Alexander Petrie Campbell
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Alexander Petrie Campbell OBE
(4 June 1881 - 13 December 1963) was an Australian-born Congregational church
minister and chairman of the Congregational Union of Australia and New Zealand from 1937 until 1939.
, the second son of George Campbell, an English
-born Congregational minister. Before entering the ministry, George was a Moulder Journeyman, the occupation he gave at the time of his first marriage to Ann Hamilton. They were married in 1856, but she died without bearing any children in 1865. George went on to marry Mary Adam Petrie, Alexander's mother, in 1872. She was born in Paisley
, Scotland
. Both parents were 43 years of age at the time of Alex's birth. George and Mary were married for 30 years before Mary died in 1903. George died in 1915.
Alex's brother George was older by just one year. He later worked as a Chemist
, living in Petersham
, Sydney
with his wife.
(1891–1901) and the University of Sydney
from where he graduated as a Bachelor of Arts
in 1904. After studying theology at Camden College
, Glebe
, he was ordained in his father's church at Burwood
. Campbell married Margaret Elizabeth Beale, daughter of piano manufacturer Octavius Beale
, in 1909.
and was survived by his wife, daughter and three sons.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(4 June 1881 - 13 December 1963) was an Australian-born Congregational church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
minister and chairman of the Congregational Union of Australia and New Zealand from 1937 until 1939.
Immediate family
Alex Campbell was born at Redfern, New South WalesRedfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, the second son of George Campbell, an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Congregational minister. Before entering the ministry, George was a Moulder Journeyman, the occupation he gave at the time of his first marriage to Ann Hamilton. They were married in 1856, but she died without bearing any children in 1865. George went on to marry Mary Adam Petrie, Alexander's mother, in 1872. She was born in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Both parents were 43 years of age at the time of Alex's birth. George and Mary were married for 30 years before Mary died in 1903. George died in 1915.
Alex's brother George was older by just one year. He later worked as a Chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, living in Petersham
Petersham, New South Wales
Petersham is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Petersham is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with his wife.
Early life
He was educated at Newington CollegeNewington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1891–1901) and the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
from where he graduated as a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1904. After studying theology at Camden College
Camden College (Congregational Church school)
Camden College was an independent, Congregational Union of Australia, day and boarding school for boys and theological college for the training of Christian ministers in Sydney from 1864 until 1974. -History:...
, Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
, he was ordained in his father's church at Burwood
Burwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
. Campbell married Margaret Elizabeth Beale, daughter of piano manufacturer Octavius Beale
Octavius Beale
Octavius Beale , was a piano manufacturer and a philanthropist.Beale formed a company to import sewing machines and pianos in 1879, after which he established Australia's first piano factory in , 1893...
, in 1909.
Ministry
- Minister, Hunters HillHunters Hill, New South WalesHunters Hill is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill.Hunters Hill is situated on a...
Congregational Church, 1905 to 1911 - Minister, KillaraKillara, New South WalesKillara is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Killara is located north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. East Killara is a separate suburb and West Killara is a locality within Killara.-...
Congregational Church, 1911 to 1938 - Chairman, Congregational Union of New South Wales, 1919
- Secretary, Camden College, 1920 to 1921
- President, Camden College, 1937 to 1955
- Minister, Burwood Congregational Church, 1938 to 1944
- Moderator, Congregational Union of New South Wales, 1944 to 1951
- President, Sydney City MissionMission AustraliaMission Australia is a provider of family and community services throughout Australia. The organisation has at least 3200 staff, 1,000 volunteers and 300 services in every state and territory of Australia, and is one of the largest community organisations in the nation. It is currently headed by...
, 1946 to 1963
Later life
Campbell's deep concern for social justice led him to serve the community at large. In 1929 he was elected president of the Rotary Club of Sydney and he became vice-president of the New South Wales Society for Crippled Children which had been established during his presidency of Rotary. With a pleasant voice, Campbell was a regular speaker on radio and he was an early proponent of Australian intercommunion. Congregationalists in New South Wales "revered him as an inspiring preacher, a wise administrator and a beloved pastor". He died at WahroongaWahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
and was survived by his wife, daughter and three sons.
Honours
- Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, 1962
- Mission AustraliaMission AustraliaMission Australia is a provider of family and community services throughout Australia. The organisation has at least 3200 staff, 1,000 volunteers and 300 services in every state and territory of Australia, and is one of the largest community organisations in the nation. It is currently headed by...
's Campbell House Surry Hills, New South WalesSurry Hills, New South WalesSurry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is located immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, named in his honour, 1973
Publications
- Edited the New South Wales Congregationalist
- Wrote The Great Hill-Climb (1930) and A Word for the Road (1953)
External links
- Geoffrey Barnes, 'http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130393b.htm, Campbell, Alexander Petrie (1881–1963)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 13, MUP, 1993, pp 352–353. - It's an Honour website http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1107575&search_type=quick&showInd=true