The Ashfield Camp Meeting

On September 10 the Bible Echo carried an announcement that the Australian camp meeting for 1894 would be held at Sydney, October 18-30; there would also be a 10-day workers’ meeting preceding the camp. The land selected was a five-acre (two-hectare) grassy plot in Ashfield, five miles (eight kilometers) from the Sydney General Post Office.WV 316.5

Granville, with easy access to Sydney and a number of rail connections, had become somewhat of a center of evangelistic operations. But all eyes were on the coming camp meeting and the annual session of the Australian Conference that would accompany it in late October.WV 316.6

To advertise the evangelistic meetings, which was a new thing for that area, a special camp meeting issue of the Bible Echo, dated October 15, was published. During the workers’ meeting 20 young people distributed it to the homes in the various suburbs of Sydney. As they called on people, they sold copies of the Echo and gave a hearty invitation to attend the camp meeting. Some 8,000 copies of the Echo were sold, and another 8,000 copies of the special cover, carrying an advertisement of the coming meeting, were given away.WV 316.7

As church members came in on Friday, October 19, they found more than 50 white canvas family tents among and under the shade trees. Another dozen were added by the end of the first week.WV 317.1

A large sign over the entrance to the enclosed grounds read, “Whosoever will, let him come” (Manuscript 1, 1895). In response to the advertising, Sabbath afternoon the attendance began to swell, and Ellen White reported to Olsen:WV 317.2

On Sunday we had an immense congregation. The large tent was full, there was a wall of people on the outside, and the carriages filled with people in the street. The tents are a great surprise and curiosity to the people, and indeed, these white cotton houses interspersed among the green trees are a beautiful sight (Letter 56, 1894).WV 317.3

Fully 1,000 were present as the afternoon discourse began, and W. C. White reported, “Before its close there were upwards of two thousand on the ground.”WV 317.4

Although many had apparently come from feelings of curiosity, the greater part of this multitude gathered in and about the large tent and listened attentively to Mrs. White as she presented the love of God and its effect upon the heart and character (The Bible Echo, November 5, 1894).WV 317.5

Throughout the week business meetings of the conference were held in the mornings, with various departments of the work given time for reports, discussions, and plans. Officers were elected for the ensuing year. A. G. Daniells was reelected president of the Australian Conference. Among the actions taken were two relating to the school. Since there was uncertainty over its location, the resolutions lacked precision and force.WV 317.6

After a second week of good meetings, the Ashfield camp meeting came to a triumphant close on Sunday with 2,500 people present. Ellen White described the climaxing service: “The last public service, on Sunday evening, was one long to be remembered.... At times the congregation was held as if spell-bound” (DF 28a, “Experience in Australia,” p. 789g).WV 317.7

Interest was high when the camp meeting closed. Many requested that the services continue, so it was decided to move the tent to another location, about a mile distant but with rail connections more convenient to several of the suburbs of Sydney. Corliss and McCullagh were commissioned to continue with meetings nightly; these were well attended. Other workers were drawn in to visit the people in their homes and conduct Bible readings (The Bible Echo, December 3, 1894).WV 317.8

The Ashfield camp meeting closed November 5, 1894, with no decisive action concerning the location of the school. This was most disheartening.WV 317.9