Today is Australia Day– an annual celebration, held every January 26th, of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, marking the colonisation of Australia by Great Britain.
Having just read the book The First Fleet by David Hill, it is amazing that our nation, as it is today, even got started. England was sending convicts from its overflowing prisons to America when America's sudden independence (on July 4th, 1776) closed that door. Other locations were discussed, with Botany Bay being a last resort. The long trip out from England was marked by frequent crises and challenges, let alone the first few years of trying to establish a colony in such tough conditions. Although intending to make peaceful relations with the local Aborigines, the arrival of the First Fleet no doubt became detrimental to these first Australians.
Reverend Richard Johnson was the chaplain of the First Fleet and he held the first church service on Australian soil on Sunday 3rd February, 1788. His sermon was based on Psalm 116:12 – "What shall I render unto the Lord for all that he has done for me?" To learn more about Australia's Christian heritage, click here.
Our nation may seem small and insignificant to many but I believe that God has a purpose for it. As Australians, let's celebrate our nation today – it's heritage, it's diversity, and it's future.
Hi Mark,
Long time since Bible College and playing basketball together. Keep up the good work mate.
I was wanting to contact your dad and thank him for his invaluable input into my life. Could you drop his email to me and I’ll tell him. From and greatful heart.
Larry Nelson
Great post I’ve learned a bit of history, Australia must be a nice place to visit.
Interesting read Mark, thanks.
Hope that you had a lovely Australia Day weekend celebrating our great nation.
Hi Mark & Nicole,
Great to hear you all enjoyed your holidays and are safely back.
Sorry I missed seeing you at City Life today 🙂
Glad to know that Kevin is home and doing well.
I love Australia, this land of “milk & honey” that the Lord assured me when I yearned to return “home” in the midst of winter, after emigrating to Melbourne in 1988 with just the bags my husband & I could lug with our one-year old daughter in tow.
CityLife (then Waverley Christian Fellowship) was one of the first churches we visited but the Lord called us to serve in another church for 16 years. We are now in CityLife, which has grown to be a church that is reflective of what Australia has become – truly multicultural.
Kudos to the leadership for not only embracing people of all nationalities as part of the congregation but also within its staff and leadership structure.
Some guy called Raynor Gunton from the Potters House is copying a lot of your posts..
http://raynorgunton.blogspot.com/2009/01/australia-day-2009.html
No, I hadn’t seen that. Thanks for making me aware ANON