Early beginnings
The Salvation Army had its origins in the Southern Highlands in Moss Vale, where a corps (church) was opened in 1885 by Captain Harry Stephens. In 1888, the intrepid Moss Vale Salvos decided to expand and began meetings in Bowral, with the first officers Captain Maggie Doland and Cadet Emma Piper. Spreading like wildfire, there were soon expressions of The Salvation Army in Kangaloon, Kangaroo Valley, Burrawang and Meryla. At that time, roads were very poor and the only transport was horse and sulky, so to service this number of outposts was a mighty effort by the Salvationists of the day! In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the work of The Salvation Army consolidated in Bowral. Mittagong Salvation Army, which opened in 1886, was closed in 1893 and was worked as an outpost of Bowral. Similarly, Moss Vale Salvation Army was closed in 1905 and became an outpost of Bowral. Today, The Salvation Army in the area takes in the whole of the Southern Highlands, with meetings held at a worship centre in Bowral.
