Arthur Stephen Joyce FRY

FRY, Arthur Stephen Joyce

Service Number: Chaplain
Enlisted: 6 October 1916, Place of enlistment - Perth, Western Australia
Last Rank: Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain 2nd Class)
Last Unit: Australian Army Chaplains' Department
Born: Langhorne Creek, South Australia, 21 January 1865
Home Town: Perth, Western Australia
Schooling: Prince Alfred College
Occupation: Methodist Clergyman
Died: Natural causes, Albany, Western Australia, 17 June 1946, aged 81 years
Cemetery: Albany Public Cemetery (Old) / Memorial Park Cemetery (WA)
Methodist Cemetery
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World War 1 Service

6 Oct 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain 2nd Class), Chaplain, Australian Army Chaplains' Department, Place of enlistment - Perth, Western Australia
10 Oct 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain 2nd Class), Chaplain, Australian Army Chaplains' Department, Embarked for return to Australia from England on 16th July 1917.
10 Oct 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain 2nd Class), Chaplain, Australian Army Chaplains' Department, Embarked on HMAT 'A23' Suffolk from Fremantle on 10th October 1916.
31 Aug 1917: Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain 2nd Class), Chaplain, Australian Army Chaplains' Department

Obituary Rev. A S FRY (Albany)

LATE REV. A. S. J. FRY, V.D. (ALBANY)

In the passing of the Rev. A. S. J. Fry, V.D., the Methodist Church of Western Australia has lost another of her stalwarts.

After a very brief illness the Reverend gentleman died at his residence on June 17. He leaves a widow, daughter and son. Mr. Fry was the oldest Minister of the Methodist Church in Western Australia, he having entered the Ministry in 1883, and retiring from active service some 15 years ago.

In the earlier years of his ministry he did a great work on the Goldfields, being well-known in the Coolgardie district. In the year 1907 his Church honoured him, when he was elected President of the West Australian Conference; a position which he held with dignity and honour.

For a number of years, he was the General Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society in W.A. travelling far and wide in the interest of the Society. He saw much of the State doing a fine job of work. He was held in high esteem and respect by all who came in contact with him in his travels.

In the war of 1914-18 he saw service as an Army Chaplain. A lover of the open air and sport in his earlier days he was a keen cricketer and in later years bowls was his choice, and he was a playing member of the Albany Bowling Club.

As a member of the MasonicCraft, he was Grand Lodge Chap-lain, 1924 to 1926.

He was a lover of his Church and a regular worshipper even to the last, having been at morning worship the day previous to his passing.

A kindly gentleman, with a personality rich in the experience of life at its best has passed to his reward at the aged of 82 years.

The funeral took place on June18. A service was held in the Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. A. G. Howse. The lesson was read by the Rev. A. Percy Watsford (a former Minister of the Albany Church). The President of the W.A. Methodist Conference, Rev. W. E. Freeman, gave the address, referring in well chosen words to the life and work of the deceased. Mr. Geo. Haywood was the organist. The casket which was draped with the Union Jack, was borne to the Methodist Cemetery where a short service was conducted by the Rev.A. G. Howse. Mr. J. Melvin sounded the "Last.Post" at the graveside.

Albany Advertiser Monday 24 June 1946 page 5

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Biography contributed by Sharyn Roberts

Rev Arthur Fry was born in South Australia in 1864 and was ordained into the Methodist church in 1887. He transferred to Western Australia in 1894 and was sent to York. After three years in York he served in Coolgardie, Geraldton, Perth and West Perth.
In 1911 he was appointed secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, a post he held for 16 Years. On 6 October 1916, at the age of 51, Rev Arthur Stephen Joyce Fry joined the Australian Army as a military chaplain. He sailed to England as a transport chaplain on the HMAT Suffolk.
Arthur returned from Military duty in November 1917 having visited many Australians in the Australian hospitals in England and France. On his return to Western Australia he was acting senior chaplain while Rev CA Jenkins was on duty overseas. He remained an army chaplain until 1936 and was awarded the Voluntary Defence Medal.
Rev Arthur S J Fry died in Albany, Western Australia on 17 June 1946.

https://revivemagazine.org.au/2015/05/01/from-the-archives-world-war-i-chaplains-2/

A veteran in the ranks of Methodism, the Rev. A. S. J. Fry, was heartily congratulated by conference or having completed the first fifty years of his ministry.Mr. Fry has been a great pioneer on distant mining fields and has had most interesting experiences. After leaving Prince Alfred College Adelaide, he did spade work at Silverton and Broken Hill and, coming to this State in 1895, he presently found himself on mining field sonce more-this time Kalgoorlie. Loaned to the British and Foreign Bible Society, he did solid work in the good cause and is now living quietly at Corrigin with a devoted wife and son.

The West Australian Saturday 06 March 1937 page 26

WITH THE AUSTRALIANS.-LECTURE BY REV. A. S. J. FRY.

Supplementing his lecture by numerous lantern slides of a decidedly interesting character, the Rev. A. S. J. Fry, general secretary in West. Australia for the British and Foreign Bible Society, who has recently returned from England and France, where he held the position of colonel-chaplain with the .A.I.F., was listened to by a fair audience.in the Parish Hall, Kalgoorlie, last night. Prior to the lecture, the Rev.Canon Edington, who presided, stated that Mr. W. Marsden had that day been unanimously elected president of the Kalgoorlie branch of the society for the ensuing year. A resolution, proposed by the Rev. A. W. Wellington, seconded by the Rev. F. J. Searle, and carried unanimously, was as follows:-"We desire to express to God our gratitude for such blessings vouchsafed to the society during a very difficult year of work that the provision o fthe Scriptures has been maintained,and seven languages added to those in which the Bible, or portions of it, has been translated."The pictures screened by the lecturer and commented on by him began with the training , of the troops in Australia, and a cheery batch of reinforcements on their way to the troopship. The ship he left Australia on was the one which conveyed the famous 11th Battalion to Gallipoli, and on the decks could be seen engraved the names of several of the lads, while on a table he espied the name of that well-known hero, "Pink Top. 'He described vividly life on the transport, and dealt with the camp scenes on Salisbury Plain. He next spoke of the desolation and misery in France. Everywhere, the speaker added, . the spirit of the men was magnificent. Other illustrations were the blowing up of Messines, the first Australians, headed by their band, entering Bapaume, various Red Cross Hospitals, and other pictures of an equally interesting nature. Finally was shown a New Testament in. which was embedded a piece of shrapnel, and proved the means of saving a man's life. The lecturer appealed to all present to assist in the work of the society, which was doing so much for our boys at the front, in hospitals, and in camp. At the conclusion the speaker was warmly thanked for his address.

Western Argus Tuesday 13 November 1917 page 6

LATE REV. A. S. J. FRY, V.D. (ALBANY)

In the passing of the Rev. A. S. J. Fry, V.D., the Methodist Church of Western Australia has lost another of her stalwarts.

After a very brief illness the Reverend gentleman died at his residence on June 17. He leaves a widow, daughter and son. Mr. Fry was the oldest Minister of the Methodist Church in Western Australia, he having entered the Ministry in 1883, and retiring from active service some 15 years ago.

In the earlier years of his ministry he did a great work on the Goldfields, being well-known in the Coolgardie district. In the year 1907 his Church honoured him, when he was elected President of the West Australian Conference; a position which he held with dignity and honour.

For a number of years, he was the General Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society in W.A. travelling far and wide in the interest of the Society. He saw much of the State doing a fine job of work. He was held in high esteem and respect by all who came in contact with him in his travels. 

In the war of 1914-18 he saw service as an Army Chaplain. A lover of the open air and sport in his earlier days he was a keen cricketer and in later years bowls was his choice, and he was a playing member of the Albany Bowling Club.

As a member of the Masonic Craft, he was Grand Lodge Chaplain, 1924 to 1926.

He was a lover of his Church and a regular worshipper even to the last, having been at morning worship the day previous to his passing.

A kindly gentleman, with a personality rich in the experience of life at its best has passed to his reward at the aged of 82 years.

The funeral took place on June18. A service was held in the Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. A. G. Howse. The lesson was read by the Rev. A. Percy Watsford (a former Minister of the Albany Church). The President of the W.A. Methodist Conference, Rev. W. E. Freeman, gave the address, referring in well chosen words to the life and work of the deceased. Mr. Geo. Haywood was the organist. The casket which was draped with the Union Jack, was borne to the Methodist Cemetery where a short service was conducted by the Rev.A. G. Howse. Mr. J. Melvin sounded the "Last.Post" at the graveside.

Albany Advertiser Monday 24 June 1946 page 5

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