Ellen G. White: The Australian Years: 1891-1900 (vol. 4)

Meetings in Hobart and Bismark

On Sabbath afternoon Mrs. White spoke to the little church group in Hobart, then to a large gathering in the temperance hall Sunday night. On Sabbath morning, April 20, the workers from New Zealand arrived by ship, among them W. C. White. It had been three months since he had parted with his fiancee and his mother at Granville in New South Wales, and this was a happy reunion. As the convention would not open until the next weekend, meetings were planned for the little country Adventist church built at Bismark [During world war I the community changed its name to the less-provoking collinsvale.] in 1889 ten or twelve miles up in the mountains in fruit-raising country. 4BIO 191.2

Ellen White outlined a sketchy word picture of the area in her diary: 4BIO 191.3

I came eight miles from Brother Lacey's home to this place, right in “the bush,” as it is called here. In America we call it the forest. This place is right up in the mountains. In appearance it is very much like Colorado, with its hills and mountains and valleys, and there are houses and small farms of cultivated lands right in the forests. The heavy timbers have been cut away and the underbrush cleared out and orchards have been planted.—Manuscript 54, 1895.

She wrote of how Willie and May and Brother Lacey walked a large part of the way, for it was up quite a steep grade, while she rode with the luggage in the two-wheeled cart or trap furnished by the brethren in Bismark for the transportation of the workers through the week. A nearby cottage had been rented, and this became the headquarters for the visiting workers. Each took his turn in speaking at meetings—Corliss, Colcord, and Ellen White. She spoke Tuesday evening, Wednesday afternoon, and again Thursday evening. She noted in her diary that “the church was only a few steps from the house, so I could return home easily. The weather was beautiful—cool and sunshiny—and the air was fragrant with the blue-gum trees.” The highlight of the time in Bismark was the Thursday visit through the country. It was market day for the Adventist farmers, so there was no afternoon meeting. In her diary account she wrote down what she found: 4BIO 192.1

Thursday we were promised a horse and cart, and rode over the hills to call on some of our people. We found then that it was some miles they had to walk—fathers and mothers and children—to the meetings. Most preferred to walk rather than to drive their horses up and down the steep hills.... 4BIO 192.2

In the evening I could better appreciate the congregation who had sufficient interest to come out through the woods so long a distance to meeting. When I saw the bright-faced children and youth interestedly listening to the truth, my heart was full of gratitude to God. Those parents bringing their children the long distance to attend evening meetings evidenced their interest and their love for the truth.—Manuscript 55, 1895. 4BIO 192.3