First build the water tower and the Chief Engineer's residence. |
St. Mark's is a member of the world-wide Anglican/Episcopal
Communion. We were one of about 60 parishes in the Anglican Diocese
of Bendigo, under the leadership of Bishop David Bowden. On 1 Jan 1998 we were incorporated into the Anglican Parish of Northern Mallee and the first Rector was Archdeacon Russell Smith. In 2001 Archdeacon Colin Tett was appointed the second Rector of the very large parish.
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First church, built in a day.
This building was later added to the rear of the church hall, to create a comfortable complex, used during the 10 years the second church was under construction.
| The Red Cliffs settlement was officially declared open on 25 November 1921. Revd Norman Smith Fettell, the first Vicar of this parish, officially arrived in Red Cliffs on May 9th, 1922, when St Mark's Red Cliffs parish was incorporated with the formal Constitution of the Parochial District of Red Cliffs, and on 14 May he held the first service, with a congregation of 40. Plans were made for a Church, and Ballarat Diocese donated all the material. On Saturday 15 July, at 8am, the work commenced, and by dark that night the building was sufficiently advanced for Evensong to be held the following day.
Dr Maxwell Gumbleton, Bishop of Ballarat, performed the first Confirmation on 3 June 1923. The Rectory was built at a cost of $2000 (I am unsure if the sign means the figure has been converted into Dollars, or Pounds is intended)
In 1924 Revd Fettell obtained a T Model Ford and extended his services to Lake Cullulleraine, Werrimull and Merrinee.
The Wardens and Vestry men, Ladies Guild and Mission Auxiliary go back to 1922 and Fellowships or Committees have formed - Ball, Fete, Parish Paper, Sunday School and Youth Groups for example, which have provided Leadership opportunities for many people who quickly learn the skills their elected positions required.
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Revd Horace Hall and his wife Amy, taken about 1980
| In 1930 the women's organisation known as the League of Women Helpers became the Ladies Guild while continuing its fund raising functions.
In 1938 St Mark's hall was built, and in 1944 the Parochial District became a parish.
In 1945 Revd Horace Hall arrived with his wife and young daughter Shirley, and six years later he swapped parishes with Canon Cracknell, who thought he would like a few years in the hot climate experienced in Red Cliffs.
In 1951 Canon Cracknall, a Policeman before he became a Priest, consolidated plans for a new church. The wooden Church was moved and joined to the rear of the hall, and this building served for worship for over 10 years whilst the new church was being built. The Rectory was moved some 30 feet to the north, and improved by alterations and additions.
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| Ten years of cooperation.
The Foundation Stone was laid by Bishop of St Arnaud A E Winter in Dec 1952.
The church plan is English traditional, with a West end of Bell Tower and Porches, a Nave with Cloisters, and East end of Chancel, Sanctuary, Vestries and Ambulatories, designed by Mr Louis A Williams, a leading Melbourne architect. Voluntary assistance by every available local tradesman and parishioner, each giving every possible hour they could spare, resulted in a finished building with an overdraft of $12,000.
The State Rivers and Water Supply Commission lent their big concrete mixer so the foundations could be poured in one operation. The Mildura Shire lent their "Condeco" machine, which was used to make the concrete bricks used for the walls and pillars. Local transport operators assisted by transporting free of cost many loads of cement, steel, timber, and tiles for the roof and floor, from Melbourne and Adelaide.
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The memorial on the Lectern reads "In memory of Lieut Francis Tickle, obit 17 June 1944. Presented by his wife Dora 25 Dec 1954, and also of their son Noel Francis Tickle obit 23 Sept 1931 aged 4 years 5 months."
Francis William Tickle born at Launceston, England, is the son of Elizabeth Coombes and Francis Robert Tickle 1887 - 1944 aged 57. Dora born in Colac, Victoria, is the daughter of Elizabeth Sparkes and Thomas C Yates 1896 - 1976 aged 80.
Frank Tickle was a carpenter when he enlisted at Mildura and was placed in the 8th Battalion. He took part in the landing at Gallipoli and was wounded. He rejoined his unit in France, was promoted to commissioned rank, and heroic work saving the lives of his beseiged group earned him a visit to Buckinghham Palace where he was honoured with the Military Medal on behalf of his Unit. The Red Cliffs RSL museum now preserves his medals and papers.
Frank came to Red Cliffs as an Original Settler on Block 129, where he established himself as a member of the church, and the community.
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Bishop Winter at St Mark's Dedication on 8 Feb 1962. He also attended the Consecration service on 13 Sept 1969.
| Dr Maxwell Gumbleton, Bishop of Ballarat, oversaw the formation of the St Arnaud Diocese from Ballarat Diocese in 1926. Bishop Melville Charles James 1926 - 1950 was our first Bishop, followed by 21 years with Bishop Allen Winter. He retired on 31 Aug 1973 (the last day of Winter in two senses). His successor was David Hubert Warner Shand, who had the task of overseeing the amalgamation of St Arnaud into Bendigo.
The third ordinary session of the 16th Synod of the diocese 1976, had as its main task passing legislation enabling the St Arnaud Diocesan territory to be surrendered to the Diocese of Bendigo. It remained for the Bendigo Diocese to formally accept this surrender of territory at their Synod 1977, the Diocese of Ballarat to formally agree to it, and then the General Synod of the C of E in Australia to accept it at the sitting in May 1977, for the amalgamation to be completed.
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 | We gain a monthly Newsletter.
The inspiration to have a Newsletter began at the Annual Meeting 1967, and came into print in August 1967 with No 1. In Dec 1971 the word changed from Number to Volume, and Volume 49, for February 1972, showed a change of name, from the Parish Newsletter to The Lion's Roar. The last issue in the folded A4 size was November 1978.
In Aug 1977, while noting ten years of a continuous Parish Paper, Revd Clayden comments "The first attempt at a Parish Paper for St Marks was actually issued Oct 1956 under Father Garth Cracknall, with 12 pages edited by Harry Cramp."
This photo, taken by Lorraine Bowman on 12 Sept 1999, shows the Centre Aisle and looking towards the East End.
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This photo, taken by Lorraine Bowman on 12 Sept 1999, shows the reception area, and looking east. |
We cope with a time of great change.
The Modern Liturgy was authorised by the 1969 General Synod of the Church in Australia. The 1662 service is to be replaced - after 305 years of use.
Synod also passed the motion proposed by Revd Gorrie that the Bishop give permission to specified laymen to administer the chalice at Holy Communion at the discretion of the Clerk-in-Charge.
The Quarterly Meeting of Parishioners on March 1st, 1970, overwhelmingly agreed to implement the New Australian Liturgy 1969, as suggested by General Synod and commended by our Bishop for use within the Diocese, for a period of six months. It was also decided to use a modern translation of the Bible for the Lessons.
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| Bishop Shand's visit in 1974. | Three Wardens Wands were carried for the first time in honour of Bishop David Shand's first official visit, Sunday 28th April 1974. They are the gift of Mrs Elsie Forrest and her family in memory of her father, Mr Walter John Rudd and were dedicated at the Family Service on 5 May, at 9 am.
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This photo, taken by Lorraine Bowman on 11 Sept 1999, shows the Fettell Room, set up for the 30th Anniversary dinner. |
We become part of Bendigo Diocese.
On Sunday 13 Feb 1977 at 7.30pm at Christ Church, Old Cathedral, St Arnaud, the clergy and laity of the former Diocese of St Arnaud officially recognised the Bishop of Bendigo as our Bishop, and he formally accepted pastoral responsibility to his people on the western side of the Loddon River.
This brought a major change - the Diocesan and Parish financial year ended on May 31st, so the parish organisations held annual meetings before the Parish Annual Meeting in June or July. Once we were part of Bendigo, the Diocesan and Parish financial year now ends on Dec 31st, so the parish organisations hold annual meetings before the Parish Annual Meeting early the next calendar year.
Vestry decided to name the main room of the Parish hall the 'Fettell Room', in memory of our Founder Priest.
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| Hail damaged our windows on 4 Oct 1977
Our beautiful glass windows were designed by Canon Cracknall, executed by Mr D Taylor Kellock of Ballarat and installed for the Decication Feb 8 1962.
On 4th October 1977 a tornado visited Red Cliffs, and hail wiped out the district west to east in a band about 6 kilometres wide, centred on the Red Cliffs area and happening just before school was dismissed. All growers had their vines stripped, and many houses lost at least part of their roof. St Marks suffered hail damage to the stained glass windows and exteriors of all our buildings, and also water damage inside the buildings. The total of necessary repairs was assessed in Feb 1978 at $9798.80. Hail Screens will need to be erected over all of the windows.
In April 1978 we gave thanks to the Diocese for funding the materials, Geof Bird for making and Pat Noonan for painting the protective screens now appearing over St Mark's windows. Without these, the insurance company would pay no further claims for the stained windows.
In July 1978 the Vestry reported that all restoration work for the hail damage to the church has been completed, and in October 1978 they reported they had purchased a new CONN organ, Model No 632, at a cost to us of $4600 and valued at $5600. It is a memorial to Edgar and Mattie Carter.
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| In 1985 Revd Ronald Wood came to Red Cliffs, with the task of helping the parishioners cope with the severe rural recession that had hit the Sultana industry.
He introduced the Easter celebration of Seder on Thursday before Good Friday, and also led his parishioners to more deeply explore their relationship with Christ, including the healing ministry called Toronto Blessings.
During his time at Red Cliffs, Ron was also involved in Industrial Chaplaincy with ITIM for 8 years, was an Army Chaplain for 12 years, Chaplain to Mildura R.S.L., NSW Rural Fire Service, and Vietnam Vets in Mildura.
Revd Ron ended his time as Parish Priest of St Mark's by leading his people in the discussions that surrounded the formation of the parish of Northern Mallee.
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| St. Mark's becomes a part of the new Northern Mallee Parish on 1 Jan 1998. |
Bishop David Bowden is reviving the Diocese of Bendigo, in part by amalgamating small parishes into more viable structures. St Mark's Red Cliffs is now administered in a new style of organisation, to be called the Parish of Northern Mallee. One effect is to give us a variety of Service Leaders - a bit of a shock after having only two Clergy in the last 20 years. Archdeacon Russell Smith now has a staff of two full time and two honorary clergy having turns to take services at St Marks and the other five worship centres in the new Parish.
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Photo taken after planting the commemorative Eucalyptus tree on 12 September 1999, when St Mark's celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Consecration of our new church.
From left to right Canon Ron Wood, Venerable Clive Beatty, Rev David Claydon and Archdeacon Russell Smith | 
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1. Revd Norman Fettell
The cycling Padre making his calls on the Blockies
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Revd Norman Smith Fettell, the first Vicar of this parish, died in his 83rd year on Friday, 6th September 1967. He arrived in Red Cliffs on May 9th, 1922, and so the Parish of Red Cliffs came into being, a mere six months after the first soldier settlers arrived. The first church, now part of the Parish Hall, was erected on 15 July 1922. Fr Fettell, like many of the settlers, lived in a tent until a house was built the following year, and he conducted services in the most unlikely places (such as a billiard saloon and a dry dam). The Padre travelled among his people usually on foot or by bicycle as he negotiated the sandy tracks and unmade, often boggy roads (the irrigation channels were newly dug, and not lined).
In 1973 the Vestry decided to put up a plaque naming the Fettell Room, and received a letter of thanks from his widow Elsbeth Fettell who was living at Pt Lonsdale.
The Revd Leslie Cula, assistant Priest of Red Cliffs, took services at St John's Merbein during the interregnum, 5 July to 23 August, 1925. He also admitted seven full members and one associate to the Merbein CEMS on Sunday 29 Nov 1925, when there were 66 present at the service.
The Revd Fettell left for Ballarat on 4 Oct 1925 and his assistant Revd Cula left soon after. Revd Cula became a Padre in World War II and died on active service in New Guinea.
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2. The Reverend Tone-Holmes | Revd Tone-Holmes ministered at St Mark's in 1925-7.
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3. 1927 - 1929 The Reverend John Stafford Farrer |
The Reverend John Stafford Farrer ministered during 1927-30 - a time of serious financial depression and hardship.
Revd Farrer later served in the parishes of Maryborough and Swan Hill within this diocese. He died on 23rd March 1971, and a Requiem Eucharist was held at St Mark's at 10 am on Weds 5 May 1971
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4. Revd Walter Walter | Revd Walters ministered at St Marks from 1930 to 1933. He took services at St John's Merbein during 1931.
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5. 1933 - 1941 Revd Ronald Thompson Millar | Revd R T Millar had the Parish Hall built and dedicated by Bishop James on 19 April 1938. After hearing that the Vestry put up a commemorative plaque, Mrs M Grace Millar wrote on 6 Oct 1973 from Burwood.
"Thank you for sending me regularly a copy of your Parish Paper. I was of course interested in the note about the "Millar Room" and appreciate the gesture of the Vestry. You may perhaps have heard of the recent death on August 6th of my son Frank, aged 42 who died of cancer of the mouth. He had been on the staff of the Timboon Consolidated School for 10 years. A few days after his death the school collected $600 for the Anti Cancer Fund.
"My best wishes to all at the Vicarage and to any old friends who still remember the Millars.
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6. 1941 - 1945 Revd Albert Louis Donald Rivett | Revd Rivett was Vicar of St Mark's before going to St Arnaud. He took a Holy Communion service in Nov 1940 at St John's, Merbein
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7. 1945 - 1951 Revd Horace Alphonso Hall
Name and signature written on a Certificate of Marriage dated 8th October 1966.
| Revd Horace Hall arrived in February 1945 and led us from the fears of a world war to the prosperity of 1950s. He took religious education classes in our schools, and his students still remember those lessons.
Horace came to Australia in 1926 under the Big Brother movement, and after working at Rochester and Milloo he offered to the then Bishop of Bendigo, the Rt Revd Donald Baker. This led to Horace becoming a stipendiary Lay Reader for seven years, and he preached his first sermon at Hepburn in 1929. He became a distance student at Ridley College, attending lectures for a session then continuing by correspondence, till his ThL was completed.
Horace was deaconed in the Diocese of St Arnaud in 1936, and ordained priest there in 1939. His service with St Arnaud Diocese includes our six years at Red Cliffs, then from 1953 - 56 he was a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, St Arnaud. He served in three dioceses, Bendigo, St Arnaud and Melbourne before retiring in 1975, and becoming part of the Service Relief Team until quite recently.
On Weds 24 Feb 1999, Bishop David of Bendigo visited the parish of Eaglehawk, to take part in their celebration with Horace of his ordination to the Priesthood on St Matthias' Day, 1939, and 60 years of preaching the gospel.
Sadly, Horace's wife Amy died in 1996.
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8. 1951 - 1966 Canon Garth Younghusband Cracknall
| Canon Garth Younghusband Cracknall was the special Preacher for the 9 am Jubilee Eucharist on Sunday 7th May 1972. He is fondly remembered for going around and collecting the young people and training them for confirmation, and also for leading the work parties in building our church. He would not allow a soloist to sing during marriage services, so Yvonne Janson was instead married at St Margaret's Mildura. (How the service has changed in two generations).
This photograph was taken on the 18 Oct 1998, when Canon Cracknall was the Special Preacher at St Luke's Irymple, for St Luke's Patronal Service.
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9. 1965 - 1969 Revd Reginald James Gorrie | Revd Reg Gorrie proposed on behalf of the Rural Deanery of Mildura, that the Bishop give permission to specified laymen to administer the chalice at Holy Communion at the discretion of the Clerk-in-Charge, and so began our Lay service within the Eucharist. The Parish Newsletters began with one issued by Revd Reginald Gorrie in August 1967.
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10. 1969 - 1974 Revd Clive Ernest K Beatty. | The typewriter was joined by the Gestetnar and its waxed master pages so that producing a monthly newsletter and a weekly pew note became practical. Many remember turning the handle to produce each page. Mrs Fettell, widow of our Founder-Priest, the Reverend and later Canon N S Fettell, also Canon Cracknall and his son Jim, attended the Golden Jubilee services on 9th May 1972. All enjoyed the contributions by our Youth Fellowship who presented a cheque for $80 to pay for new Communion rails, and at the evening service, music by the Vibrants, trained by Lloyd Gale and Marion Tyrrell.
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11. 1974 - 1984 Revd David Baldwin Claydon | Revd David Claydon lost his holiday home at Airey's Inlet in the Ash Wednesday 1983 bushfires (The summer was very dry, and prayers were made for rain - we did not foresee that the rain would be preceded by very severe fires).
David is remembered for the many teenage musicians he encouraged, the choir that led our singing, and the band he formed to assist Les Zimmer with the music. He also nurtured and supported St Mark's missionary - Mary (now Mrs Hollingworth), who gave three years serving in Saipan for Youth With A Mission.
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12. 1985 - 1997 Revd Ronald Henry Wood | The Lord brought Ron and Jan from a successful, thriving ministry at All Saints Old Cathedral, Bendigo to Red Cliffs where they spent 12 years in ministry.
During his time at Red Cliffs, Ron was also involved in Industrial Chaplaincy with ITIM for 8 years. He was also an Army Chaplain for 12 years.
He then became Priest Associate in Northern Mallee Parish, and Rural Dean of this North West Area of the Diocese of Bendigo and a Canon of St Paul's Carthedral, Bendigo in April 1998. He retired in October, 2000.
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The Lion of St. Mark :
The Winged Lion is the traditional symbol of
St. Mark the Evangelist.
St Mark is remembered
on 25 April.
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The book of Acts mentions a Mark, or John Mark, a kinsman of Barnabas. The house of his mother Mary was a meeting place for Christians in Jerusalem. When Paul and Barnabas, who had been in Antioch, came to Jerusalem,
they brought Mark back to Antioch with them, and he accompanied them on their first missionary journey, but left them prematurely and returned to Jerusalem.
When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out on a second missionary journey, Barnabas proposed to take Mark, but Paul thought him unreliable, so that eventually Barnabas made one journey taking Mark, and Paul another journey taking Silas. Mark is not mentioned again in Acts. However, it appears that he became more reliable, for Paul mentions him as a trusted assistant in Colossians 4:10 and again in 2 Timothy
4:11.
The Apostle Peter had a co-worker whom he refers to as "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, an early second century writer, in describing the origins of the Gospels, tells us that Mark was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote down ("but not in order") the stories that he had heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and teachings of Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark, in describing the arrest of Jesus (14:51f), speaks of a young man who followed the arresting party, wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his body, whom the arresting party tried to seize, but who left the cloth in their hands and fled naked. It is speculated that this young man was the writer himself, since the detail is hardly worth mentioning if he were not.
Tradition has it that after the death of Peter, Mark left Rome and went to preach in Alexandria, Egypt, where he was eventually martyred.
It is natural to identify the John Mark of Acts with the Gospel-writer and interpreter of Peter, and this identification is standard in liturgical references to Mark. However, "Mark" is the commonest of Latin first names, and they may well have been separate persons.
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PRAYER (contemporary language)
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Almighty God, who by the hand of Mark the evangelist have given To your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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| The coat of Arms of the Anglican Church of Australia: The four stars represent the four original dioceses of the Australian Anglican Church.
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Tone,
