Stockton Scandinavian Mission

Stockton’s role as a seaside suburb is well known, unsurprisingly this includes a long association with various maritime occupations and industries. For well over 100 years, Stockton was temporary home for thousands of sailors who crewed the sailing ships who arrived in Newcastle’s port with goods from around the world and left with holds full of coal.

My interest in the Scandinavian Mission began when I saw the location shown on a map. Of course, now that I am writing up its story, I can’t find the map!! If anyone is able to identify the map that the mission appears on, I would be eternally grateful and happy to send a copy of any of the Stockton Over The Years books as thanks.

Deep sea sailing ships at Newcastle [Stockton] [PRG 1373/33/16] -
State Library of South Australia,
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/33/16

 

Scandinavians in Australia

“Between 1870 and World War I Scandinavian migration to Australia was characterized by …relatively voluminous Scandinavian immigration to all colonies, especially the immigration of seamen.”[1]

One specific group of men who crewed these ships were the many Scandinavian sailors who joined ships not only of their home fleets but that of the British fleet. At the turn of the 20^th century “Outside of Sydney the most important Scandinavian settlements were in Newcastle and Broken Hill.”[2] Many of these people, 200 of the 300 Swedes and Norwegians were involved in the shipping industry, with similar percentages for the Finns (counted under Russians).

While Melbourne had active Scandinavian churches, no Scandinavian congregations were established in New South Wales, despite numerous attempts. They did, however, after a visit from Pastor Hultmark from Melbourne establish a Scandinavian Sailor’s Home in 1902 with support from the Swedish church.

While other Scandinavians established various culturally based social groups in Sydney and elsewhere, the Finns had no such organized until the establishment of the Finnish Seamen’s Mission in 1916.[3]

Unfortunately, little is known about the history of the Stockton Scandinavian Seamen’s Mission. It doesn’t appear to have any affiliation with any of the formal Missions to Seaman organizations, whether specifically Scandinavian or not. There were at the time several “Scandinavian” churches in Australia, including the Melbourne based Finnish Seamen’s Mission (which moved to Sydney in 1916). However:

“Except for the Finnish Seamen’s Mission in Sydney in the early 1920’s no Scandinavian churches existed in New South Wales in the inter-war period. Scandinavian pastors form Melbourne and Brisbane occasionally visited Sydney and other areas of Scandinavian settlement.”[4]

Stockton Scandinavian Mission

This brings us to the Scandinavian Seamen’s Mission in Stockton. We know it existed in the Inter-War period, but the above quote suggests that the more well-established Scandinavian churches didn’t know of the existence of Stockton Scandinavian Seamen’s Mission and as such, it was not affiliated with them.

In fact, in May 1924, when five Scandinavian ships were in port in Newcastle, Stockton was visited by the Rev. K. Groundstroem[5], pastor of the Finnish Seaman’s Mission based in Melbourne[6] (after its move that year from Sydney). Although he was not associated with the Anglican Church, he was given the use of the Chelmsford Institute for two nights to conduct services (in Swedish and Finnish) as well as offer social activities such as music and sports.

What’s interesting about the use of the Chelmsford Institute is that there existed at around the same time, a mission dedicated specifically to Scandinavian seamen. The question becomes, if the Scandinavian mission existed in 1924, why did Rev. Groundstroem use the Anglican Chelmsford Institute and not the Scandinavian Mission? Is it possible that the success of the visit, and large number of visiting Scandinavian seamen during this period prompted the establishment of the unaffiliated Scandinavian Mission in Stockton?

On the 13^th of September 1925, Naomi Schulz placed an advertisement in the “Missing Friends” section of the Sunday Times. It asked that if her brother, Ephraim (or Edward) Oscar Schultz or anyone who knew him, contact her via the “Scandinavian Mission, Stockton…”[7]. This indicates that there was a Scandinavian Mission to Seamen operating in Stockton by 1925.

"Advertising - Missing Friends," Sunday Times, 13 September 1925,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58224462

Christian Thomsen

We do know that the Scandinavian Mission in Stockton was work of Christian Thomsen[8]. The mission seems to have been located in his house, a room, rather than the entire building[9]. The only evidence of religious affiliation is that the mission, located at the corner of Douglas and Cardigan Streets[10], was that used by various non-conformist churches to hold services. These include the Congregational church during the 1920’s and then the Salvation Army from the 1930’s until Thomsen’s death in 1943.

"Advertising - Stockton Congregational Church,"
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 09 January 1926,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137509918. [11]

"STOCKTON," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate 16 June 1931,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139631663. [12]

Christian Thomsen was born in Jutland, Denmark around 1861[13]. He arrived in Australia in 1904, aboard the SS Ventura via San Francisco. According to the embarkation records, he was a farrier by trade.

Ancestry. Com, New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922

After arriving in Sydney, he married Helene Hansen in 1906 and they moved north to live in Carrington until 1909, when they moved to Stockton, where he remained until his death in 1943 (when he was buried in the Salvation Army section of Sandgate Cemetery). 

"MR. C. THOMSEN." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate
24 July 1943: 6. Web. 1 Feb 2024 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133410715>.

Footnotes

---

[1] Olavi Koivukangas, Scandinavian immigration and settlement in Australia before World War II, Migration studies ; C 2., (Turku: Institute for Migration, 1974).p.102

[2] Koivukangas, Scandinavian immigration and settlement in Australia before World War II. p.165

[3] Koivukangas, Scandinavian immigration and settlement in Australia before World War II. p.168

[4] Koivukangas, Scandinavian immigration and settlement in Australia before World War II.p. 215

[5] After returning to Finland from Australia, he changed his name to the more Finnish, Kalvero Kurkiala. During WW2, Kurkiala volunteered as chaplain to the Finnish volunteer brigade in the Waffen-SS.

[6] "MISSIONS TO SEAMEN," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 21 May 1924 1924, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137630945.

[7] "Advertising - Missing Friends," Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) (Perth, WA), 13 September 1925 1925, Second Section, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58224462.

[8] "DISTRICT NEWS - Stockton," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 03 March 1926 1926, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137511289.

[9] "STOCKTON - CORPS OFFICERS ENTERTAINED," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 11 January 1935 1935, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136843867.

[10] "Letter Box Wanted," Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954) (NSW), 03 March 1926 1926, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163393004.

[11] "Advertising - Stockton Congregational Church," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 09 January 1926 1926, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137509918.

[12] "STOCKTON," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 16 June 1931 1931, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139631663.

[13] "MR. C. THOMSEN," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 24 July 1943 1943, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133410715.

 

Bibliography

"Advertising - Missing Friends." Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) (Perth, WA), 13 September 1925 1925, Second Section, 10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58224462.

"Advertising - Stockton Congregational Church." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 09 January 1926 1926, 16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137509918.

"District News - Stockton." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 03 March 1926 1926, 8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137511289.

Koivukangas, Olavi. Scandinavian Immigration and Settlement in Australia before World War Ii. Migration Studies ; C 2. Turku: Institute for Migration, 1974.

"Letter Box Wanted." Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954) (NSW), 03 March 1926 1926, 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163393004.

"Missions to Seamen." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 21 May 1924 1924, 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137630945.

"Mr. C. Thomsen." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 24 July 1943 1943, 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133410715.

"Stockton." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 16 June 1931 1931, 10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139631663.

"Stockton - Corps Officers Entertained." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) (NSW), 11 January 1935 1935, 18. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136843867.

 

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