North Sydney History
The first Salvation Army expression in North Sydney was at St Leonards, which opened on 28 September 1889. Today, the Salvos have a range of services across North Sydney, with a central hub at Chatswood.
The early days
St Leonards Salvation Army was officially opened on 28 September 1889, with the first indoor meeting being conducted in the Carrington Hall in Miller Street. It changed its name from St Leonards to North Sydney Salvation...
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Expansion
The Salvation Army wasted no time getting established across Sydney’s north-shore suburbs.
The Walker Street Corps (church) was originally an outpost of the North Sydney Salvation Army but then became a Salvation...
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Making music
Music has always been an integral ministry of The Salvation Army on Sydney’s north shore. The first entry in the St Leonards Salvation Army history book in October 1889 records a drum being purchased! Pictured rig...
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North Sydney Greats - Arthur Arnott
Arthur Smith Arnott - of Arnott's biscuit fame, came to know Jesus after attending a Salvation Army open-air meeting in North Sydney.
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North Sydney Greats - Majors George and Isabel Symington
Other Salvation Army “greats” from north Sydney include Majors George and Isabel Symington who grew up attending the then-Waverton Salvation Army and went on to become Salvation Army officers. They served f...
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North Sydney Greats - Flo Whittaker
Flo Whittaker was a soldier at North Sydney who went on to become an Evangelical Field Unit officer in outback Australia, travelling thousands of kilometres to minister to the needy.
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North Sydney Greats - Betty Lanham
Present day heroes include Betty Lanham, a soldier at Chatswood Salvation Army who, for nearly 30 years has been volunteering as a chaplain for The Salvation Army at various hospitals and nursing homes.
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The Lawson Connection
Poet, writer and alcoholic, Henry Lawson, often utilised The Salvation Army’s services in North Sydney. In fact, several of Lawson’s poems and stories were inspired by The Salvation Army. After Lawson&...
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In times of need
It’s often said that The Salvation Army has a ministry of “presence” – of being there in times of need.
In 1931, when a “cyclone” was reported to have ripped through Sydney, clai...
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