OLDEST CLERGYMAN

Evening Post, Volume 50, Issue 50, 27 August 1926, Page 7

OLDEST CLERGYMAN

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, 19th August.

The older the Eev. Septimus Hungerford grows the younger he feels, he says. No ono could possibly, 'for his years, bo more hale and hearty than this venerable clergyman who lives at jCremorne, one of the harbour suburbs, and who celebrated his 101 st birthday laflt week. He has lived in Sydney practically all his life, and apart from church work—ho attends service every Sunday —takes a tremendous interest in politics. For many years he was prominent in public movements, being associated more than half a century ago ■with Wentwortli and Dr. J. D. Lang. Possessed to a remarkable degree of all his faculties he loves nothing so much as to talk about old times. He has not much of an opinion of tho majority of men in polities now. He says the standard was very much higher in the old days. Ho broadcast this message to politicians on his birthday:— .'.'Be steadfast; work for the State, not for yourselves, as so many of you are doing. .You will gain no ultimate reward from your selfishness." In addition to tho Anglican Church, of which Mr. Hungerford is, of course, its oldest minister —it need hardly be said that he now lives in retirement —every other 'ohurch associated itself with the birthday congratulations.