Page 11 - 1977 NAB CalendarMaritime Life in early Australia Part One

CHILDREN S MISSIONARY MEETING ON BOARD THE
“JOHN WILLIAMS” (VIC.)

APRIL
The Harwich-built barque, ‘John Williams’, 297 tons, 103 feet long, 24 feet drawing has been made upon the stone by Mr. William Strutt from a sketch taken
8 inches broad and 16 feet deep, was purchased by the London on the spot; and the printing has been executed by Messrs. De Gruchy and
Missionary Society, a group of Anglican and non-conformist clergymen Leigh.” The ‘John Williams’ was wrecked in May, 1861, at Danger Island, north
who got together to preach the gospel in foreign lands. east of Samoa, but all on board were saved.

The ship first visited Melbourne in December, 1856, in the course of her Railway Pier was built in 1854 as part of the operations of the Melbourne and
missionary voyages. It anchored at Railway Pier, Sandridge (i.e. Port Hobson’s Bay Railway Company whose railway line from Flinders Street Station
Melbourne) and more than 3,000 children gathered on it to hear an to Sandridge, the first line in Victoria, was opened on September 12, 1854. By
address by Rev. P. Banff, a missionary from Tahiti. The following note on October that year Railway Pier was in full working order. William Strutt was born
Strutt’s picture of this occasion appeared in “The Argus”, March 26, 1856: in 1825 at Teignmouth, Devon, and studied at the Ecole des beaux arts. He
“Children’s Missionary Meeting - It will be remembered that, prior to the arrived in Melbourne in 1850, was among the first artists at the Ballarat goldfields,
sailing of the missionary ship, John Williams, she was visited by upwards and was a foundation member of the Victorian Society of Fine Arts in 1856. He left
of three thousand children, attending the various Sunday and other Australia in 1862 and died in England in 1915.
schools in and around Melbourne. A permanent memorial of this
interesting incident has just been furnished to the public in the shape of a
lithographic engraving, representing the Rev. J. Banff, the missionary
from Tahiti, addressing the children who are assembled on the pier. The

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