Warwick Greats - John Head

The Salvation Army in Warwick has hosted its fair share of outstanding Salvationists. 

John Head (pictured), its first officer, not only started The Salvation Army in Warwick, but also got it off the ground in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Ipswich, Roma and Toowoomba. He remained at Warwick for just six months before being transferred to establish a new Salvation Army Corps (church) in Eidsvold.

However, four years later he was back. You see, he’d left his heart in Warwick and returned to marry Harriet Brown, the daughter of a local businessman. During John’s absence, Harriet had trained as a Salvation Army officer at the Richmond Training College in Melbourne to comply with an order given by Salvation Army leadership at that time that officers were only to marry officers.

After a number of years in ministry together, John was forced to retired due to ill health and he and Harriet returned to Warwick to take up farming at Sladevale, and later, Swanfels. They remained enthusiastic and energetic Salvationists, and regularly held Salvation Army meetings on their property.