Ronald Arrowsmith HICKIN

HICKIN, RONALD ARROWSMITH (b. Tamworth, NSW, 7 Mar 1911; d. Sydney, NSW, 9 May 1988). Writer, Anglican clergyman.

The second son of a builder, Ron Hickin left school at 15 to work with his father. Soon discovering that he had not inherited practical skills (his first and only structure — an outhouse — fell down), he turned to the study of accountancy gaining his AASA in 1939 and was for 13 years accountant-secretary of a group of American companies in Australia. A gifted writer, he contributed to Australian and overseas journals in the areas of accounting, taxation, and management. From 1934 he was a regular contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald writing articles on religious and missionary topics and was often asked to write the editorial at Christmas and Easter.

Hickin was editor of the Sydney Diocesan Magazine for 10 years, contributing editor for Australia of the world-wide Church of England newspaper Pan-Anglican, public relations officer diocese of Sydney, chairperson programme committee of the Christian TV Association in NSW and in 1967 wrote Abundance of Rain, the history of the Bible Society in Australia.

After successfully completing his ThL in 1943 he was ordained by the abp of Sydney and became home secretary of CMS NSW and curate in charge of the provisional district of Kingsgrove-Bexley North. A close friend of Abp Howard Mowll, who affectionately addressed him as 'Hick', Ron represented the abp at the meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC in Budapest 1956. He served as rector of All Saints' Cammeray 1945-48, St Paul's Redfern 1948-56 and was rural dean of Cook's River 1954-56. After a year in the UK ministering at St Giles', Ashtead, he returned to Sydney as rector of St Andrew's Sans Souci 1957-60 and then became deputy Commonwealth Secretary of the Bible Society 1960-73. He graduated BA Sydney University 1965.

His strong evangelical commitment to the Word of God and his desire that the gospel should be spread by word and life resulted in a keen interest in missionary endeavour. He was honorary secretary of the National Missionary Council of Australia 1935-37, 1949-60 and honorary secretary of the Anglican Missionary Council 1954-56. He organised the Good Friday Procession through the streets of Sydney for many years and the Town Hall Rally which followed. His support for the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade was noted in the official Crusade records for the hundreds of people he took by bus night after night and the large number of referrals that resulted.

His thoughtful preaching and pastor's heart endeared him to his parishioners. Together with his wife Madelon (Arrowsmith), a gifted public speaker and a great support in his ministry, Ron worked tirelessly for the spread of the gospel and his significant contribution to the Australian church was characterised by a quiet humility.

ROBYN CLAYDON