Tuesday, 31 July 2018

IN MEMORIAM.

The West Australian, 17 April, 1912.

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT ST. ANDREW'S.
ADDRESS BY THE REV. A. S. C.
JAMES.

Last night, in St. Andrew's Church, the
Presbyterian denomination held a special
service in loving memory of "their dear 
departed dead" who were on board the 
Koombana. The church was almost entirely 
filled. Those who officiated at the service 
were the Revs. A. S. C. James, A. McCarlie, 
Taylor, and Crow. The choral part of the 
service was rendered by St. Andrew's Choir, 
and Mr. Chandler presided at the organ. 
The service was held in memory of the
late Mr. Robert W. Main, who was proceeding 
north upon a mission connected with
the aborigines, with which he had been
entrusted by the Church.
In the course of an address the Rev. A.
S C. James paid many warm tributes to
the man who for many years had been one
of the pillars of the Church in Western 
Australia. Mr. Main was, the son of a 
Presbyterian minister and bore in his
character many of the qualities of his
revered father. As a church worker
in many capacities, Mr. Main had 
rendered invaluable service, and as a man
his life had been beyond reproach. He did
not work in the limelight of.the public gaze.
He rather performed his work in a quiet
and unassuming manner that earned for him
the respect of all with whom he came in
contact. He was indeed true mettle all
through. He was solid and reliable in all
that he undertook, his ear was ever open to
the call of duty, and what he did he did
with all his might. In St. Andrews, in 
Kalgoorlie,in West Perth he would long be
remembered for his faithful and loyal 
services and for his love for the church. It
must not be forgotten that it was in obedience 
to the call of the Church that Mr. Main had set 
out upon the journey from which, alas, there 
had been no return. A difficulty had arisen in 
connection with the Nor'-West mission to the 
aborigines, and the Church needed someone 
to represent her in that work and to accompany 
an exploring party, the object of which was 
to determine the best site for the mission. 
"The committee immediately thought of Mr. 
Main, whose judgment, whose life, whose 
experience, and whose thoroughness so 
entirely, fitted him for the work. It was felt 
that in every way he was the man that was 
marked out for the duty. When Mr. Main freely 
and cheerfully accepted the task every man 
on the committee felt that the work was as 
good .as done, and were really thankful that 
he expressed such willingness to go. But 
matters had been ordered otherwise than they
had hoped for. So it was that another good 
man had died in the direct service of the 
Church and given his life for his religion. 
They honoured his memory and revered 
it, and would treasure it in their hearts for 
many a long year to come. It was hard at 
such a time to comfort his sorrowing relatives, 
but he could only say that the deceased 
gentleman was surely with the Lord, and 
that though it had been found fit to take him 
from amongst them they had the knowledge 
that he had lived his life as a God-fearing man, 
and in such, a manner as to provide an 
evergreen example for others.

THE RELIEF FUND.

The Perth Hebrew .Social and Literary
Society will give a social and dance on
Saturday, the 27th, inst.; and the whole of
the proceeds will be donated to the 
Koombana relief fund. The dance will take 
place in Prince's Hall, Brisbane-street, which 
has been kindly lent for the occasion by the
committee of the Perth Hebrew Congregation.


Courtesy Trove.

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