Blog – Picton & Wilton Anglican Churches

John & Eileen Bicknell

09/04/2025 / Ben

Interview with John & Eileen Bicknell

This interview is a part of a series to commemorate 175 years of St. Mark’s Anglican Church.

When did you start attending St. Mark’s? What was church life like for you then?

John: In 1949. St. Mark’s was the church that we “Barnado Boys” – stationed at Mowbray Park Farm Training School – attended at times, upon migrating from England after the Second World War.

Eileen: I came to St Mark’s Parish at the end of 1956. I was confirmed at St. Marks in 1964, but in about ‘65/’66, I started attending a big youth group that the Parish had on a Saturday evening. Forty to fifty teenagers and above were in this big group. So I met John there but I wasn’t dating. I was there with three of my brothers.

John: Before Eileen and I married, I was co-opted into driving Picton High School students to the youth group held in the rectory, on what is now Remembrance Drive; the Reverend Barry “JB” Schofield presiding. I was about 25 years old then, perhaps younger. Many of those students became Christians. Some became very long lasting friends. [JB is pictured alongside John & Eileen in the accompanying photo.]

Eileen, what can you remember about your marriage proposal from John?

I was nursing, and it was 4 years (of training) in those days, and we were dating. We’d been dating for 8 or 12 months or so… John asked if I was going to do midwifery. And he’d already told me that he wanted 12 children! I thought, no, I don’t want to do midwifery if I’m going to have 12 children. So I said I’d be interested in doing psychiatry nursing. John said, “How long does that take?”, and I said, “Two years.” So he said no, we’ll get married instead. Later on he did give a romantic proposal, at Manly Beach.

Your wedding ceremony was held at St. Mark’s. What can you share with us about that special day?

Eileen: It was a lovely day. I think we had a 5pm evening wedding, on March 13th, 1971. We’re not superstitious so that didn’t worry us. Everything went along nicely. The church then didn’t look much different than it does now. The font for baptism was at the other end of the church when you first came into the double doors. There was no technology centre for screens on the wall. Everything was in books in those days; all the service, all the songs. Lots of our family and friends came. John didn’t have that many family but there were locals from Lakesland, where he lived.

John: I had no idea what I was doing. (Laughs). No, it was a fantastic wedding. All I was concerned with was making sure I said yes!

Following your marriage you remained a part of the congregation at St Mark’s for years.

John: Our 4 children were all christened in St. Mark’s. I held many positions over the years, including as the Treasurer for about thirty years. I’ve attended marriages, funerals, and many a working bee – especially after floods swept through the building.

Thanks, John & Eileen!

Interviewed by Rachel Winn

Interview with Peter Tasker – 175 years of God’s Faithfulness in Picton

20/03/2025 / Ben

Interview with Bishop Peter Tasker – 9 minutes. Part of a series of videos marking the 175th anniversary of St Mark’s – 16th July 2025.

175 Years of God’s Faithfulness in Picton.

175 years of St Mark’s: Interview with Charlie Dunn

12/03/2025 / Ben

**This interview is a part of a series to commemorate 175 years of St. Mark’s Anglican Church.**

When did you start attending church at St. Mark’s, and what are some of your early memories of the church?

I started coming to St. Mark’s in about 1966. My mother and father, who lived in Redbank, in Upper Picton, got a housing commission down on Menangle Street. We moved from the Methodist church in Redbank to start attending St. Mark’s. I don’t have many memories of St. Mark’s at that stage because of being so young, but as time went on I went to Sunday School. There were no actual rooms for Sunday School: in one part of the church you’d have the first class, in another part you’d have the second class, in another part you’d have kindergarten…right up to the sixth class and high school. The members of the congregation in the morning would go outside and sit on stools and they would listen to the Rector give a sermon, while the children would have their Sunday Schools classes in the church building. In the mid-eighties there was a cottage set up (outside the church building). A friend of mine, Barry, and his wife, Denise, became the youth pastors, and they ran and based an outreach in the cottage, with their young family. The cottage is gone now but from that, about 10 or more young people became strong Christians and went off into ministry, as missionaries overseas with YWAM, and some also attended bible college. The best thing was, everybody that came to St. Mark’s was accepted for who they were. There was no groups of friends and such. Everybody was accepted, everybody was loved. What attracts people to church is, I believe, a strong group of Christians who are open to sharing and caring and accepting people.

What are some ways that the church engaged with the congregation and community during this time?

St. Mark’s in that time used to have missionary conventions. These were held in Victoria Park on Menangle Street, in the agricultural hall. It would run for one week, starting on a Saturday and finishing the following Saturday. Basically, every night they would have movies or a speaker from a different mission from around the world who would come and talk about a variety of things. Many people were saved because the Rector (of St. Marks) would give altar calls, where people could come and receive Jesus. The convention went on for about 20 years, from around 1956 to about 1976. There were thousands of people visiting over the twenty years and many peoples’ lives were changed.

In the early seventies, the Rector, JB Schofield, bought a double decker bus, which the church paid for and looked after. That bus was used from about 1972, right up until JB retired in 2000. It was used for many different things: we went on Outback safaris to Coopers Creek and Cameron’s Corner; we went to South Australia and the Flinders Ranges and to Coonabarabran and the Warrenbungles. St. Mark’s was always a place that was exciting – there was always something happening. We were always doing something adventurous. The bus would collect kids from the high school, from year 7 to year 9. They would come down for 2 hours first thing in the morning to have a seminar in the church, where they would black the windows out to make it look like a picture theatre. The children weren’t “churched” at all, so, there was one time, I remember, when the lights came on, and one of the ushers – we had to have ushers to make sure the kids were under control – found a young couple having a pash! The church would be packed. Upstairs, downstairs… the Rector would sometimes show a movie and the kids loved it – it was getting out of school, it was something different, it was an excursion. That was held once a month on a Thursday. The bus and the fellowship and the friendship of people is what made St. Mark’s what it was, along with good bible teaching, prayer and leadership. Church has changed and people change; at the moment it is a different demographic, but who knows what’s going to happen in the next 10 years? It could all change again.

It’s amazing where St. Mark’s is today. Who knows what the next adventure is.

Interviewed by Rachel Winn.

Jesus, Beer and Pizza – Men’s Event

10/03/2025 / Ben

Learn how to make a wood fired pizza from scratch while taste testing three different beers (and eating your pizza)! We will also be hearing about how Jesus has worked in the life of some of the men at Wilton Anglican.

5-8pm on Saturday 12th April at Wilton Anglican Church. $20 per person.
*Dietary options available.
**Boys welcome under the supervision of their dads (but will not be drinking beer).

Click here to buy tickets