On a shoe-string
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the residential area of St Marys was developing at a phenomenal rate. The Salvation Army purchased a block of land, with the hope of one day building a hall for the work there. With the movement of people to that area, were some Salvationists families. Retired Lieutenant-Colonels Neil and Dorothy Young (then Captains) remember an advertisement in the local paper which instigated the start of the official Salvation Army ministry in St Marys. In the local newspaper was an advertisement offering unused air force huts at Richmond Air base by auction. Colonel Young says: “We had no spare money but we had an excellent Divisional Commander Colonel Bram Lucas (then Major) so I rang him and asked if Divisional Headquarters could help financially as one of these huts would make an excellent hall …. [He] then rang me back to say I could attend the auction and offer to buy one for up to 100 pounds ... I attended the auction and got one of the best halls for ninety seven pounds ten shillings. The hut was transported and it wasn’t long before St Marys had its own Salvation Army hall.
