Robert Edgar

Rv Alexander Robert Edgar United Kingdom 1850-1914. Born in Tipperary, Ireland, his family migrated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1855, where he went to All Saints School. In 1857 the family moved to St. Arnaud, where he attended day school to age 14. He was successively pupil-teacher, gold prospector, tutor, prospector again, and assistant to the district surveyor. Although Anglican, he was influenced to join the Methodist church in 1867. In 1869 he worked with his father at mining. Later, as a lay preacher, he gave his first sermon at Concongella Creek. He attended Wesley College in 1872 and was appointed to Kangaroo Flat in 1874, and in Inglewood in 1876, during which time 17 new churches were built. In 1878 he married Katharine Haslam, and they had eight children. He served several different churches over the next few years and also opened a 'ragged school' in a slum area. He was active in temperance and missions work. He was a good organizer, dynamic preacher and persuasive evangelist. In 1893 he became superintendant of the Central Methodist Mission at Wesley Church. Social issues began the Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening services in a rented theatre in 1900 used as a forum to launch the Forward Social Reform Movement, attacking gambling, liquor, prostitution, corruption, etc. Evening services were evangelistic. As a result, Edgar became chairman of the first Victorian wages board, dealing with several trades. He also served on an unemployment inquiry board in 1899-1900. He was instrumental in establishing various homes for underprivileged and promoting open-air religious meetings. In 1901 he became President of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, joining with the United Free Methodist, Bible Christian, and Primitive Methodist churches the following year. His workload took a toll on his eyes and general health, causing him to return to England for recuperation several times. He traveled there and to the U.S. Between 1906-1912 , preaching when he could. He died of heart disease at Hawthorn, Australia. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

John Perry