Joseph Robertson MA was an Australian Congregationalist minister.
History
Robertson, a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson, was born in London to William Robertson, who was a follower of Dr. Thomas Chalmers during the Church of Scotland schism, and his wife Jane Stevenson Robertson. William became a Congregationalist under the influence of Rev. Samuel Martin, who baptised the young Joseph. They emigrated Australia, and settled in Ipswich, Queensland, before moving to Camdenville, New South Wales, where William was employed as a timber merchant, and Joseph was educated. He worked for the Panama, New Zealand and Australian Mail Company for five years, then was influenced by the missionary James Chalmers to prepare for missionary work. He began night studies at the Sydney School of Arts, winning prizes in English, Latin and Greek. He then studied privately for a year under Rev. B. Quaife, then entered Camden College, where he studied theology under Rev. S. C. Kent and Rev. Dr. Fraser in conjunction with his course at Sydney University, where he was captain of the Rugby Football Club. He graduated BA in 1873, and was offered the pastorate of the Augustine Congregational Church, Hawthorn, Victoria, where he served for three years from 1872 to 1875. He completed his MA in 1877. He served at of the Beresford Street Congregational Church, Auckland from 1877 to January 1886, and oversaw its rapid expansion, with the establishment of Mount Eden and three other branch churches. While there he helped found the Congregational Union of New Zealand in 1884, and was its first chairman. He was minister of the church inPetersham, New South Wales from December 1886 to June 1890, during which time the church was enlarged and a fine organ installed. He was called to take charge of Stow Memorial Church, Adelaide during the absence of W. Roby Fletcher, who had resigned for travel purposes, and commenced at Stow in August, 1890, Rev. D. W. Simon D.D. having filled in for the interim. He was chairman of the Congregational Union in the year 1894-5. Among his achievements was placing the church on a firm financial footing, with a modest surplus where there had been a substantial mortgage of £4,000 and overdraft of £500. He left Stow in 1904 to take charge of Clayton Congregational Church, Adelaide's other major Congregational chapel. He left Clayton Church in February 1909, again with the proud record of seeing church debt wiped out, and membership and attendance of both church and Sunday-school at an all-time high, and a good attendance at mid-week services. While in Adelaide he was an active supporter of the YMCA, O.B.I. and Christian Endeavour, the Missionary Training Home, the Anti-Gambling League, and the Deaf and Dumb Institution. His next call was to the Central Congregational Church in Ipswich, Queensland, a church with twelve branches and four assistant ministers, where Rev. W. J. L. Closs BA. had served from 1899 to 1908. Attendances were low for some time, then picked up around 1912. When The Great War broke out many men from Ipswich volunteered, and some did not return, including one of Robertson's sons, killed at Gallipoli. Robertson resigned in April 1916 and retired from Ipswich in July 1916, and was replaced by F. V. Dowling MA. He accepted a temporary charge of the Campbell Memorial Church at Roseville, New South Wales where he served from September 1916, followed by Randwick and Redfern churches. He died at Strathfield, New South Wales. He was described in 1953 as
"A man of sound scholarship, of Old World dignity and a good simple preacher went about his work steadily... Mr. and Mrs. Robertson were a tower of strength, and themselves knew the fellowship of loss and suffering."
Family
Joseph Robertson married Catherine Ross Wilson, adopted daughter of Rev. S. C. Kemt, Principal of Camden College, on 6 January 1875. Their children included:
Raymond Wilson "Ray" Robertson married Elizabeth Candy Shannon on 1 June 1909. Ray was a deacon of Stow Memorial Church. Their son Paul played for Sturt Football Club.
Faith Katharine Dorothea Robertson married G Watson Hargreaves MSc. on 4 June 1919, later lived with her mother in Sydney.
Their home for many years was at 49 Redunyre Road, Strathfield, New South Wales. His brother James Robertson married Mary Jane Steel, eldest daughter of Rev. Robert Steel D.D., M.A., PhD. on 18 April 1880, a double wedding. His sister Margaret Jane Cameron Robertson married Captain James Watt, of the ship Halloween on 9 July 1874.
