SALVATION ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 11

SALVATION ARMY

WELLINGTON CITY CORPS

56TH ANNIVERSARY

Today, tomorrow, and on Monday the 56th anniversary meetings of the Wellington Salvation Army City Corps will be conducted; in Wellington lay Lieutenant-Colonel G. Grattan and Mrs. Grattari. ' •■.v- .'■•■■ '.'.•'' ■'.-'■ y'This afternoon there was an old] identities' reunion and conversazione, I and early this evening there will, be a! big birthday tea, followed by a praise and thanksgiving meeting. A large programme has been arranged for toriiorrow, %hich will be recognised as Founders' Day. The Senior and Young Peoples' Bands will give several openair performances and a number 'of meetings, all of which will be held in the Citadel, have been arranged. There will be a partnership festival by the Citadel and Wellington South Bands on-Monday evening., ~ 0 ,.; ::: ,.. :: ,,^tihb Beginnings. .*>/,/-. I Fronts the> -efforts of three pioneers,, \W"6llington-:;'Gi^'^rps;^;with; its 340 soldiers; has? grown to b£-the largest corps to Bomjnion.-\ An advertisement; in the, "Evening Post* of June 12; 1883,, notified the fcubjic that the Salvation ;Army would arrive in Wellington; and *open fire with a big bombardments Three days later a paragraph in the same paper read, "Three members of the Salvation Army arrived from the south by the s.s. Tarawera this -morning;^ On Sunday, June 17,1883, the Army commenced its work with ian indoor meeting hi the Princess Theatre, Tory Street, conducted by Captairis E. Wright, William Colley, and J.i White (a coloured man). A few months later an. old c6ach factory in Taranaki Street was leased and fitted with platform and seats to accoirimodate 1800 persons. In 1894 a section of land running between Vivian and Jessie Streets was 'purchased, and a small wobden barracks, used later as the Ydung Peoples' Hall, and officers' Quarters facing Jessie Street were erected A larger brick .Citadel to accdmmodate 1100 people fronting ,Vivian Street was erected in. 1886 arid opened by the; then prime Minister, Mr.' Richard John Seddon. The present Citadel was rebuilt in 1920 and was opened by Commissioner, Hodder on October 2Q of that year.