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Southland Of The Holy Spirit

This amazing book contains the most extensive research undertaken on Australia’s biblical heritage. In a day when Australians are confused about their identity, this book provides answers to the questions: “Who are we? “, “Where have we come from?” and “Where are we going?” When, in 1601, Pedro Ferdinand de Quiros called this land "Terra Australis del Espiritu Santo” or literally, Southland of the Holy Spirit, was he speaking prophetically that God has a purpose for our nation? Building upon this remarkable proclamation, Dr Kotlowski’s astonishing work provides insights and information not previously assembled. The book includes 15 chapters, appendices, bibliography and index. An excellent resource for students of Australian history for public libraries and schools.

$23.95

Endorsements

Our important Christian heritage in Australia has been kept a secret. It has been censored in our education system, the media and society. Elizabeth Kotlowski has provided an invaluable service to our nation at this critical point in our history . . .May God use this inspiring historical record to inspire the Christians of Australia to renew Australia through the power of the Holy Spirit, as ‘One Nation Under God’.

Rev. Fred Nile, M.L.C. Parliamentary Leader, Call to Australia Christian Party

Where was this book when I was learning about Australian history? How come in primary school history, I did not learn of the marvelous provision made to us of a constitution that protects the individual from the injustices so prevalent in the nations that do not have the lawful restraints over the power brokers? This may well be one of the most significant books written about Australia this century.

Tom Hallis, Youth with a Mission, Director of South East Asia and Pacific

In these days when most writers go out of their way to avoid the influence of religion, Dr. Kotlowski makes it very clear that some of our greatest achievers were pioneers motivated by their Christian faith. Her chapters on John Flynn and Caroline Chisholm are prime examples. Australia needs more books like this.

Rev. Dr. Gordon G. Powell, Christian Author

The underlying hypothesis of this book is that Australia was founded as a Christian nation with a God-given destiny. Elizabeth Kotlowski challenges its readers to see God’s hand at work in the events that have shaped the history of this country. . . . It includes a valuable collection of data on the early story of Christian endeavour and has an extremely useful section outlining the early history of schooling in this country.

Rev. Robert J. Frisken, President, Christian Community Schools

Excerpts

Southland of the Holy Spirit: A Christian History of Australia

A typical school day at Johnson’s school started at a quarter to nine with the tolling of the church bell to alert children that school was starting in fifteen minutes. On the stroke of nine, the children solemnly walked in, under the stern eye of the head teacher from the rostrum. A few early birds got window seats, while the little ones perched precariously on the adult-size rough wooden benches, with their legs dangling. The two assistant teachers ushered their classes to the corners of the building, as far apart as possible since there were no walls to separate classes. Each teacher had a box for his canes, textbooks, paper, quills, slates, ink-powder and soft lead pencils. In the absence of blackboards and steel nibs, the writing instructor spent much time in sharpening quills (made from magpie feathers) and in demonstrating how to keep the points sharp. The children dipped their quills into home-made ink as they wrote on scraps of paper,  “Schools, independent:administration” \r “bk0″ which was expensive at one pound for a ream of foolscap. The alphabet was scratched on framed squares of wet sand or on tiles. In the infant colony, all school supplies were in short supply and had to be requisitioned through the government stores. A typical order included “slates purchased at 4d. each, lead pencils at 3d., quills at 1s. for twenty, and ink-powder at 3d. a packet”Johnson had brought 150 copies of Dixon’s Speller with him. Besides the ABC’s and selected syllables, it included prose excerpts with religious and moral content, as well as the basics of grammar, punctuation, geography and history. The spellers were part of a package of 4000 books donated by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) “Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK)”  and sent out with the First Fleet, and shipped and stored at government expense.
Other school supplies included Prayer Books, Psalters, New Testaments and Bibles, as well as tracts with such cautionary titles as: Exercises Against Lying, Dissuasions from Stealing, and Exhortations to Chastity. After mastering the speller, the student moved to the primer which included the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments. Textbooks included only occasional pictures. Writing samples were prepared by the masters, while popular arithmetic texts were Walkinham’s Arithmetic and Thomas Dilworth’s The Schoolmaster’s Assistant. The lower grades cut their teeth on addition and subtraction exercises (of pounds, yards, gallons and leagues). More meaty problems for the upper grades included: “What is the Root of this Squared Square-Cube: 10279563944029090291760398073856″ (pages 123 to 24)?

And

What a feast they had that night! Eyre observed:
For once Wylie admitted that his belly was full. He commenced by eating a pound and a half of horse-flesh, and a little bread; he then ate the entrails, paunch, liver, lights, tail, and two hind legs of the young kangaroo; next followed a penguin, that he found dead upon the beach. Upon this he forced down the whole of the hide of the kangaroo after singeing the hair off, and wound up this meal by swallowing the tough skin of the penguin; he then made a little fire, and laid down to sleep, and dreamt of the pleasures of eating, nor do I think he was ever happier in his life than at that moment (page189).