Early opposition

The Salvation Army, as a relatively new spiritual movement, was largely misunderstood in Australia in the early days. Not everyone appreciated its loud street marches and passionate open-air meetings. In Bega, the so-called “Skeleton Army” (local larrikins intent on disrupting Army meetings) was in full force in the late 1800s. The Bega Salvation Army history book notes that: the Salvationists were pelted with small bags of flour, lime, over-ripe fruit and vegetables, eggs and even a dead cat. Despite this, The Salvation Army in Bega thrived and some of the detractors eventually came to know Christ and joined the Army’s ranks.