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Find out all you ever wanted to know about Quakers here. If these don't answer your questions, feel free to send a query to our national office.
Origin of the Society
The Religious Society of Friends had its origin in England in the seventeenth century. It sprang from the religious experience of George Fox, but numbers of Seekers had already separated themselves from the churches and were meeting together for worship without any ordained priests or ministers, and without the use of any rites such as baptism or the eucharist. The basis of their worship was silently waiting upon God. Many of the Seekers turned to Fox as their leader, and in course of time the Religious Society of Friends emerged … more
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Quakers in Australia
The first Quakers in Australia
The first Quaker on Australian soil was Sydney Parkinson, an artist employed by the botanist Joseph Banks, sailing with James Cook. They landed briefly in 1770. It was not until 1832 that the Society first took root in Australia, as a result of a visit by two English Friends, James Backhouse and George Washington Walker, sent by British friends on a six-year journey around south-east Australia to enquire into the condition of the penal settlements i and the welfare of the Aborigines and free settlers.
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Quakers and Australia's Penal Colonies
Sending convicts to British colonies was introduced by King Charles II of England 'for preventing dangers that may arise from certain persons called Quakers', but very few of the Convicts sent to Botany Bay were Quakers, usually sad cases who would now be treated for alcoholism or mental illness. Two Quakers appear in the NSW muster (census) of 1828.
English Quaker Elizabeth Fry and her helpers visited every convict ship of women prisoners, to provide them with something useful to do on the long tedious voyage to Botany Bay, such as needles and cotton and handiwork. (from Charles Stevenson, in Walking Cheerfully, SA Quaker Newsletter, August 2005 p. 10)
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Development in Australia
The Religious Society of Friends was first established in Australia after the visit in the 1830s of James Backhouse and George Washington Walker from England. These two Friends drew together the few members of the Society in Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales in regular Meetings for Worship.
The number of Friends in Australia increased during the 1850s at the end of the gold rush decade and in 1861 London Yearly Meeting formally recognised the Meetings in Hobart, Melbourne and Adelaide. Later came recognition of the Meetings in Sydney, Brisbane, Rockhampton and Ballarat.
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Quakers in Australian society
By the 1880s Quakers had established the Friends' School in Hobart, the Elizabeth Fry retreat for 'fallen women' in Melbourne, and the Gospel Temperance Hall in Adelaide. The Peace Movement was launched in 1888.
At first, a General Meeting for Australia was established as a Quarterly Meeting of London Yearly Meeting. In 1964, under the Clerkship of David Hodgkin, Friends in Australia became an independent Yearly Meeting with its own Handbook of Practice and Procedure.
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Quakers in Australia today
There are about a half a million Quakers worldwide. In Australia, there are around 1000 members and about 1000 attenders, i.e. people who worship with Quakers regularly but who have not applied for membership.
Quakers continue to take action for peace and the service arm, Quaker Service Australia provides development assistance within Australia, Asia and Africa.
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Other resources for Quaker history
The National Library of Australia holds archives on Australian Quakers. ...more
University of Tasmania Archives have extensive Quaker holdings … more
Quaker Children
Our Meetings value their children. A child who is an active participant in our Quaker communities may be listed as a 'child or youth of the meeting'.
Read more here
For activities and interests of those age 16 to 30 Read here
Quaker funerals
10.2 It is possible that at the time of death we receive some of our most helpful insights into the meaning of life. While we need to show our loving sympathy for those who are bereaved, sorrow will be tempered by thankfulness for the life of the deceased …
There is no rigid pattern for the conduct of Quaker funerals. It will usually be felt that at the time of the funeral there should be a short Meeting for Worship after the manner of Friends, at the home, at the Meeting House, at the crematorium or at the graveside. It may also be appropriate to hold a Memorial Meeting for Worship at the Meeting House or elsewhere at a time different from the funeral — usually later … more
Friends are encouraged to maintain great simplicity in funeral arrangements and in the choice of gravestones. In burial grounds under the control of Friends it is traditional that uniformity should be preserved in respect to the materials, size and form of the stones as well as in the mode of placing them — so that no distinction is made between one person and another. (From Handbook of Practice and Procedure, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Australia Yearly Meeting, Fourth Edition 2004.)
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Memorial Meetings
A Memorial Meeting may be held at a different time from the Meeting for Worship at the funeral. This may give an opportunity for more friends to meet because it can be arranged outside working hours. It is a further opportunity to rejoice in the privilege of knowing the person who has died. This will be less formally organised and may last as much as an hour. Those who are present will have had more time to collect their thoughts and reflect on the life of the person. A testimony to the grace of God in the life of the deceased may be read at the memorial Meeting.
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Information which may be helpful to others at one's death
In the section on 'Right Ordering of Friends' Personal Affairs' in the Handbook (Section 10.1), Friends are advised 'to face with courage the advance of old age and as far as possible to make arrangements that will avoid laying an undue burden on others.
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Quaker Worship
The Meeting for Worship is central to the Quaker way of life. Quakers usually hold a public Meeting for about an hour on Sundays but they may gather at any time. The Meeting for Worship begins when people sit together in silence. They settle into a time of quiet worship in which daily preoccupations fall away and stillness gathers all over as they open themselves to the Spirit.
There are no programmed hymns, prayers or sermons during a Meeting for Worship in Australia. Sometimes an individual may feel guided to speak in order to share a particular insight or experience. The words are spoken in a sense of worship, not debate or lecture. Quakers find that during a Meeting for Worship both silence and speech can lead to spiritual renewal and growth.
Australian Quakers do not ordain ministers or appoint pastors. Instead, the responsibility for the quality of worship and pastoral care is shared by members of the group.
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Quaker membership
Becoming a member
5.1 During the formative years of the Religious Society of Friends there were no clearly defined rules for membership. Those who had been 'convinced of the Truth', regularly attended Meetings for Worship and were in agreement with Friends' other affirmations were considered as belonging to the Society. However, with increasing numbers, the custom of providing for the maintenance of impoverished members, or families of those in prison, eventually compelled the Society to scrutinise carefully the lists of those who claimed such privileges and at the 1737 London Yearly Meeting to make a clearer definition of membership.
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5.1.1 The meaning and responsibilities of membership
Today, membership is a recognised outward sign of an inner and spiritual commitment to a way of worship and life as lived within the Religious Society of Friends. We believe it is the love of God and the workings of the Inner Light in each individual that bring people to God. Many Friends will see their membership in terms of discipleship. Friends set no tests of doctrine but expect an attitude of seeking for the truth and of being 'a humble learner in the school of Christ'.
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5.1.2 Readiness for membership
When an attender expresses the wish to make the commitment to and accept the responsibilities of membership, the Religious Society of Friends requires the appropriate Regional Meeting to satisfy itself that the applicant sincerely desires to 'walk in the light' and appreciates the nature of the Society,… We are glad when some people, having had some experience of Quaker worship, feel that membership in the Society can help their spiritual growth, and we encourage them to apply for membership. … We are also concerned that they feel able to grow spiritually even though tensions arise in the life of the Meeting.
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What does membership mean?
For a number of groups, community was an important aspect of membership. "We travel our own spiritual journeytogether". Community is based on respect for the group and other individuals in the group. The sense of community also seems to underlie much of the discussion on commitment. That is, the commitment to the spiritual path leads to a commitment to the group, "holding each other tenderly". The sense of community led some Friends to minimise the distinction between attenders and formal members in the life of the Meeting …
In summary, then, Friends at Yearly Meeting 2000 seemed to be in general unity that membership is primarily a commitment to a spiritual quest. The spiritual commitment finds expression in the commitment to the group, which may be called the sense of community, accepting mutual dependence and responsibility. Though the public commitment of formal membership seems to be valid, the distinction between member and attender is less important than the spiritual commitment.
Friends will continue to consider the query: Which way forward with membership?
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Quaker faith practice
Quakers in Australia belong to the 'unprogrammed' tradition. They do not have clergy or programmed meetings. They do not preach or proseletise. They do not mark 'times and seasons', instead seeing each day as Holy. The basic Quaker belief of 'that of God' in each person provides challenges enough for each day's actions.
To read more of the British Faith & Practice, click here.
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Quaker testimonies
The word testimony is used by Quakers to describe a witness to the living truth within the human heart as it is acted out in everyday life.
(Quaker Faith and Practice, Britain Yearly Meeting 1994, 23.12)
These testimonies reflect the corporate beliefs of the Society, however much individual Quakers may interpret them differently according to their own light. They are not optional extras, but fruits that grow from the very tree of faith.
(Quaker Faith and Practice, Britain Yearly Meeting 1994, 23.12)
There re a number of testimonies that Friends try to live by — simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality. To find out more, click here
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Quaker weddings
2.1 Special Meeting for Worship
Marriages according to the usages of Friends shall be solemnised at a public Meeting for Worship held at a convenient time or place. The Meeting for this purpose shall be authorised by the Regional Meeting within the compass of which it is to be held. Attendance at such a Meeting by a sufficient number of Friends should be ensured in order that it may be rightly held in accordance with Friends' usages. (From Handbook of Practice and Procedure, Section 2 Marriage Procedure)
More questions about Quakers
Click on the question below for the answer. If only life were so simple!
The Meeting for Worship is central to the Quaker way of life. Quakers usually hold a public Meeting for about an hour on Sundays but they may gather at any time. The Meeting for Worship begins when people sit together in silence. They settle into a time of quiet worship in which daily preoccupations fall away and stillness gathers all over as they open themselves to the Spirit.
There are no programmed hymns, prayers or sermons during a Meeting for Worship in Australia*. Sometimes an individual may feel guided to speak in order to share a particular insight or experience. The words are spoken in a sense of worship, not debate or lecture. Quakers find that during a Meeting for Worship both silence and speech can lead to spiritual renewal and growth.
Australian Quakers do not ordain ministers or appoint pastors. Instead, the responsibility for the quality of worship and pastoral care is shared by members of the group.
Australian Quakers worship in the British, non-programmed tradition of silent worship where there are no set prayers, hymns, or order of service. Worldwide, the Religious Society of Friends includes a great diversity of beliefs and ways of worshipping, and programmed Friends in the Americas, Africa and Asia have pastors, song and prayer as part of their worship.
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Q: What do Quakers believe?
Quakers in Australia belong to the 'unprogrammed' tradition. They do not have clergy or programmed meetings. They do not preach or proseletise. They do not mark 'times and seasons', instead seeing each day as Holy. The basic Quaker belief of 'that of God' in each person provides challenges enough for each day's actions.
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Further reading
Advices and Queries - a traditional distillation of advice on living and helpful questions for self examination.
Quaker Faith and Practice - a British anthology of significant writings by a variety of Quakers spanning three centuries.
These books will be found in Meeting House libraries.
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Views of God
Quakers believe that each person can know God from personal experience and that this spiritual experience is a source of growth, enlightenment and love.
Quakers began as a radical Christian sect, but they do not believe inspiration is confined to one sacred book or that Truth can be defined by a creed. Many Quakers see Jesus as an example of life guided by God, and find that Jesus can show us how to live and love.
Words cannot convey the essence of spiritual experience, and individual Quakers will express their understanding in different ways. Quakers often speak of the 'Inner Light' and 'the Spirit': by these phrases they mean the divine stirrings within each of us, the promptings of God which illuminate our lives and lead us to make good and loving choices.
How can one be sure that this 'illumination' is indeed divine? Quakers share and test their ideas with others because they find that the insight of a group is more reliable than that of an individual. Valuable sympathy and guidance often comes from the pooled wisdom of the group - in fact a Society of Friends.
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Worship
The Meeting for Worship is central to the Quaker way of life. Quakers usually hold a public Meeting for about an hour on Sundays but they may gather at any time. The Meeting for Worship begins when people sit together in silence. They settle into a time of quiet worship in which daily preoccupations fall away and stillness gathers all over as they open themselves to the Spirit.
There are no programmed hymns, prayers or sermons during a Meeting for Worship. Sometimes an individual may feel guided to speak in order to share a particular insight or experience. The words are spoken in a sense of worship, not debate or lecture. Each meeting is unique and may be experienced as strengthening, enlightening, joyful or searching. Quakers find that during a Meeting for Worship both silence and speech can lead to spiritual renewal and growth.
Australian Quakers do not ordain ministers or appoint pastors. Instead, the responsibility for the quality of worship and pastoral care is shared by members of the group.
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Organisation
Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends - the formal name for the group. The Society began with people brought together by George Fox in England around 1650 and has spread world wide.
Each local meeting runs its own affairs with regular business meetings in which all members are encouraged to participate. Each Australian state also has a regular Regional Meeting and there is an annual Yearly Meeting that gathers Friends from around Australia. The meetings support an Australian secretary, currently based in Melbourne. There are also international links through the Friends World Committee for Consultation.
Business meetings are a spiritual exercise to find the will of God. In the process of decision making, the group seeks unity and no votes are taken. Women and men take an equal role in worship and business, as they have done from the beginning of the Society.
Some Quakers grow up in a Quaker family, but many people come to the Society as adults and find it is their spiritual home. Application for formal membership may follow if they find that Quakers provide a spiritual community where they can grow and contribute.
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Views of the World
Quakers believe that there is something of God in everyone and that every person is capable of giving and receiving love. Thus every person is valuable and oppression is never acceptable because it is also oppression of the spirit of God. Many Quakers are pacifists.
Early Friends were known for their strong code of self-denial, but these days they are open to joy and growth in all aspects of life.
Quakers try to live out their religion in their daily lives, and many feel called to serve others through voluntary work, their employment, or through their family life. Quaker Service Australia organises aid and development projects in Australia and overseas.
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Gay and Lesbian People in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
"Friends' spiritual experience has led us to a concern for personal integrity, social justice and for peace. We try to bring our lives and actions into conformity with our beliefs.
Quakers believe that there is 'that of God' in everyone and that all people have the same privileges and responsibilities regardless of race, age, creed, general or sexual orientation. We value all people and affirm the power and joy of all truly loving relationships.
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What if I live a long way from a Quaker Meeting?
In rural areas, often it is more difficult for people to find a Meeting for Worship close by.
If you are interested in starting a Meeting for Worship in your area, the first step is to ask the elders from a larger, established Meeting to work with you to establish a Meeting. New Meetings have begun in a number of states at the instigation of a few people and a public meeting for enquirers.
If you find you are alone in your interest in Quakers, you could write to the clerk of your state, asking whether there is anyone who might meet with you to worship. And you can join in correspondence with other Quakers around Australia.
Isolated Friends can join the Australia-Wide Quaker Fellowship and/or subscribe to The Australian Friend, the national quarterly magazine of Quakers in Australia, or to the Australia Yearly Meeting Secretary's Newsletter, to keep up with what is happening within the Religious Society of Friends in Australia.
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Q: What is the origin of the name Quakers?
According to William Oats, an Australian Quaker historian who wroteA Question of Survival, Quakers in Australia in the 19th Century, (UQP 1985) the original name by which the followers of George Fox were known as early as 1652 was ‘Friends in the Truth’. They did not look upon themselves as a separate sect. The term ‘Quaker’ was a nickname, coined as the result of a courtroom rejoinder by Fox to the judge, Gervase Bennett, who was examining him on a charge of blasphemy. Fox said that Justice Bennett ‘first called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God, and this was in the year 1650’./p>
The term ‘Society of Friends’ began to be used towards the end of the eighteenth century. Until the end of the eighteenth century the term ‘People called Quakers’ was in general use. The full descriptive term used now is ‘The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)’. ‘Quaker’ tends to be the more popular usage, the more distinctive, whereas ‘The Society of Friends’ carries an institutional flavour.
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Q: Where do Quakers worship?
A: A: Quakers have Meeting Houses, not Churches: find a Meeting House near you.
Some Meeting Houses in Australia are purpose built, others are a converted home. As well as the room where Friends meet for worship, the Meeting House usually includes a library, kitchen, offices, children's area and some offer accommodation for travelling Friends.
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