The Australian Friend
Journal of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia
About
The Australian Friend is the official journal of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc. It has been continuously published since 1887. There are four issues per year, in March, June, September and December.
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Editorial
Australia faces a critical decision, perhaps a spiritual rather than a political decision. On 14 October we must decide whether we will amend our constitution to officially confess that our First...
Australia’s Integrity Crisis
Possum Hodgkin, Canberra and Regional QuakersAustralia is at a critical risk of losing its integrity. Trust in institutions is low, and we struggle to agree on basic truths of reality. Democracy...
Yearly Meeting Friendly School: “Integrity – what canst thou say?”
The purpose of this Friendly School was to encourage Quakers in Australia to write about Integrity, to write a poem, do a cartoon or other visual, make a video on their mobile for our YouTube...
Keeping Connected, Sustaining Hope: Quaker support for Refugees subject to Operation Sovereign Borders
Dorothy Scott, Victoria Regional Meeting“Fatima”, a 14-year-old girl living in Afghanistan, created this artwork. She is self-taught, never having formally studied art. Since Afghanistan fell to the...
A Circle of Love
Kaye Wright, Victoria Regional MeetingWe were on the bus, heading home. There were two more clients to drop off, Geoffrey and Jacqui who both live with dementia. Jacqui and Geoffrey’s conversation...
WERONA: a place of peace (1982 – 2023)
Heather Saville, New South Wales Regional Meeting, and Werona FriendsThis second part of Werona’s history gives a quick update on the significant changes to the property and surrounds, looks at the...
Know thy Friend: Pam Tooth
Pam Tooth Judith Pembleton, Queensland Regional MeetingMost Friends know Pam Tooth as the faithful editor of Qletter who provides information of relevance to Queensland Friends each month. This...
Clerking our meetings
Duncan Frewin, Queensland Regional Meeting Both regional and local meetings report that finding Friends to take on significant roles, especially for clerking the meeting, is getting harder. I...
They Are a Law Unto Themselves
David Johnson, Queensland Regional Meeting“He is a law unto himself” is a well-known description of a person who behaves independently, ignoring the normal rules in a society, and sometimes even the...
QSA Notes: So many changes at QSA
Fleur Bayley, QSA Project ManagerMove from the Stanmore office Following post-COVID changes in working habits, it has been decided to close the QSA office in Stanmore. With most staff now working...
Is it time for Meeting for Learning to return to Queensland?
Judith Pembleton, Queensland Regional MeetingSome Queensland Friends who have experienced the Meeting for Learning (MfL) program in past years would like to invite the Meeting for Learning program...
Reflections
Michael Corbett, Queensland Regional Meeting Every once in a while, I like to reflect on past events and remember either the pleasure or pain, achievements or failures. I try to evaluate what I can...
Book review: One Caregiver`s Journey With Dementia by Anne Felton.
Anne Felton`s career as a field research geologist lasted for 35 years. She married one of her geology professors, Keith, and lived happily at the time of Keith`s illness in Eden, a picturesque town...
Editorial
We have already begun the preliminary sessions for our on-line Yearly Meeting in July, and Friends are reminded that “at Yearly Meeting we gather together to connect with friends old and new, share...
Yearly Meetings 2023 and 2024
Vidya and Jo Jordan,Yearly Meeting Organising Committee YEARLY MEETING 2023 – online! At Yearly Meeting we gather together to connect with friends new and old, share ideas, seek new Light and find...
My time with Quaker Service Australia
Jackie Perkins, New South Wales Regional MeetingMy time with QSA has been extensive, full, very varied, and, for the most part, a sheer delight. The sheer delight part, as will come as no surprise...
Reflections on Poetry and Spirit: Judith Wright: Environmental, Indigenous and Spiritual Concerns.
Michael Griffith, New South Wales Regional MeetingIn early March this year I was fortunate to be able to lead a Silver Wattle week-long workshop/ retreat on this topic. Judith Wright, Australia’s...
The Elder Tree
Duncan Frewin, Queensland Regional MeetingAt Silver Wattle beside the lake, there is an old gum tree. I don’t what kind of gumtree it is, but it stands out – bigger, older than the others around it....