An old Army hall close to Iris’ heart
- deansimpson7
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
An old wooden Salvation Army hall has played an endearing role in the life of Iris Hill.
In 1952, Lieutenant Iris Hill, early in her service as a Salvation Army officer, took up an appointment as the corps officer at Blackbutt in Queensland’s rural south-east.
For the following 18 months, she delivered sermons in a small wooden hall that served as the Blackbutt Corps.
Fast forward 72 years, and now-retired Colonel Iris Hill, aged 95, has once again preached in that same hall.
The hall, however, is no longer in Blackbutt, as it was moved to The Salvation Army Riverview Farm, west of Brisbane, in 2010, where it was renovated and officially opened as the farm’s chapel in 2012.
On 27 July 2025, Iris delivered a sermon at the Riverview Farm chapel, where she attends every week.
Her topic was the Apostle Paul. When asked why she chose to preach on Paul, Iris said that he was a favourite of hers because he was “so complex, he did so much, gave us so much teaching and taught us how to become like Jesus”.
When asked if the hall looked any different from what she remembered, she replied, “Well, it wasn’t painted then.”
During her appointment at Blackbutt (from May 1952 to December 1953), Iris said her favourite part about being there was “the friendly people”. She pastored six people on Sundays and ran a bustling Home League and Sunday School ministry.
After her Blackbutt appointment, she married Bert, whom she met at Officer Training College, and their first appointment as a couple was at Mount Morgan Corps, six hours up the road near Rockhampton.
Iris and Bert, who were part of the 1949 Peacemakers session of cadets, went on to serve in appointments from 1954 to 1991, when they entered retirement.
Among their corps appointments were Mount Morgan, Mackay, Hermit Park, Armidale, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. They also held roles in public relations, social services, chaplaincy and Iris in women’s ministries. Bert was Assistant Chief Secretary of the former Australia Eastern Territory from 1985-89.
Back to the old hall, and today, it is home to a vibrant community of people from all walks of life, says Melissa Ferdinands, Business Supervisor at Bundamba Corps, which oversees operations at Riverview Farm. The farm runs a social enterprise wholesale nursery and market garden, ‘Watch Them Grow’, which provides a place of work and respite for people from all walks of life.
“There’s stand-up and sit-down singing – everyone’s in the choir – the prayer times are the highlight, and each week a different person preaches,” Melissa said.
“Recently, we’ve been led by some 18 and 19-year-old members of our congregation.”
But Iris would definitely be the oldest ... and wisest, says Melissa.
As we reflect on Iris, preaching with a steady smile from handwritten notes, and on her story, coming back full circle to preach in the same hall after so many years, we can’t help but rejoice and thank God for people like her who remind us that God has been, and continues to be, faithful to all generations.
