The Salvation Army, Australia Territory (nicknamed "Salvos" in Australian English) is an evangelical Protestant Christian church known for its charity work. It began operating in Australia in the late 19th century. There are currently 335 thrift stores and donation bins across Australia.
History
The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia was held in 1880. Edward Saunders and John Gore led the meeting from the back of a greengrocer's cart in Adelaide Botanic Park with an offer of food for those who had not eaten. In 1883, Major James Barker led the way to establish the first Salvation Army social institution anywhere in the world on a permanent basis, known as the "Prison Gate" program. Barker saw that prisoners being released from the Melbourne Gaol had nowhere to go and no work, so they inevitably re-offended and returned to gaol. Barker leased a small house in Lygon Street, Carlton, to provide accommodation for prisoners discharged from Melbourne's gaols. This led to the formation of the Prison-Gate Brigade, the members of which met discharged prisoners upon their release and offered them a home and the prospect of a job. The Salvos also involved themselves in finding work for the unemployed and in re-uniting families.
Nineteenth century
In Melbourne from 1897 to 1910, the Army's Limelight Department originally established in 1891, was Australia's first film production company. The Army set up 'Biorama' companies with electric generators and projection equipment to travel around Australia, showing films produced by the Limelight Department along with other entertainments.
The Salvation Army grew quickly within Australia, but it was a growth fraught with difficulty. In its early days The Salvation Army often met with suspicion, derision and violence. Salvationists simply walking down the streets would often suffer abuse and sustain injury from thrown objects. Several local councils even passed by-laws forbidding Salvation Army street processions, and the police were liable to arrest them. From 1881 to 1907, across the country, more than 100 Salvationists were fined or jailed for holding street-meetings and marches.
Despite persecution and prosecution the number of Salvation Army Corps grew at an amazing rate, so much so that by 1900 there were over 1,300 Corps and outposts across Australia and New Zealand, and The Salvation Army in Australasia could boast the following statistics: Officers & Cadets & Employees: 1929 Soldiers (Members) estimated at 50,000 Corps (Churches): 512 Outposts: 858 Training Homes: 2 Women's Industrial Homes: 4 Rescue Homes: 16 Maternity Homes: 7 Slum Posts & Women's Shelters: 5 Prison-Gate Brigade Homes: 7 Men's Shelters & Labour Yards: 6 Men's Industrial Homes & Farms: 7 League of Mercy: 4 Military Home: 1
Twentieth century
In February 1917 it was announced eight Australians and four New Zealanders constituting the Pioneer Missionary Contingent would leave for China. The first Salvation Army corps was established in then-Pekin. Contingent members found a bleak winter, high walls, crowds, and many challenges. Members wore clothing collars that bore the Chinese characters '救 世 軍' for 'Save World Army'. The contingent continued into the 1930s.
Salvation Army captain Zara Dare (1886–1965) became one of the first two female police officers in Queensland in 1931.
Australia's George Carpenter was General of the Salvation Army (worldwide leader) from 1939 to 1946 and Eva Burrows during the 1980s and 1990s.
It is thought that the name of the popular biscuit by Arnotts, SAO, stands for ‘Salvation Army Officer’.
Twenty-first century
Australia One
On Friday 30 November 2018, General Brian Peddle announced that the two territories of Australia (The Salvation Army, Australian Eastern Territory and The Salvation Army, Australia Southern Territory) were again one territory, to be known as the Australia Territory. This project was known as Australia One.
Statistics
The Salvation Army Year Book 2015 outlines the official statistics for the two Australian territories as of 1 January 2014. In The Salvation Army, Australian Eastern Territory:
Officers: Officers 949 (523 active, 417 retired) Cadets: 15 (1st year), 19 (2nd year) Employees: 4,717 Soldiers (Members) 8,151 Adherents: 2,805 Junior Soldiers: 587 Corps (Churches): 161 Outposts/Plants/Missions: 13 Social Centres: 320 Community Welfare Centres: 149 Thrift Stores / Charity Shops: 229
In The Salvation Army, Australia Southern Territory: