PWMU History
PWMU was established in 1890, meaning that it has been in existence for over 130 years.
There have been five books written covering our long history. There are copies of all five in the PWMU library at the office in Hawthorn, some of which are available for loan.
Previous histories of PWMU
After Fifty Years,. Elizabeth Campbell, 1940
The Changing Years: 1940 -1950, Elizabeth Campbell, 1950
Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union, 1950-1977. Maisie Paton, 1985.
There Were Many Women, United in a Century of Service, 1890 - 1900. Alexe Talsma, 1991
Copies of the most recent history, Into A New Millennium, can be posted to members upon request.
By clicking on the image of the book title, you can read the most recent history online.
The history of PWMU can be downloaded in pdf format on the condition that it not be used for commercial publication, be offered for sale or be offered for any activity that would be used to make any financial profit from it. Any material used from this history of PWMU must acknowledge Alison Stanley as the source of this material. This document may not be linked to any other site without the prior permission of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union, Victoria. This document is the property of PWMU Vic.
Permission is NOT given for this document to be uploaded or be used by services such as Amazon, Google and such similar services.
As well as these books, an elder of the Busanjin Presbyterian Church in Busan, Korea, Dr Myong Duk Yang, has written an Australian Missionary in Korea book series. The latest book is The First Australian Woman Missionary in Korea - Isabella (Belle) Menzies. Pusan(Busan) was where the first PWMU missionaries served. Copies of several of these books are located in the library at the PWMU Office. Though written in Korean, there are sections in English, and an extensive photographic record. Also on our shelves is an 2009 publication (in English) by Dr Sang Gyoo Lee, To Korea With Love - Australian Presbyterian Mission Work in Korea, 1889-1941.
In early 2023, the Presbyterian Church of Korea designated the Busanjin church and some of the artifacts to be Historical Site and Heritage. This includes the nearby Australian Missionary Cemetery, established in 2009 to honour those who gave many years of heartfelt service to Korea.