Bush Brotherhood

Bush Brotherhood refers to a set of Anglican religious orders providing itinerant priests to minister to sparsely settled rural districts in Australia. They were described as a "band of men" who could "preach like Apostles" and "ride like cowboys".

The Bush Brotherhoods had largely declined by the 1960s due to lack of recruitment. One group, The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd, continues to operate in rural New South Wales.

History

The St Andrew's Bush Brotherhood was established in 1897 in Longreach, Queensland, by the Bishop of Stepney, Canon Body and the Bishop of Rockhampton, Nathaniel Dawes. The first group of brothers was led by the Reverend George Halford.

The Brotherhood of St Barnabas was established in 1902 in Herberton, Queensland by Aneirun Vaughan Williams and Joseph Braybarton. It was also known as the North Queensland Brotherhood. It ceased itinerant preaching in the 1960s and became devoted to school chaplaincy. It ceased operation with the death of its last member in 2025.

The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd was established about 1903 in Dubbo, New South Wales. The Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd published The Bush Brother magazine from 1904 to 1980.

The Bush Brotherhood of St Boniface operated in the Diocese of Bunbury in Western Australia from July 1911 to 1929.

In 1922, Bryan Robin published a book "The Sundowner" about his experiences in the Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas in North Queensland from 1914 to 1921. This book attracted other priests to join the brotherhood.

The Brotherhood of St John the Baptist was established in Murray Bridge, South Australia.

The Bush Brotherhood of St Paul operated in Charleville and Cunnamulla in Queensland.

In 1972 the three remaining brotherhoods, St Barnabas, the Good Shepherd and St Paul formed the Company of Brothers but was defunct by the 1980s due to lack of recruits.

Operation of the orders

There were a number of different orders of Bush Brothers, but all operated on a similar basis of an almost monastic life, committed to:

temporary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience
periodic returns from the bush to a community house for spiritual replenishment
obedience to a warden or principal (often a bishop)

Their duties included:

giving religious instruction in schools
holding services
administering sacraments

The Bush Brothers were either single (or left their wives behind during their period of service). Many were recruited from England where life in the Outback had a romantic appeal. Australian brothers were less frequently recruited.

Although the Bush Brothers originally rode horses, they drove vehicles in later years.

Notable members

William Barrett, Dean of Brisbane
Wilfrid Belcher, Bishop of North Queensland
Stephen Davies, Bishop of Carpentaria
William Elsey, Bishop of Kalgoorlie
John Feetham, Bishop of North Queensland
Godfrey Fryar, Bishop of Rockhampton
George Halford, Bishop of Rockhampton
Frederick Hulton-Sams, known as the "fighting parson" for his boxing skills, he died in 1915 in World War I. His friends wrote a book about his experiences as a bush brother.
John Hazlewood, Bishop of Ballarat
Barry Hunter, Bishop of Riverina
Hamish Jamieson, Bishop of Carpentaria and Bunbury
Ken Mason, Bishop of the Northern Territory, Chairman of the Australian Board of Missions
Lionel Renfrey, Dean of Adelaide, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Adelaide
Bryan Robin, Bishop of Adelaide
Guy Roxby, died from typhoid in 1913, the first Brother to die in service
Richard Thomas, Bishop of Willochra
Graham Howard Walden, Bishop of The Murray
Arnold Wylde, Bishop of Bathurst
Robin Warsop, Brother of the Brotherhood of St. Barnabas, "The last Bush Brother"

In popular culture

The narrator of Nevil Shute's novel In the Wet is a Bush Brother and provides a (fictional) account of the life of one of these itinerant priests.

References

1 2 3 "Ministry in rural and outback communities". Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
1 2 Frappell, R. M. (January 1996). "The Australian Bush Brotherhoods and their English Origins". The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. 47 (1): 82–97. doi:10.1017/S0022046900018650. ISSN 1469-7637.
1 2 Hansford, Hartley (April 2013). "The bush brotherhood experience". Anglican Historical Society Journal. 55: 16–27. doi:10.3316/informit.328203711756811.
↑ "The Church". The Australasian. Melbourne. 6 April 1901. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Work Without Pay". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 18 November 1901. p. 14. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Untitled". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 21 September 1897. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "Religious News And Views". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 11 January 1947. p. 12. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Brotherhood of St Barnabas (BSB)". Anglican Consecrated Life. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
1 2 "Bush Mission Work". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 September 1903. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd (Dubbo, N.S.W.) (1904), The Bush brother : a quarterly paper, Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd, archived from the original on 30 August 2022, retrieved 25 June 2018
↑ "COUNTRY". The West Australian. Perth. 13 July 1911. p. 8. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Brotherhood of St Boniface". Great Southern Herald. Katanning, WA. 11 September 1929. p. 6. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ Radford, Robin. Robin, Bryan Percival (1887–1969). Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
↑ "Rev. and Lieut. Frederick Hulton Sams, B.A." The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 14 August 1915. p. 6. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Frederick Hulton-Sams". The Western Champion. Barcaldine, Qld. 18 July 1925. p. 4. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
1 2 "St Peter's Anglican Church and Hall (entry 600022)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
↑ "FIGHTING PARSON KILLED". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW. 22 August 1915. p. 3. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY". Daily Standard. Brisbane. 21 August 1915. p. 12 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "THE LATE REV. F. HULTON SAMS". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, Qld. 15 April 1916. p. 19. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "The Late Rev. G. J. Roxby". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. Barcaldine, Qld. 19 April 1913. p. 11. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "NEWS OF THE CHURCHES". The Maitland Weekly Mercury. NSW. 5 July 1913. p. 5. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
↑ "Years of faith for this bush brother". The Daily Liberal. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
↑ Brown, Trudy (18 September 2019). "Brother Robin Warsop celebrates 70 years of service at All Souls St Gabriels School". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 21 February 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)