Holmes, George William, Rev.   (1910 - 2001)

Born on 3 January 1910 at Williamstown, Victoria; died on 3 May 2001 at Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, NSW.

Most notable as a Presbyterian missionary, first at Kunmunya Mission in the Kimberley region and later at Mapoon Mission in the Queensland Gulf country.

Rev. G.W. and Mrs. Holmes arrived at Kunmunya in December 1939. His wife, Emma Holmes (née Ault), undertook teaching at the Mission school as a "voluntary service". (She adopted her husbands initials in correspondence).

By 1947 the address of Reverend George William Holmes is "The Manse, Merbein, Victoria".

We next see his involvement at Mapoon Mission (about 80 km north of present day Weipa) on the west side of Cape York in north Queensland:

"... Calder Allan's replacement, George Holmes, was an experienced missionary who had served at Kunmunya mission in Western Australia. He had been trying to transfer to Queensland since 1946 but had been rejected by the AFMC following a very unfavourable report from the APBM which regarded him as a 'neurotic and temperamental man. In 1950 the AFMC received advice from the General Secretary of the APBM that Holmes had ability and that he should have another chance, 'having in mind his temperament and training' ..."

AFMC — Aboriginal and Foreign Missions Committee [of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland] (From 1946 to 1963).
APBM — Australian Presbyterian Board of Missions [of the Presbyterian Church of Australia] (To 1972).

Geoffrey Stephen Wharton, 'The Day They Burned Mapoon...'
B.A. Honours thesis, The University of Queensland, 1996

Source: Extracted from:
Presbyterian Church of Australia November 12, 1940. MINISTERING WOMEN; In Mission Work. p.7
The Daily News (Perth, WA) Thu 6 Mar 1941 Page 10 - Missionary Takes Natives To Trial
Government Gazette of the State of NSW (Sydney) Fri 9 May 1947 [Issue No.56] Page 1102
- the celebration of Marriages: No. 8989. Reverend George William Holmes
Geoffrey Stephen Wharton - 'The Day They Burned Mapoon: A Study of the Closure of a Queensland Presbyterian Mission',
Submitted as partial requirement for the degree of B.A. Honours, The University of Queensland, 1996
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211751284/george-william-holmes
Portrait Photo: none found.

Collecting localities for 'Holmes, G.W.' from AVH (2026)

Data from 164 specimens