1984(approx.) and was designated as Regional Representative on the International Executive from 1982. She was a member of the NSW state committee from 1977 (or earlier) untill her death. She was also Secretary of the National Executive Committee circa 1985. The 1986 World Day of Prayer was held in Australia, and this series includes some preparatory materials.

This series contains correspondence, meeting minutes, and other records relating to the three missionary organisations with which Mary Andrews was most closely connected: The Church Missionary Society of Australia (CMS), CMS-UK, and the South American Missionary Service (SAMS).Mary Andrews was a missionary with CMS from 1938-1951, working primarily in
China but with a short role in India. She had a secondment agreement of sorts with CMS-UK, with which she was in regular contact while in the field. Following her return to Australia, she made inquiries with CMS-UK regarding the possibility of missionary work with them in South-East Asia. After this failed to eventuate, she remained in casual correspondence with staff at CMS-UK for some time. In addition to the paper records in this series there are two cassette recordings viz: CMS Prayer Weekend 1981 (Rev R.A. Cole) and CMS Summer School 1982 Dr and Mrs Coleman. These may be located in Series 29/4.
Due to her position as Principal of Deaconess House (and missionary experience), Mary was part of the CMS Candidates Committee, Training Committee, and General Committee. As a number of single female missionaries and missionary wives were trained at Deaconess House, Mary was responsible for providing candidate evaluation reports and occasionally conducted interviews with prospective missionaries (including missionary couples) on behalf of the Candidates Committee. She also regularly attended meetings of the above and made a number of recommendations on training policy. Mary ceased being a member of the Candidates Committee in 1976, following her retirement. She then resigned from the General Committee in 1987. Return correspondence suggests that she was dissatisfied with what she perceived as the narrow roles that CMS would allow female missionaries to fill. SAMS was founded in 1844 as a missionary society focused on evangelising Latin America. Mary Andrews served on their Candidates Committee and NSW General Committee from 1975 (at the latest; possibly as early as 1965) until her death in 1996. She also engaged in friendly correspondence with a number of SAMS missionaries and home staff.

Mary Andrews naturally took a greater interest in care for the elderly following her own retirement in 1975. From that point until her death in 1996 she lived at the Goodwin Village, a holding of the Anglican Retirement Villages, and acted as chaplain. In addition to running occasional church and prayer services, she also wrote a column for the monthly Village newsletter and visited other ARV residences. In 1995, a new ARV residence was named the Mary Andrews Village in her honour.

This series contains records relating to organisations that Mary Andrews was interested in or had some relationship with in a professional or personal capacity.
The majority are religious organisations, with some exceptions.
Of particular significance:
The Diocese of Sydney: In her roles as Principal of Deaconess House and as Head Deaconess, Mary Andrews came under the authority of and had frequent correspondence with the Archbishop of Sydney. Following her retirement (with accommodation and employment partially arranged by the Diocese), Mary was elected as Synod representative from her local Parish on a number of occasions and took a particular interest in Synod votes on the topics of women's ministry, lay presidency, and aged care.
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer: After taking a keen interest in the Fellowship over a number of years (including several international conference trips in her role of local coordinator), Mary was designated as the Province Representative for the Anglican Church of Australia in 1981. There is a cassette recording from this meeting available in Series 29/5
The Order of Australia Association: Mary joined the Association shortly after it was founded in 1980. Activities consisted mostly of annual dinners, with occasional tours of regions Australia of historical or cultural importance. Mary obtained a life membership in 1984.