ABBA
Reverend Hilda May
30 May 1918 — Unknown
Also known as: Reverend Hilda May Abba, Hilda May Blackham. First woman in Australia ordained as Theological Lecturer (Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney: 1951)
Additional Information
1936: Hilda May entered Homerton College, Cambridge, where she qualified as a teacher.
1943: Attained a Bachelor of Arts (hons) in History at Sheffield University, UK.
1948: Appointed Tutor at Camden College, Sydney, NSW
1951: Attained Bachelor of Divinity at Melbourne College of Divinity and ordained at Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney, on 8 October 1951.
1952: She became Lecturer in Church History, United Faculty of Theology, St Andrew's College, University of Sydney, and Minister of Balmain Congregational Church, Sydney.
1955: Returned with her family to the United Kingdom
1955-1976: Hilda was the head of religious education in various technical, comprehensive and grammar schools in the United Kingdom.
1977: Hilda and her husband returned to Australia to take up a joint ministry in the Hampton Uniting Church Parish, Melbourne.
1980: Began another joint ministry at St John's Uniting Church, Essendon, Melbourne.
1982: Joint Ministers of St John's Uniting Church, Cowes, on Phillip Island, Victoria.
MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILLIATIONS
Hilda May Abba was a member of the Society for Old Testament Study (in the United Kingdom), the Fellowship for Biblical Studies (Australia), the Australian Federation of University Women and the Australian College of Education.
Resources
Image - Reverend Hilda May Abba. Image courtesy of Hilda May Abba
References
Abba, Hilda May,1948. "Church and Society", The Venture: New South Wales.
Abba, Hilda May,1951 - 1955. "The Beginnings of Congregationalism", The Congregationalist: New South Wales.
The International register of profiles. 1976. Cambridge, England.
The Sydney Morning Herald. 1951. "Mrs. H. M. Abba Ordained A Minister" October 9.
