Maroubra Greats, past and present

The Salvation Army in the eastern suburbs has hosted its fair share of outstanding Salvationists.  

Major Rodney Towerton (pictured with wife Glenda) served as The Salvation Army’s chaplain to Long Bay Jail. He’d walk around the compound and call out at the door of each cell and talk to the inmates inside.

He tells his story in The Salvation Army publication, Just Say Yes:

Then this one bloke, who they regarded as one of the bad boys, invited me in. As I went in there, the warden said, We don’t like you doing that – we’re scared for you. The prisoner asked me to wait a minute. Then he went around the compound and said to the others, Come down to my cell, there’s an Army bloke who’s here to talk to us. So I had a gathering with them there. People say, why do you bother with prisoners and murderers and types like that? Some people would like to write them off but I see that, if they’re encouraged, they might just come good.

Major Rodney Towerton was promoted to glory (The Salvation Army term for passing away) in 2012.