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Canon Collick
Edward Mallan Collick (1868-1959) was born and later trained in London. He was sent as a missionary to the WA goldfields in 1894. As chaplain, he served in the Boer War in 1901. After a period in London, he returned to Kalgoorlie in 1905, and then again served as a chaplain in WW1 1915-19.
In 1924-50, Collick was canon of St George's Cathedral and rector of St John's, Fremantle, where he was a familiar figure, known particularly for his self-denying generosity. Judging from the references to him in the memoirs of former pupils of Fremantle Primary School, he was a memorable and popular visitor.
He died in poverty in Mount Hospital, Perth; a church in Coolgardie was in 1959 rebuilt and renamed Canon Collick Memorial Church.
Malcolm Yates:
Canon Collick was well known in Fremantle. He was the minister at St John's Anglican Church in Fremantle Square. I used to sing in the church choir in the 40s.
Malcolm Yates [born 1936] in 'Fifty years on', in Karen Lang & Jan Newman 2004, Wharf Rats and Other Stories: 100 Years of Growing up in Fremantle, Fremantle Primary School: 182.
The c. 1930 photo is from the Fremantle Library #3583.
The accompanying text follows:
Edward Mallan (Henry) Collick was born 4.11.1868, son of Charles and Rosetta. He arrived in 1894, after being ordained an Anglican priest in 1894, and worked as a missionary in the Goldfields. He was Canon of St George's in Perth and Rector of St John's in Fremantle from 1924 to 1950, where he worked for the welfare of prisoners and seamen. Canon Collick retired in 1950, was awarded an OBE and died on 3.06.1959.
References and Links
Doncaster, EW & Elizabeth Willis 1981, Entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, MUP, vol. 8.
Lang, Karen & Jan Newman 2004, Wharf Rats and Other Stories: 100 Years of Growing up in Fremantle, Fremantle Primary School, passim.
Lee, Bruce 1973, Entry (one page) on Canon Collick in A History of St John's Church, Fremantle, Western Australia, copy in Fremantle History Centre, LH 283.9411LEE
LIFE OF SERVICE.
CANON COLLICK'S JUBILEE.
Commemoration Today.
Canon Edward Mallan Collick, rector of St John's Church, Fremantle, will celebrate the 50th year of his ordination into the Anglican priesthood today. Almost the whole period of this long ministry has been spent in this State. He is a bachelor and attained his 75th birthday on November 4 last.
After his ordination as deacon at St Andrew's, Horton, England. in 1892, Canon Collick continued to work in the slum areas, an occupation for which he had early showed a particular aptitude. He was ordained priest in St Panl's Cathedral, London, on December 21, 1893, and a few months later was attracted by an advertisement caling for a priest to minister to 10,000 miners on the WA goldflelds. The Rev C. O. L. Riley had just been chosen as the third Bishop of Perth and Mr Collick acted as chaplain at his consecration in Westminster Abbey. He arrived at Coolgardie in 1894 and remained on the Eastern Goldfields for 30 years. During that time, owing to his many acts of kindness and his sincerity, he endeared himself to goldfields people and made many friends. He was at Menzies in 1898 and at Boulder In 1897-1901. In 1901 he went as chaplain of the WA contingent to the South African war.
The call to Fremantle came in 1924, Canon Collick assuming his present post In July of that year. He has also been chairman of the Fremantle Missions to Seamen since its inception in 1930 and has acted as army, senior navy and prison chaplain.
To mark the Canon's jubilee Holy Eucharist will be celebrated in St John's Church, Fremantle, this morning at 7 o'clock. Three clergymen will assist Canon Collick at the service which will be fully choral, and communicants from outlying parishes are invited to attend. The service will be followed by a parishioners' breakfast in St John's Hall. Canon Collick will be tendered a complimentary luncheon by members of the clergy at Boans Ltd, at 12.15 pm today when references his career and a presentation will be made.
The West Australian, Tuesday 21 December 1943, page 2.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 23 November, 2014 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/collick.html (it was last updated on 25 January, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.