27 August 1922 – 7 April 2022
70 years and over – ordained in 1945/1946
NSW; Ultimo 1945-1947; Glebe 1948-1951; Greta Migrant Camp 1952-1953; Redfern 1953-1960; Parramatta 1960-1969; Presbyterian Homes for the Aged, Ashfield 1970-1978; Leichhardt 1978; Blacktown 1979-1982; Eastwood 1983-1985; Permanently Retired1985; Voluntary Service Stockton and Grahamstown Parishes 1985-2006; Chaplaincy and Counselling in Aged Care Facilities 1989-1991; 1990 – OAM for Services to Religion.
Deaconess Mavis ‘Jean McKinnon’ was born at Oberon NSW on 27 August 1922, eldest child of John Edgar and Pearl Daphne (nee Coventry) McKinnon of Coonamble, and later of Wellington from the mid 1920s, where her father operated his own business in the town.
Jean’s heritage was Methodist and her early life was spent in Wellington prior to moving to Tamworth with her mother and siblings at 12 years of age, her father remaining in Wellington until his death in January1941. John McKinnon’s obituary listed his many community involvements, including the conduct of dances for the young people of Wellington and his rapport with them, and also his funeral service and burial in the Wellington Methodist cemetery. (One legacy from her father was Jean’s love of dancing, specifically remembered at her 2022 memorial service.)
At Tamworth Jean attended the local high school, began her association with the Presbyterian Church and PFA and other involvements. Many years later Jean recalled first clearly hearing God’s call to full time Christian service at an Easter 1943 PFA Camp at Bendemeer (where the Chief Speaker was Rev. J.H G. Kerr,) and the challenge of the words ‘Who can say ‘Christ for me’ and ‘Me for Christ’ and to responding to this appeal. Jean is pictured standing at right in a photo taken at this camp.
Other Presbyterian influences on Jean at Tamworth included Rev. Joseph Faulkner, a former Methodist Home Missionary and subsequently Superintendent of Presbyterian Home Missions, and also Rev. R. Lachlan McInnes and his wife Barbara. (Lach and Barbara had themselves met at a PFA camp prior to their marriage.) Lach McInnes was later ordained and inducted as Assistant at Tamworth in 1940, and in 2018, Jean referred to herself as having been a ‘fan’ of Lach and Barbara McInnes since that time. Another influence was Home Missionary Alfred W. Rodgers, Locum for Rev. C. D. McAlpine throughout the latter’s Moderatorship in 1942/3.
Jean also recalled God’s persistent call over the following months to serve as a Deaconess, culminating in her attendance at preparatory lectures at Church Offices and at the YWCA, her appointment as probationary Deaconess on 1 February 1945, her full-time training and residence in the former Ultimo Presbyterian Manse (later the UCA Harris Centre), her commissioning in the Ultimo Church on 26 September 1945 together with Deaconesses Leila Burns and Christine Anderson, and her continued service at Ultimo over 1945/47. Transferred to Glebe, her service over 1948-1951 was interrupted by flood relief work at Kempsey, followed by service at the Greta Migration Camp from 1952 to June 1953.
Her service at Redfern from 1953 to 1959 saw Jean as Senior Deaconess in the Social Service Department and residing at Earlwood, where she was joined by her mother (and also her sister Heather for a time). Jean’s Redfern service was also interrupted for a time by flood relief work at Narrabri.
Jean then served as Deaconess and as Assistant in the Parramatta charge over the years 1960/69, being involved in extensive parish work, and also in work with residents at the former Parramatta Girls Training School.
Transferred to the Pitt Wood Homes at Ashfield in February 1970 as resident chaplain and undertaking various other duties, Jean worked closely with Deaconess (now retired UC minister) Margaret Moon, and thus began a close and enduring friendship between the two.
Throughout her long service, Jean also exercised a strong influence on other Deaconesses including Margaret Lawson, now retired and living in Queensland, and who maintained regular contact with Jean over the years by phone, letter, and by visits whenever visiting relatives in Sydney. Margaret recalls Jean as having a great sense of humour and as a creative artist, having been given one of Jean’s original paintings, which she treasures today.
Continuing in residence in her flat at Pitt Wood following the death of her mother in 1975, Jean learned from her colleague Margaret Moon that Mrs Ellen Pass of the Temora Presbyterian manse was experiencing a difficult second pregnancy and needed to come to Sydney ahead of her expected confinement to be close to any necessary specialist care. Learning of this need, Jean quickly offered Ellen a 10 day holiday in her own flat prior to Ellen’s move to the Alex Tulloh home at Pitt Wood and her subsequent confinement. This typically caring response by Jean was greatly appreciated by the Pass family.
Jean became Secretary of the Presbyterian Deaconess Council in 1976, and continued her work at Pitt Wood until March 1978. Following three months long service leave, she then entered the service of the Uniting Church, being placed at the Leichhardt Parish Mission for the remainder of 1978, and where she was extensively involved in the mission’s aged care programme. The period 1979 to December 1982 saw Jean’s return to parish work in the Blacktown/Rooty Hill/Doonside parish, followed by her retirement from full-time Deaconess service in 1983.
Still residing at Ashfield, Jean then began serving Eastwood parish in February 1983 on a part-time basis, and where the Marsden Road (Carlingford) church became her particular responsibility until her ‘retirement’ to Gould Drive, Lemon Tree Passage in the Hunter Presbytery in July 1985. Also in 1983, Jean travelled overseas with long term friend and colleague Rev. Margaret Moon, maintaining pastoral contact with the parish by letter.
A record of Jean’s service at Marsden Road highlighted her involvement in pastoral visitation, her ready use of her artistic and poetic gifts, and especially her work with the young people which included taking week-long camping trips with minimal adult assistance to Katoomba and Umina.
Jean’s farewell at Marsden Road in June was marked by yet another demonstration of Jean’s ‘impish personality’ in her presentation of a full suitcase of ‘quirky gifts’ to many of those present, each one highlighting some aspect of the recipient’s nature or interests.
Retirement in the Hunter for Jean in 1985 was still not an option and she continued her active involvement in church and wider community from her new home at Gould Drive Lemon Tree Passage. Her many years of service to Church and community were recognized by the award of the OAM in the Australia Day Honours of 1990.
Jean’s involvement in local parish and community work was maintained over the years 1985-2002 while initially resident at Lemon Tree and later at Tanilba Bay, where a new church known as Tilligerry Uniting Church was opened in May 2000. Jean some years later wrote that this was a time of ‘hard work!!!!’, including responsibility for the weekly under 5’s play group, cooking and selling at a monthly church street stall, door steward, flower and morning tea roster, occasional assistance with local SRE, monthly community library duty, and more. (Jean omitted the Tanilba Bay/ Tilligery) preaching roster!)
The disastrous Newcastle earthquake occurred on the morning of 28 December 1990 and Jean immediately involved herself with post-earthquake recovery and counselling, while also over the years 1991/92 being involved with Uniting Church Retirement Living in the Hunter.
In her hand-written contribution to the 2008 Presbyterian Deaconesses Reunion booklet, Jean recorded that in all this, the ‘Amazing Grace’ of God had kept her going, and her belief that her work on earth was not yet done.
Having moved to Mayfield in the Port Hunter parish in September 2006 Jean’s 65 year’s service was recognized by a special service at Mayfield on 31 January 2010, attended by 10 members of her extended family and other friends of earlier years, including some from her service over 50 years earlier at the Greta Migrant Camp. (This service, including projected images of Jean’s life journey, a record of her service, a poem composed by Jean, known also at Mayfield as the ‘resident parish poet, was reported in detail in the monthly parish paper.)
Jean McKinnon died at Irwin Hall, Mayfield, on 7 April 2022 aged 99, four months short of her 100th birthday. Her long life of service to the Presbyterian and Uniting Churches was celebrated at Mayfield Uniting Church on 7 April 2022 in a service led by Lay Pastor Bill Hawkins.
Rev. Dr. Bill Ives, who knew Jean from his own student days, and also at Marsden Road, summed up Jean’s life and service in words which would surely bring a loud AMEN from all who were privileged to work with her:- “Jean McKinnon was a saintly soul, and a faithful servant of God, radiating joy wherever she was…”