Opening Fire

The Salvation Army officially “opened fire” in Charters Towers on 20 June 1888, with its first officers Captain Arthur Smith and Lieutenant Jacobs. But Salvationists had visited the boom mining town much earlier. In 1886, the Charters Towers Times reported on an early Salvation Army visit to the city:

Captain Smith made his appearance and was greeting by a tremendous volley of cheers, groans and catcalls, during which he rushed up to the table and knelt down as if in silent prayer. This somewhat staggered the audience, and when the Captain rose, and with a smiling face mounted the table, opinion seemed divided as to whether they should give him a hearing or not …