Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1946-1994 (Creation)
Level of description
Series
Extent and medium
Loose papers
Context area
Name of creator
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.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This series consists of press clippings - from newspapers, magazines, and other publications - that either refer to Mary Andrews by name or feature her photograph, but which were not authored in their entirety by Mary herself. Early clippings relate primarily to Deaconess Andrews' missionary work, including articles pertaining to her role in the survival of American airmen shot down over China in World War 2. During the period in which she was headmistress of Deaconess House, the clippings naturally relate mainly to the role in and expansion of that institution, though there begins to be a small number of articles in which she is asked to comment on the role of women in the Anglican Church. These increase in number following her retirement; along with articles relating to her travel reports, obituary comments on Anglican and other figures she knew personally, and reports of her speaking engagements. Receiving the Order of Australia in 1980 was a particularly proud occasion for Mary Andrews, and she preserved a range of press reports of the event. She kept a similar collection of congratulations (mainly from Christian organisations and the retirement home she lived and ministered in) following her inclusion of the International Biographical Centre's "Women of the Year" publication.
The majority of papers in this series were collected by Mary Andrews herself, but a small number show signs of having being forwarded to her by friends. In most cases the articles have been cut out with scissors, and an attempt has been made to preserve the header to show which publication they originated in. In some instances - but not all - this has also resulted in the preservation of evidence of the original date of publication. Some articles were previously attached to a paper backing with mounting putty [Blu-tack]. This has been removed in most cases - where removal was possible without damaging the article - and the dried putty remnants disposed of along with the backing-paper.
A large number of duplicates in this series have been disposed of. Priority has been given to copies in better states of preservation or which retain additional contextual information.
No obituaries of Deaconess Andrews are kept in this series, as it consists only of papers collected by Mary herself.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Chronological
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open access