Marella Mission Farm

Instelling

Marella Mission Farm

• Sky Pilot Fellowship

1949-1986

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)

Kellyville, NSW

Langford-Smith, Keith (1907-1981)

031

Marella Mission Farm collection
The Samuel Marsden Archives was the custodian of the Marella Mission Farm collection from the time the farm closed until 2019. The collection was deemed to be outside the collecting scope of the Samuel Marsden Archives, and transferred to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). Please contact AIATSIS (https://aiatsis.gov.au/) for access information.