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REVISITING BRISBANE.
REV. DR. E. N. MERRINGTON.
HOPES FOR THE UNION OF CHURCHES.

The Rev. Dr. E. N. Merrington, Master of Knox College, Dunedin (N.Z.), arrived in Brisbane by the Sydney express last night. For 13 years he was minister of St.Andrew's Presbyterian Church, in Creek-street, and though he is on a holiday visit on this occasion, he will, occupy the pulpit in that church on the next three Sundays. He was met at the Central Railway Station by Dr. J. Lockhart Gibson, whose guest he will be for a portion of his visit, Principal Henderson, of Emmanuel College, Mrs. J. Thomson (president of the Presbyterian Women's Mission Union), and Messrs. J. Whitehill, J. R. Hamilton, R.Gordon (church officer), and J. P. Grove.

Since leaving Queensland in October, 1923, Dr. Merrington has retained a warm spot in his heart for Brisbane, where, in the course of his ministry, he formed so many firm friendships. Chatting last night with a representative of the "Courier," who sought him out at Dr. Lockhardt Gibson's home, Chlefswood. on the top of one of the hills on the road to Mount Cootha,he said that his work in Brisbane had provided a fine training for the position he now holds in New Zealand. It is six and a quarter years ago since he received a call to the historic First Church in Dunedin - the church which was founded when the Scotch settlers arrived in Otago in 1848. He remained in that position until the beginning of last year, when, at the call of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, he entered upon the office of Master of Knox College, which had been rendered vacant by the resignation of Professor Hewitson.

When asked to describe Knox College, Dr. Merrington said it was the largest residential university college in New Zealand. It had 100 students of all faculties of the university in residence, and it included a theological hall. The college was under the control of the Presbyterian Church, but it was open to students of all denominations. There is one other men's college in Dunedin-Selwyn College, which is under the control of the Church of England. Both these colleges receive students of the University of Otago, which is affiliated with the University of New Zealand. The medical school for New Zealand is at the Otago University, and in consequence the largest proportion of students in Knox College are medical students. There is also a faculty of dentistry at the University, and they are represented in the college, as well as students in arts, science, and education. The Theological Hall of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand is also located at Knox College. At the present time there are 33 students for the ministry in attendance under three professors, one of whom is Professor S. F. Hunter, formerly of Ipswich. He has been appointed to succeed Professor Cumming in the Chair of Old Testament Studies.

Speaking of his work at the college, Dr. Merrington said that it was largely of an administrative character. He took chapel services in the college daily including Sundays, and he frequently preached for other ministers in the various churches, so that he had by no means given up preaching. He also lectured at the college on philosophy, and was for some time examiner in that subject for the University of New Zealand.

"I would like to say how pleased Iam to be back in Brisbane," said Dr. Merrington. "My wife and family and I lived here for 13 happy years, while I was minister of St. Andrew's Church. It is very gratifying to me to know that the interests of St. Andrews' Church are in the very capable hands of the Rev. Norman S. Millar, and to learn of the progress of the work under his ministry. It is also a matter of great joy to me to learn of the large measure of prosperity and usefulness which has been achieved by Emmanuel College, with the foundation of which I had the good fortune to be associated. I am also pleased to know that the colleges of the University of Queensland are fulfilling their function as training schools for character, life, and education, in association with the University. One observes this tendency not only In England and America, but also in Scotland, which in the past made no such provision for residents while students were attending lectures. In New Zealand very high opinions are held regarding the resources and promise of Queensland, and there are many links between Queensland and New Zealand. We hear that Australia is passing through a period of depression at the present time, but as to its ability to re-establish itself there can be no question.

UNION OF CHURCHES.

Do the indications in New Zealand point to an early union of the churches? he was asked.

"On the whole," said Dr. Merrington, "I am inclined to think that the prospects are not as good in New Zealand as in Australia. The experiments which have been made in Queensland in relation to the joint training of ministers by representatives of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, and also the successful co-operation between the larger of these denominations in the boys' and girls' schools which have been established here, have not yet been carried out in New Zealand. There was an effort made to unite the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches in New Zealand about seven years ago, but it fell through at the last moment. The effect of that failure has not yet been over come. The failure was due to a revival of denominational zeal by some Congregational ministers newly arrived from England. They caused a vote adverse to union to be passed. Since that time strenuous efforts have been made to keep the Congregational Church as a separate denomination with, however, a doubtful measure of success as regards the future. There is a sign however. An overture is being presented to the General Assembly by the Wellington Presbytery in favour of the reopening of negotiations between the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches, with a view to forming one large episcopalian church in New Zealand. I am the convener of the public questions committee of the New Zealand Assembly and I am hopeful that the day will dawn when the growing feeling in favour of transcending denominationalism, with Its many disadvantages, will take definite form. The more closely the leaders of the Churches associate with one another, the more clearly will their common view points merge into a promise of harmony and ultimate union. The steps that have been taken at Canberra for intimate association by the denominations referred to affords another indication of the same trend in Australia."

The subject chosen by Dr. Merrington for his sermon to-morrow morning is "The Divine Gesture" based on the Idea of the moral gesture, of which we read so much in the Press.

Although Mrs. Merrington was unable to make the trip at the present time, Dr. Merrington says she is looking forward to visiting Brisbane in the future, when she will proceed to China to visit her daughter, the wife of Dr. C. E. North, who is medical superintendent of the Mission Hospital at Kong Chuen, near Canton.

The Brisbane Courier Saturday 18 January 1930 page 17

Ernest Northcroft Merrington was born on the 27th August 1876 at Newcastle NSW the second of 3 sons born to his parents James and Frances Merrington.  His older brother Alfred, born 1874, became a missionary to China and died there in 1909 aged 34.  His younger brother Arthur was born in February 1878, 5 months after his father died in September 1877.  His mother married Joseph Ada in 1881 and they had 2 sons John and William. 

Ernest’s education took place initially at Balmain Public School or Gladstone Park School.  It was also known as “Pigeon Ground“ School by the students.  In 1889 he had 12 months at Fort Street Model Public School then the following year he started at Sydney Boys High School.  At the end of 1891 he left school and started work at a Sydney Jeweller, Stewart Dawson & Co.  He was there for 4 and a half years and not long after leaving this job in 1896, he felt the call of God on his life to become a minister of the church.  The family had attended the Congregational Church but in the late 1890s they began attending the local Presbyterian Church.  To meet the requirements for the Theological Hall Ernest had to be a graduate in Arts or have passed the first year’s examination in Arts with Greek as one subject so he began tutoring and passed these subjects. 

He commenced studies at Sydney University in 1897 aged 21.  During the summer of that year he was appointed as a Student Home Missionary to Tumut and Adelong Presbyterian Churches in the southwestern region of NSW.  The following year, 1898, he became a resident of St Andrew’s College and while attending the University he rowed in the Trial Fours.  He also became engaged to a young lady by the name of Flora Livingston.  

In 1899 when the Boer War broke out Ernest enlisted in the Australian Rifles and became classified as ‘efficient’ however, due to his appointment as Student Home Missionary at Wyalong he had to give this up but as he states in his memoirs, this proved to be a useful training later on when he became a Chaplain in WW1.

In 1900 he graduated BA with 1st Class Honours and the Gold Medal and won the Professor Anderson Prize in Philosophy.  While studying in the Theological Hall he competed for the Gold Medal for a Philosophical Essay and gained it in two successive years, 1901 and 1902.  He was also elected as President of the University Philosophical Society.  On 25th November 1902 Ernest was ordained at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church aged 26.

In 1903 Ernest graduated MA with 1st Class Honours winning the Gold Medal.  In his final year at the University he was elected as Vice-President of the Students’ Association.  On completion of his MA degree he won from 5 candidates the 2 year Woolley Travelling Scholarship for graduates showing the most promise of success in further study.  He and Flora were married on 1st July 1903 at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Sydney and after a brief honeymoon embarked on SS Suevic on 17th July to study at New College at Edinburgh University in Scotland and then at Harvard University in America.  While in Edinburgh Ernest and Flora welcomed their first daughter Agnes Edina on 12th May 1904.  In September the family sailed for America on SS Umbria with Ernest having gained 1st Class Honours in Philosophy and Prizeman of Edinburgh University.  In 1905 Ernest graduated from Harvard University with his PhD.  The family embarked from Vancouver Canada on SS Miowera on 21st July 1905 bound for Australia. 

In 1906 Ernest was inducted into Kiama Presbyterian Church and 2 years later resigned that appointment to lecture in philosophy at Sydney University.  The family expanded with the birth of Frances Flora in 1907 and then in late 1908 Ernest was inducted into St David’s Church at Haberfield NSW.  In 1910 he accepted a call to St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Brisbane QLD and the following year became the Committee Convenor to establish Emmanuel College as part of the University of Queensland.  This was achieved on 8th November that year with Ernest being appointed as inaugural Chairman of the College Council.  Also in 1911 the family welcomed the birth of Harvard Northcroft Merrington.  That same year Ernest was appointed Military Chaplain to the Moreton Regiment, the first Queensland Regiment which in 1913 became known as the 9th Infantry Battalion.  In 1912 Ernest wrote a hymn for the Jubilee of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church called “God of Eternity, Lord of the Ages”.  This hymn was later included in the Revised Church Hymnal.  In 1913 Ernest was appointed as Senior Chaplain for the 1st Military District…Queensland. 

When war broke out Ernest was one of the first to enlist as a Chaplain on 8th September 1914 aged 38 with the rank of Colonel Chaplain 1st Class.  On 20th September he preached at the Enoggera Army Camp in Brisbane prior to embarking on 24th September on HMAT Omrah which also had aboard his old Unit, the 9th Battalion.  He lead church services on the voyage and upon arrival in Egypt on 3rd December 1914 he was assigned to the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade under the personal command of Brigadier Colonel Harry Chauvel and proceeded to Maadi Camp near Cairo. 

A Presbytery of Chaplains was formed in Cairo and although there was no handbook or job description for Chaplains, their function had formal and informal roles.  They lead divine or church services which also included Holy Communion as well as Sunday parades and Bible classes.  Ernest comments in his memoirs that he made a point of visiting the men in their tents and those who were in hospital.  In battle, Chaplains at the front were to work alongside the battalion doctor helping with the wounded.  After battle, their task was to visit the wounded and bury the dead and often they shared the task of writing to the families of those killed.  Chaplains were not expected to be in the front lines so ordinarily were not exposed to enemy fire but as history records, this was not always the case.  They also provided general spiritual and moral guidance to the soldiers. Informally, they had roles of being the social organisers as they had more free time than battalion Officers.  They were often elected president of the Officers’ mess and appointed entertainments Officer, responsible for the provision of wholesome recreation and diversions to the men.  

On 1st January 1915, the first Light Horseman died and Ernest conducted his funeral at the Cairo Cemetery.  Later in January Ernest and several other Chaplains did some sightseeing to the pyramids and also visited Mena Camp where Ernest took a photo of one of his parishioners from Brisbane, Walter Mactaggart, who had with him his pet kangaroo.  This became an iconic photo and is found on the Australian War Memorial website along with other photographs that Ernest took during WW1.  At the end of January Ernest and the Brigade moved to Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis.  He accompanied the 1st Light Horse Brigade under Colonel Chauvel on night exercises in the desert. 

On 25th April 1915, while the landings at Gallipoli were taking place, Ernest with the 1st Light Horse Brigade were trekking to Helouan as part of their 3 days of training in the desert.  A quote from Ernest’s diary…“Colonel Chauvel called a meeting of officers and announced that he had offered the brigade for service on Gallipoli, not as reinforcements, but as a unit of Light Horsemen, but without horses, and that his offer had been accepted.”  They left camp on 8th May and embarked from Alexandria the next day on HMT Devanha, one of the ships used in the Gallipoli landings.  They landed at Gallipoli on 12th May just south of Fisherman’s Hut and proceeded to Air Burnu.  Ernest conducted his first funeral at Hell’s Spit before nightfall.  A quote from Ernest’s diary…“Soon after my arrival on 12th May as I was standing by a traverse in the Valley a soldier came along with a donkey, having the red cross on his head.  The sniping was very hot, and I said, ‘You had better hurry, the bullets are flying about.’  We were not allowed to wear rank badges in those days, and a private standing alongside said to me,  ‘He knows more about it than you do; he’s recommended for the VC.’  I answered, ‘Well, he’s just as good a target as anyone else.’  That medical stretcher-bearer with the donkey was the well-known Simpson, who saved scores of lives by his care of the wounded from the day of the Landing.  Unfortunately, he was killed a day or two after the incident to which I have just referred.”

The next morning the Unit made their way up the track through Shrapnel Valley to Pope’s Post.  Ernest settled into his dugout and his companion in the dugout was Methodist Chaplain A C Plane.  Ernest made rounds of the trenches and then went down to the beach visiting the tent hospitals.  That night he buried 2 men from his own Regiment.  After the attack on the 19th May Ernest wrote the following in his diary…“A heavy task of burials from the carnage awaited padres.  Through a misunderstanding (or over-sleeping) the other chaplains failed to meet me at dawn, and I found myself alone with 42 bodies of Australians who had been killed, also 10 Turks, on the Shrapnel Valley burial ground; a trench had been dug, and I laid the fallen in their graves, placing the identity discs and contents of pockets at the head of each.  On 24th May a genuine armistice was arranged.  At 4.30pm I went with other chaplains over the lines to bury the dead, our own and enemy.  There were far more of the latter than the former.”

Ernest conducted a Bible Class with prayer each night at his dug-out and obtained permission from Colonel Chauvel to hold the first Church Service, without singing, in Shrapnel Valley on 6th June 1915 at Monash Gully, just north of Pope’s Post and Ernest states that “A goodly number of Australian and New Zealanders attended”.  He held four services each Sunday, each one attended by hundreds of men.  Often, soldiers would confess, they were not believers prior to the war.  He used a small cup and plate to give communion.  After the war Ernest gifted the communion set that he used at Gallipoli to St Andrew’s Church in Brisbane where it is still found today.  When he wasn’t preaching, Ernest was offering comfort to the wounded at the beach hospital or casualty clearing station.  He visited hospital ships and moved between trenches visiting the troops. 

General Godley officially recognised Ernest as Senior Chaplain to the ANZAC Division and in that role he also met regularly with General Birdwood.  From Ernest’s diary…“On Sunday 18th July, at the request of Colonel Monash and Brigade-Major Glynn, I conducted a general Church Service in Rest Gully on the left flank.  General Godley and his staff were present.  Padre Gillison took part with me in the devotions.”  Gillison was Ernest’s friend and fellow Presbyterian Minister from Australia.  It was customary to allow a Chaplain to go to Lemnos Island for a week to visit the hospital units there so on 26th July Ernest embarked for Lemnos along with General Legge, Major Blamey and Colonel Sutton.  He returned to Gallipoli on 4th August and re-joined the 1st LH Regiment at Pope’s Post just in time to be part of the Battle of Lone Pine (Sari Bair) from 6th – 10th August.  Ernest dressed the wounded and prepared and carried large tins of coffee to the men in the trenches and to the wounded.  This was a costly battle for his regiment with 58 killed and missing and 98 wounded. 

Ernest records the following in his memoirs: “Sunday, 22nd August was observed with our services in the Gully, with Communion following.  Then I received a great shock.  Padre Dale came to tell me that Andrew Gillison was dead, shot in front of the lines while succouring a wounded man.  In company with Corporal Pittendrigh (a Methodist minister) who was seriously wounded, Gillison had gone out after an attack near Hill 60 to rescue this member of the 4th Brigade, who was about 50 yards in front of the sap, and was suffering from his wounds and the bites of ants.  The Turks fired on them, and they were later brought in; Gillison had been killed instantly.  That night I went to the beach in front of No.2 Outpost for the Burial.  A Sergeant had somehow procured a flag for the devoted padre’s body, and after an impressive service we laid his body in a grave by the Aegean Sea.  The moon shone on the face of this brave chaplain.  I saw a ring on his  finger, which I removed and posted it with a letter to his widow, who received it safely in Melbourne and wrote gratefully in reply to my condolences.”

On 2nd September the Regiment moved from Pope’s Post to No 1. Outpost.  Ernest records the following in his memoirs:“I had innumerable narrow escapes from bullets, bombs and shells.  Walking from place to place as I did was more dangerous than staying in a trench or dugout.  In the battle of Sari Bair, when I was looking out from a signalling post, a sniper’s bullet aimed at my head rang against a small piece of steel about five inches square, which had been placed firmly in position there to protect a head from the snipers in Snipers Nest.  Another who spotted me from another quarter sent one through a small branch just an inch above my cap.  A bomb burst at the entrance to the Secret Sap in Shrapnel Valley as I returned from Burial duty about 1 a.m. just as I was hesitating whether to take that course or the old familiar track, which, fortunately I preferred.”

On 27th October 1915 Ernest was evacuated from Watson’s Pier on HMT El Kahira to Lemnos Island Rest Camp suffering from malaria, rheumatism and exhaustion.  Four days later he was transferred to the No. 17 General Hospital at Alexandria on HMT Prah and then to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis in Cairo in mid-November.  He spent time at the Convalescent Depot at Helouan from 25th November till 4th December before being invalided for return to Australia embarking from Suez on HMAT Themistocles.  He served as the ship’s Chaplain for the journey.  He disembarked at Sydney on 4th January 1916 and his appointment was terminated the following day.

He returned to serve as Minister of St Andrew’s Church in Brisbane QLD and was also Senior Chaplain of the 1st Military District (QLD).  In February 1916 he served as a member of the Anzac Day Committee and was one of the inaugural committee members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association.  That year he was appointed as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of QLD and elected a member of the Senate of the University of QLD.  In 1917 he was elected as President of the QLD Branch of the Returned Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Imperial League.  However, his heart was with the fighting forces and he states in his memoirs “I wanted to get back to the war and do my part once again with the fighting forces in France” so on 29th December 1917 aged 41, he re-enlisted as a Chaplain 4th Class (Honorary 1st Class) and was posted to his old unit, the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade.  He embarked from Melbourne on 19th January 1918 on HMAT Beltana and disembarked at Tilbury Docks UK on 21st March 1918.  He was initially posted for duty to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (3AAH) at Dartford then on Anzac Day 1918 he was posted for duty to Headquarters at Tidworth serving the Tidworth, Parkhouse and Bulford Camps on the Salisbury Plain.  He was based at the Jellalabad Barracks at Tidworth and preached at the Garrison Church there. 

On 6th July 1918 he embarked from Southampton for France on HMT Archangel and was posted to serve at the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Harfleur.  He wrote regular articles for the Australian Depots Journal “The Digger” and was at the Base Depot when the Armistice was signed on 11th November 1918.  From his memoirs: “On 11th  November came the great news for which everybody was waiting: ‘The Armistice has been signed.’  The commandant borrowed my Australian flag, which had been given me by the ladies of my Church, and it proudly flew over the largest depot of Australian soldiers in France at 11 o’clock on that eventful day. (On my return to Brisbane I presented it to Emmanuel College).”

A week later he was attached for duty to the 2nd Division to serve with the 5th Field Artillery Brigade, attached to the 13th Battery based at Estrées west of Saint Quentin.  In late November he moved to Cartignies and was billeted with Monsieur M. Prisette and his family where he remained till 17th December when he took leave to England where he had dinner on Christmas Day with General Birdwood.  He returned to France in early January and re-joined the 2nd Division who were based at Thuin in Belgium.  He remained there till early April when he was posted for duty once again at 3AAH at Dartford in England.  He spent Anzac Day 1919 in London with his sister-in-law Mollie who had served as a nurse in England throughout the war.  That evening at a reception Ernest met Sir William Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia. 

On 8th May 1919 Ernest and Mollie embarked together for Australia on HMAT Devanha and arrived in Sydney on 26th June.  Ernest entrained for Queensland and 2 days later met his wife Flora and their children at Toowoomba where they had a holiday together before returning to Brisbane on 14th July.  Five days later Ernest marched in the Peace Procession in Brisbane and his appointment was terminated the next day. 

Ernest’s diary of his time at Gallipoli and France during WW1 are now held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.  The photos he took during this period are now held at the National Library in New Zealand.

In the years after the war Ernest unveiled several war memorials.  In 1923 he accepted a call to the First Church of Otaga in New Zealand where he remained till 1929 when he was appointed Master of Knox College in Dunedin NZ.  He served in that role till 1940.  He had temporary ministry at St Andrew’s Church in North Palmerston in 1941 before accepting a call to Seatoun Presbyterian Church at Wellington later that year.  Besides writing several hymns and his memoirs, Ernest wrote and published several books.  He concluded his ministry at Seatoun and retired from active ministry in 1945 then he and Flora became members of the St James Church in Wellington.  In late November 1946 he made a 3 month long trip to Australia to visit family and friends returning to NZ in February 1947.  He returned again briefly to Australia in May 1949 after being invited to attend the 100th Anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in Brisbane at which was sung his hymn “God of Eternity, Lord of the Ages”. 

In March 1950 he became ill with pulmonary oedema then in June that year he suffered a heart attack and from then on his health continued to be a issue.  On 25th November 1952 he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination.  In late February the next year he had a fall at home banging his head quite severely and was admitted to a nursing home.  He recovered enough to the point of being allowed to return home when he suffered another heart attack and a cerebral haemorrhage.  Flora states in his memoirs that he never regained consciousness and died at the nursing home on 26th March 1953 aged 76, just 3 months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary.  His funeral was held at St James’ Church Wellington and at Ernest’s request, he was cremated and his ashes laid to rest in the soldier niche of the Wall of Remembrance at the Karori Cemetery, Wellington NZ.  The inscription reads: ‘His servants shall serve Him and they shall see His face’ Revelation 22:3-4.  Flora died on 8th November 1959 aged 84.

Ernest is commemorated on the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church 1914-1919 Honour Roll 1 found in the Merrington Anzac Memorial Peace Chapel of the church in Brisbane QLD, created in honour of Ernest.  The Chapel contains 7 honour boards with the names of 267 men and women who had strong links to St Andrew’s Church.  It also houses the communion set that Ernest used at Gallipoli during WW1.  A quote from St Andrew’s Church website in regard to Ernest: “The Merrington Anzac Memorial Peace Chapel at Saint Andrew’s Uniting Church honours Chaplain Colonel Merrington, a courageous and patriotic Australian who gave himself freely to the service of the Church and to all people, in war and in peace.”

Ernest Northcroft Merrington was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.  

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 10th October 2022.

Sources

https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=arts_conferences

https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/religion/display/97445-ernest--n.-merrington-

http://heritage.saintandrews.org.au/rev-dr-ernest-northcroft-merrington/