Alma Smith and Alva Atkins (nee Smith) papers and photographs relating to missionary work (United Aborigines Mission) in New South Wales and Western Australia, 1909-2006

fonds

1909-2006

Textual Records, Graphic Materials

910502

0.80 metres of textual material (5 boxes, 1 folder and 1 outsize folder) of textual material, some files contain photographs
455 photographs
3 albums (photographs and clippings)
234 slides
180 negatives

Alma Smith (1896-1973)
Alma Smith (nee Green) was born in Cobar, NSW, in 1896. Her family soon moved to Sydney and by 1920 Alma had begun a lifelong career as a missionary with the United Aborigines Mission (UAM), initially working at La Perouse. She continued her missionary work at Purfleet, Cabbage Tree Island and at Box Ridge - the Aboriginal reserve near Coraki. In 1925 she met and married Cyril Smith at Coraki. Together they continued mission activity, moving to Baryulgil, Wellington and Bellbrook before they were forced to retire from full-time mission work in 1934. After leaving Bellbrook, they moved back to Coraki and worked as “associate workers” conducting an itinerant ministry to Aboriginal people living in bush camps in the Coraki district during the 1940s. They had five children, one (Cyril Jnr) dying as an infant at Wellington. Alma and Cyril remained at Coraki until their death; Alma died in 1973 and Cyril in 1982.

Alva Atkins nee Smith (1928-2004)
Alma and Cyril’s eldest daughter, Alva, was born in 1928 at Wellington. She spent her childhood with her missionary parents at Bellbrook and Coraki. Alva also became a missionary for the UAM, beginning with a post at La Perouse before Purfleet, near Taree, NSW, in 1947 after graduating from the Sydney Bible Training Institute (Strathfield). She continued work at Woodenbong in 1951 and by 1954 had completed training as a midwife at Sydney Women’s Hospital. In 1955 Alva was stationed at Gnowangerup in Western Australia until 1963 before moving back to Sydney to work at Mission Publications Australia (MPA). In 1964 Alva took up a position at Bourke, NSW, and married David Atkins there in 1969 before returning to Coraki. Alva died at Nambour Hospital, Queensland in 2004 and is buried at Cooroy Cemetery (Qld).

SERIES 01
Alma Smith and Alva Atkins (nee Smith) papers relating to missionary work with the United Aborigines Mission in New South Wales and Western Australia, ca. 1920-2006

SERIES 02
Alma Smith & Alva Atkins photographs of missions in New South Wales, 1909-1970

SERIES 03
Alma Smith & Alva Atkins photographs including missionaries, nurses, Nash and Roberts families, ca. 1924-1965

SERIES 04
Alma and Alva Smith, miscellaneous photographs, ca. 1930-1965

SERIES 05
Smith family albums (personal), including Coraki, Cubbawee, Woodenbong, La Perouse and Purfleet, ca. 1939-1966

SERIES 06
Alva Smith photographs of missionary work at Gnowangerup, Western Australia, ca. 1950-1963

SERIES 07
Alma Smith negatives, missionary work in New South Wales, ca. 1930-1965

SERIES 08
Alva Smith slides taken on Missions in Western Australia, ca. 1960-1969

SERIES 09
Negatives of the Aboriginal reserve near Coraki, New South Wales, ca. 1930-1940

Partly restricted: Applies to Box 2/Folder 1

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are advised that this collection includes images and names of people who are deceased. Some captions in the photograph album may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.
A chronologically arranged and indexed folder of newscuttings may serve as a guide to the collection as it outlines the activities of Alva Smith and Alma Atkins from 1920-1977. It is located at Series 01, Box 3, Folder 4.