Australian Indigenous Ministries aggregated collection of records and pictorial material, 1903-2003

fonds

1903-2003

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

1184477

Textual Records
Photographs

Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM), formerly called The Aborigines Inland Mission, began as an Evangelical movement in Singleton in August, 1905, founded by Retta Long (nee Dixon). Retta Dixon, a Baptist missionary, was associated with the Christian Endeavourer fellowship and New South Wales Aborigines Mission at La Perouse, Sydney. The AIM is currently known as the Australian Indigenous Ministries.
An Aboriginal Childrens Home was established by Retta Dixon in a large House in George Street, Singleton, known as Glasgow Place. This home and the mission at St Clair were the main initial ventures of the AIM.
Early in 1906 Retta Dixon married Leonard Long and together they ran the organisation of the AIM for the rest of their lives. In the early years they also took on the roles of superintendant and matron of the Singleton home.
AIM missionaries commenced their activities at St Clair and Redbournebury (near Singleton) and Karuah (Port Stephens). The first annual AIM convention and first publication of the journal Our AIM occurred in 1907. By this time the organisation had missionaries at Yass, Brungle, Warangesda, Moonacullah, Cummeragunja and Walcha. Aboriginal administration agencies in Queensland and Western Australia approved the placement of AIM missionaries. This led to the beginning of work at Bassendean (W.A.) in 1908, and at Heberton (Qld.) in 1911.
Aboriginal assistants to AIM missionaries were employed where possible, the first being Alec Russell at Karuah.
Over the next three decades the AIM extended work to almost every Aboriginal settlement in N.S.W., as well as to Gayndah, Cherbourg, Woorabinda, Palm Island, Normanton, Stradbroke Island, Ravenshoe and Cooktown in Queensland, Port Augusta and Tarcoola in South Australia, and Parap (near Darwin) in the Northern Territory.
(Source: Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, 1994)

COLLECTION 1
Australian Indigenous Ministries papers and pictorial material, 1903-1998
Presented by Australian Indigenous Ministries, December 2001

COLLECTION 2
Australian Indigenous Ministries further records, 1904-1930
Presented October 2002

COLLECTION 3
Australian Indigenous Ministries further records, ca. 1905-1990s
Presented in 2004

COLLECTION 4
Australian Indigenous Ministries further records, 1917-2003
Presented November 2010

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this collection includes images and names of people who have passed.