Warangesda Mission and Station, just outside Darlington Point in the Riverina District, is a place of immense significance to the area’s Aboriginal population. The word Warangesda is a combination of two words “ warang’” which is Wiradjuri word for “camp” and “esda” which is Hebrew for “ mercy”. The site is of particular significance as it’s the only mission left in NSW that still has a suite of original buildings still intact. The Heritage area includes the mission block and the cemetery attached to the block. But perhaps most importantly for the local Aboriginal population, Warangesda is the last known location of an inter-group ‘Burbung’ or initiation ceremony on Wiradjuri country.      Established in 1880, the mission was originally called the ‘Camp of Mercy’ by its founder, the Reverend John Brown Gribble. It was first established on a lot of 600 acres provided by the Government, and produced amongst other things, an annual crop of wheat. At its peak, Warangesda was home to as many as 200 Aboriginal residents. In 1924, it was closed down, and it’s perhaps at this point, the mission left its greatest legacy. Residents forced off Warangesda went on to establish well known Aboriginal communities still thriving today. Residents went on to develop communities at Narrandera, Sandhills and Hill 60. They also established townships in Leeton such as Wattle Hill, and also the Three Ways Reserve in Griffith and Erambie Reserve out at Cowra. Warangesda is also known in Aboriginal activist circles for its landmark general strike in 1883, only three years after its establishment.  From those seeds of discontent, we’ve seen some remarkable Aboriginal Australians blossom. These include Aboriginal trade unionist and politician, the late William Ferguson, one of the pioneers of the land rights movement in NSW, and founding member of the Aboriginal Progressive Association or APC.  Revered artist Roy Kennedy was born on the ‘Police Paddock’ mission, set up after Warangesda was disbanded in 1924. Musician Jimmy Little also hails from Police Paddock. Warangesda is significant too for its legacy to Aboriginal Affairs, bringing us some of the most well-known family names in the south east, including the Bamblett, Howell, Atkinson, Kirby, Murray, Charles, Little and Perry families.

CELEBRATIONS

The Waddi Housing Corporation and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) encouraged all in the Griffith area to come along on Saturday July 10th, and celebrate this rich vein of the state’s Aboriginal history. Proceedings started with a church service at the Darlington Point Anglican Church at 10:00am, followed by the official Heritage Listing ceremony afterwards at Darlington Point Club. A BBQ lunch was also provided.

A bus was made available to drive visiotrs out to Warangesda.

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Ordination at Leeton

Thursday 24^th June 2010-06-25

The service was held in the evening at 6.30pm. The church was full with friends, family, and parishioners, local and from around the Diocese, coming to offer their support and encouragement to both Glenn and Joe.

The music was enhanced by the contributions of two choirs, and the professional accompaniment of

 Mrs Francis Tsoukalidis on the organ.  Mrs Tsoukalidis also composed and wrote the lyrics for a special anthem that was sung after the vesting of the ordinands.

The service was followed by the traditional blessing by the newly ordained priests of family and friends.

A light supper was served in the parish hall along with a splendid cake to celebrate the event.

Our congratulations go to Glenn and Joe on this auspicious occasion.

 

• 4^th  Jean-Baptiste Vianney, Curé d'Ars, Spiritual Guide, 1859
• 5^th  Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642
• 6^th  The Transfiguration of Our Lord
• 7^th  John Mason Neale, Priest, Hymn Writer, 1866
• 8^th  Dominic, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers, 1221
• 9^th  Mary Sumner, Founder of the Mothers' Union, 1921
• 10^th  Laurence, Deacon at Rome, Martyr, 258
• 11^th  Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253
• 11^th  John Henry Newman, Priest, Tractarian, 1890
• 13^th  Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor, Teacher of the Faith, 1667
• 13^th  Florence Nightingale, Nurse, Social Reformer, 1910
• 13^th  Octavia Hill, Social Reformer, 1912
• 14^th  Maximilian Kolbe, Friar, Martyr, 1941
• 15^th  The Blessed Virgin Mary
• 20^th  Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, Teacher of the Faith, 1153
• 20^th  William and Catherine Booth, Founders of the Salvation Army, 1912 and 1890
• 24^th  Bartholomew the Apostle
• 27^th  Monica, mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387
• 28^th  Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher of the Faith, 430
• 29^th  The Beheading of John the Baptist
• 30^th  John Bunyan, Spiritual Writer, 1688
• 31^st  Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 651

• The Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated on 8^th  September instead of 15^th  August.

• 1^st  Giles of Provence, Hermit, c.710
• 2^nd  The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 1901 and 1942
• 3^rd  Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith, 604
• 4^th  Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester (Oxon), Apostle of Wessex, 650
• 6^th  Allen Gardiner, Missionary, Founder of the South American Mission Society, 1851
• 8^th  The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• 9^th  Charles Fuge Lowder, Priest, 1880
• 13^th  John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 407
• 14^th  Holy Cross Day
• 15^th  Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, Martyr, 258
• 16^th  Ninian, Bishop of Galloway, Apostle of the Picts, c.432
• 16^th  Edward Bouverie Pusey, Priest, Tractarian, 1882
• 17^th  Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen, Visionary, 1179
• 19^th  Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690
• 20^th  John Coleridge Patteson, First Bishop of Melanesia, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1871
• 21^st  Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
• 25^th  Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, Spiritual Writer, 1626
• 25^th  Sergei of Radonezh, Russian Monastic Reformer, Teacher of the Faith, 1392
• 26^th  Wilson Carlile, Founder of the Church Army, 1942
• 27^th  Vincent de Paul, Founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists), 1660
• 29^th  Michael and All Angels
• 30^th  Jerome, Translator of the Scriptures, Teacher of the Faith, 420

• Cuthbert may be celebrated on 4^th  September instead of 20^th  March.