This collection contains correspondence, minutes, notes and memoranda on the raising and spending of the R460,000 voted to C.P.S.A. by U.S.P.G. to build African and coloured churches and vicarages in areas affected by Group Areas Act.

All the combined records relating to the Provincial Missionary Conference comprise 540 items covering the years 1892-1971 and are made up of minutes, correspondence, notes and memoranda. They give an interesting picture of the educational and missionary work done by the Anglican Church in South Africa and also illustrate the attitude of the church to the question of race relations and the emergent African nationalism.

Provincial missionary conferences were appointed by Provincial Synod, the organising body of the Anglican Church in South Africa, and the first such conference met in Queenstown in 1892. Succeeding conferences were held at Maritzburg in 1895, Johannesburg in 1906, Bloemfontein in 1909, Johannesburg in 1913, Grahamstown in 1923, Johannesburg in 1928, Port Elizabeth in 1933, Pretoria in 1935, Cape Town in 1936 and Bloemfontein in 1938. A Provincial Board of Missions was founded in 1898 to correlate and unify the various diocesan missions in methods of working, discipline, translations etc., Worked in close conjunction with the Provincial Missionary Conference and from 1939 appears to have taken over their functions. A further provincial body was set up in 1963 called the Provincial Commission for Administering the U.S.P.G. Grant Loan with the task of administering the R460,000 voted to the C.P.S.A. by the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, for the building of African and coloured churches in areas affected by the Group Areas Act.

The records illustrate the work done by the S. S. J. E. in the various fields of education, health, translation and evangelising.

The St. Lucy's Hospital was opened in 1908, and there was also a mission farm. These activities continued over the years, and the St. Lucy's Hospital became a well-equipped modern teaching hospital serving a wide area.

The records comprise diaries, minutes, correspondence, memoranda, scrapbooks, registers, press-clippings, legal and ecclesiastical documents, photographs, printed items and plans. These records were transferred to the C.P.S.A. record Library in July 1972 from Darrah Hous, just prior to its demolition to make way for a new block of offices and flats, which is to be built on the same site, adjacent to the Cathedral.

From the records one obtains a clear picture of the beginning of the Anglican church in Johannesburg, of its work and growth and importance in the life of the community. The records contain much on the buying and selling of stands, on the raising and spending of money and on the relationship of St. Mary's with first of all, the Diocese of Pretoria and from 1922 with the Diocese of Johannesburg. There is much on the building, repair and ornamentation of the various St. Mary's churches, the services held, the elections and work of churchwardens and on activities closely linked with the church such as the choir, Church Men's society and the Dean's Shelter for the aged, unemployed and homeless. Closely associated with St. Mary's were might be described as her 'daughter' churches, St. Alban's, St. Cyprian's and St. Saviour's and the records contain information on their beginnings and on the missionary and educational work done at St. Cyprian's for the Bantu and at St. Alban's for the coloured people.

The records also throw light on the history of St. John's College and on the work done at St. margaret's Mission House by the sisters of East Grimstead. Side by side with the records of the church itself go the records of its commercial buildings, first St. Mary's buildings in Eloff Street (built on the site of the first St. Mary's church) and later Darragh House in Plein Street (built on the site of the second St. Mary's church), both of which produced revenue from the rents of offices, flats and shops. There is a great deal in the records on the leasing and upkeep of these buildings.

The records of St. Mary's Church are of interest not only to the church historian but also to researchers enquiring into the history of education, social services and property development in Johannesburg.

Berthold, Basil Stanley: Rector of St. Judes, Oudtshoorn 1959 1969, St. Oswalds, Milnerton from 1969.

Consist mainly of notebooks embodying his researches in various fields, mainly history and theology and include 9 notebooks containing extracts from the House of Commons Debates for 1621. There are also letters of Bishop Talbot to his son, probably used by Brabant in the compilation of "N. S. Talbot 1879-1943: a memoir",published in 1949. The papers were donated by the Rev. Brabant just prior to his leaving Africa for retirement in England.

Note books and Registers.

The papers relate mostly to the life of George Wolfe Robert Tobias (1882-1974). This correspondence gives an excellent description of the Church's work in South West Africa and also of the conditions and customs of the tribes living there, both written and pictorially. The papers also touch on the Kwanyaaa language in which George became so successful. He translated the Prayer Book and produced a hymnal. Ho also translated Hermann Tones 'Kwanyama Ora Emar' from German into English.

Canon Charles Frederick Tobias (ca 1850-1939), George's father, and a converted Jew, in correspondence to his wife, Ethel, also gives an interesting account of life in the field, where he served as Chaplain in the Boer War 1900-1901.

The papers also consist of the skeletal draft of the biography of George Tobias by Rev. Basil I. C. Turvey which contains a vivid description of the life of George and his work on the mission station and the people connected with him and a brief description from the Encyclopaedia of Southern African South West Africa.