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HUTHNANCE, JOHN FRANCIS GILBERT (1872–1945), pioneer Church Missionary Society (CMS)
missionary to the Roper River Mission, was born in Melbourne in 1872. He was appointed by the CMS to be the
leader of the founding party to establish the Society’s first mission to the Aborigines in Arnhem Land at Roper
River. R D Joynt from Melbourne and Charles Sharp from Daylesford were the other two members.
The party left Melbourne on 10 July 1908 and arrived at the Roper River Mission site on 29 August 1908.
The first service of Holy Communion was held on that day, under a tree. Joynt later wrote: ‘August 29, 1908—
landed at Roper River where the present Mission is situated. Home-sick, but full of love for these poor degraded
blacks around us for whom Christ died.’ Huthnance spent the next fourteen months supervising the establishment
of the new mission. Medical work was performed only to the limit of the missionaries’ knowledge, but with a high
success rate. However, the work was difficult, the climate was exhausting and the isolation was keenly felt. He left
the mission on special leave in order to bring his wife back to Roper River, arriving in Melbourne in October- While in Melbourne, Huthnance submitted several reports praising the work of the mission and with great
expectations for its development. However, in January 1910 he tendered his resignation because he felt the mission
was an unsuitable place for his wife and family to live.
K Cole, Roper River Mission 1908–1968, 1969; CMS Records, Melbourne; R D Joynt, Ten Years Work at Roper River Mission 1908–1918.
KEITH COLE, Vol 1.