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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.

The series comprises original documents and copies of material possibly gathered for Mary Andrew's planned autobiography that was never published, the partial biography written by Margaret Yarwood Lamb and may be used for future biographical purposes. In addition to official documentation such as birth certificate, visas, passports, the series includes charitable donations, family history, school reunion, details of travels, response to her Member of the Order of Australia award.
Also includes copies of her ordination certificate (1946) and her death certificate (1996).
A note concerning Item 31 of this series. It appears that soon after returning to Australia from Missionary service Mary Andrews commenced preparing lists with brief descriptions of the major events and achievements in her life including overseas travel and lists of positions held were appended. . These seems to have been updated regularly although the date of composition is not recorded prior to 1979. From March 1979 they were known as Bio Data. It is assumed that these were prepared for occasions when background information was required and as source material for biographers and journalists..
Some routine material has been culled. Some however has been retained (such as travel documents) as this has been used to date some of Mary's writings.
The routine material (tickets, boarding passes, drafts have been removed from the travel records.

These letters and invitations are from the Archbishop and other Diocesan officials, the Governor and NSW Government and sundry other correspondents.
The letters include invitations to meetings and State and Diocesan social functions, acknowledgements of hospitality. Responses to letters she had sent, opinions that she made known, comments she had made and articles submitted for publication
Many letters and invitations were sent in regard to Ms Andrews capacities as Principal of Deaconess House and Head Deaconess others because she was a well-known personality.
These letters contrast with personal letters received in that the items are matters of business and there is no evidence of a personal relationship between the contributors although some of the correspondents were well known to Mary.

This series contains short publications, articles, and coursework material - mostly theological - on a range of topics of interest to Mary Andrews. Some of them were originally separated and presented as coherent courses of study, but others have been compiled from disparate corners of the collection during the sorting phase. Ordination of Women Background Material: Theological and sociological articles and reports, along with some pertinent news stories, debating the propriety of including women in ordained ministry. Christian Counselling Correspondence Course: Run by the Christian Counselling Institute, taking the form of loose papers divided into ten lessons by blue separators. Mary Andrews may have taken this course in 1970 (according to the date on the attached cover letter) or examined it for potential use in the Deaconess House. Deaconess Andrews extended the Deaconess House curriculum to include lectures in counselling from government departments and Sydney University staff following a trip to the UK in 1958-9 in which she researched training methods. Reports on Ministry and Missiology: Booklets and single articles from a variety of sources, many of them ecumenical. Some of these were most likely received as readings to inform the topics of discussion at conferences attended by Deaconess Andrews run by the World Council of Churches, Church Women United, and other similar organisations. Contents include sociological, theological and creative analyses of world evangelisation. Short Guides: Short articles from a wide range of sources that contain concrete guides for the content of prayer or preaching.
*Samuel Marsden in New Zealand: Articles, book extracts and press clippings relating to Samuel Marsden's trip to Matauri Bay in 1814 and its 175th anniversary in 1989.

This series contains letters and other personal papers that were neither written by nor addressed to Mary Andrews. In a number of cases these are letters where a copy has been sent to Mary Andrews for her information; others (including the papers of former fellow missionary in China Norah Dillon) pertain to individuals or subjects she was interested in.
In some cases the reason for these papers being in Mary Andrews' possession is entirely unclear.
Some eulogies and letters of condolence sent to Mary Andrews' relatives following her death have been removed.

This series contains English-language Bibles - in various editions and translations - used by Mary Andrews. Bibles that have been retained are ones that contain clear signs of use as well as underlined passages and marginal annotations, and in some cases handwritten inserts.
Additionally, some Bibles have been preserved due to the historical interest of their provenance. Mary had possession of a Bible owned by former Archbishop of Sydney (and missionary to China) Mowll, presented to her as a keepsake after his death, as well as a New Testament commemorating the death of the late Archbishop's father. A nearly-pristine illustrated Bible presented to Mary before her departure on missionary service (but to all appearances not taken on that voyage and never used) has similarly been preserved.
Deaconess Andrews frequently left scraps of annotated paper, bookmarks and old envelopes inserted to mark places in the volumes, and these have been left in their original position where possible and desirable. While some of the inserts include annotations of particular relevance to the passage they mark, in many cases it is clear that they were used as bookmarks only with no relevance to the wider context.
A small number of Bibles has been disposed of due to a lack of historical interest - easily-obtainable translations with no features particular to Mary Andrews other than an occasional bookmark. Chinese Bibles have not been included in this series, and neither have other religious texts (such as Prayer Books).

Correspondence, news clippings, photographs and 1 bound volume.

Posters collected by Mary Andrews throughout her life. Some relate to Deaconess House, and some are in Chinese.

Share and stock certificates, correspondence, bank deposit books, copies of will and tax returns.