REG and MARJ WHITE - A RETROSPECTIVE 

Reg White and Marj White (yes, her maiden name was White) grew up in the Stanmore Baptist Church and were married there in August 1929 by Marj's uncle, Rev. C.J. Tinsley. Although living in Strathfield, they retained their church membership at Stanmore, but in the late 1930s were part of a group that established a Baptist Fellowship meeting in the Strathfield Council premises. That Fellowship was the forerunner of the Strathfield-Homebush Baptist Church. 

Reg was a Commonwealth Public Servant working in the Taxation Office in Sydney. In early 1940 he was promoted to a position in Canberra and the family -Reg, Marj, Don aged 9 and Diana 18 months - arrived in Canberra in May 1940, being fortunate to obtain tenancy of a government house at 45 Tasmania Circle, Forrest. The family immediately became members of the Canberra Church congregation. 

Also then living in Tasmania Circle were Mr and Mrs L.O. Brown (Yvonne Joyce's parents). Reg and Les Brown had worked together in Melbourne in the mid 1930s on the staff of the Royal Commission on Wool. Les, a very good gardener, gave much guidance and advice to Reg as he set about establishing a very productive vegetable, fruit and flower garden on the large block at No 45. Mrs Brown was also an inspiration to Marj as she turned her hand to flower arranging. A good part of the flowers grown at No 45 over many years were used in church floral decorations by Marj who was Floral Attendant from 1942 until well into the 1970s. Marj was also a Communion Attendant for the same period. 

Having been an organist at the Stanmore Church, Reg's musical talent was soon recognised and he served the Church as Assistant Organist from 1941 to 1945 and Organist from 1945 to 1969. Reg was active in many other areas of the Church's life - Deacon from 1941 to 1962; Assistant Treasurer 1941-1949; Sunday School Superintendent 1958-1961 and Choir Conductor 1947-1949 - his service being recognised by his appointment as Life Deacon in 1962. 

A committed 'do-it-yourself' man, Reg was involved in many work projects around the church property - roof repairs, painting, grounds maintenance etc. In 1953 he organised and supervised the painting of the church interior by a group of volunteers. In 1962 the paving of the area between the church and the newly completed Waldock Hall was a major project. Much work was done by Saturday working bees, but Reg also arranged for loads of ready-mix concrete, unable to be delivered at the end of a working day, to be dumped at the church rather than wasted. Some older members of the congregation remember being phoned at their workplace at around 4 pm by Reg with the message and request "there is a load of concrete being delivered in 30 minutes - can you come and help lay it." 

Although convinced that the best committee was one with 2 or 3 members only and with himself as chairman, Reg did participate in many joint ventures. He served a term as President of the Association of Baptist Churches of the ACT and, with Gordon Chaffer as Secretary, Reg chaired a Coordinating Committee of local church representatives that undertook all the arrangements for holding the Triennial Assembly of the Baptist Union of Australia in Canberra in August 1968. 

In 1947 Reg White was promoted to be Chief Executive Officer in the Department of Health to organise the implementation of the new health scheme proposed by the Labor Government. Following a change of Government in 1949, Reg remained as the principal architect of the National Health Scheme that operated from 1950 until replaced by the Medibank arrangements of 1973. Reg's hard work was recognised by the award of an OBE in 1961 and he retired as First Assistant Director-General in 1964. His breadth of knowledge and experience in the health field was used to the full as a member of the Regional Board of the NSW Baptist Homes Trust in the planning of Morling Lodge Nursing Home. 

As with many of his generation, Reg was prepared to fight above his weight when necessary. In 1940 Reg and Marj bought their first car - a new Ford V8 sedan. The car soon had some mechanical trouble and Reg was able to prove that on its delivery drive from Sydney, the car had been driven in excess of the recommended speed limitations (30 mph for the first 500 miles etc). He argued strongly that this had caused the trouble and the Ford Motor Co eventually replaced the original car with a new one. Then in 1949 the family (including Rosemary who had arrived in 1946), driving home from a Sunday morning church service, were involved in an accident at the corner of Empire Circuit and Arthur Circle being struck on the passenger side by a Jeep carrying a child's cot across the bonnet. The White's car rolled a couple of times and was badly damaged but the occupants escaped with bruising only. The Jeep, owned by the Canadian High Commission, was driven by a staff member and diplomatic immunity came into play. At the time new cars were in short supply and long waiting lists were involved. However, Reg's vigorous representations, including correspondence with the Canadian Prime Minister, resulted in elevation to the top of the waiting list and delivery early in 1950 of a new Ford Customline sedan. 

Severely handicapped by an attack of encephalitis in 1972, Reg entered a frustrating period when he could no longer play the piano, drive a car or use his woodworking tools. His speech became hesitant and in 1974 Reg and Marj moved to Torrens to live in a self-contained flat attached to Don and Merle's home. Reg's health further deteriorated in 1980 and he died in Morling Lodge in December of that year. Marj died peacefully in her sleep at home in June 1982.

Don White

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