Carey Wootton TOLLEY

TOLLEY, CAREY WOOTTON (b. Ludlow, England, 1899; d. Southport, Qld, 2 Jan 1969). Missionary with Borneo Evangelical Mission.

Tolley was a delicate child and on medical advice the family migrated to Melbourne where his mother's sister had settled. After attending Caulfield Grammar he worked for a while before studying at Burnely Agricultural college. He then studied at MBI 1927-8.

C H Nash (q.v.) encouraged Tolley, C H Southwell (q.v.) and F T Davidson (q.v.) who founded the Borneo Evangelical Mission on 31 Aug 1928, and in October the trio sailed for Borneo. There they worked inland among the Iban, Murut and Kelabit tribes. After a while Tolley separated from the others and worked among another group of Ibans along the Lubai River: he was the first missionary to go to that area. After 10 years in Borneo Tolley returned to Melbourne. He bought a property and farmed at Balnarring. However the Victorian winters were not kind to his health and he moved to Terrigal and then Peats Ridge in NSW before retiring to Currumbin in Qld. In 1935 while on leave he married Florence Roberts-Thomson of Wynyard, Tas. They had three children: Elspeth, Malcolm and Sue. Tolley was a Brethren but went to whatever local church was convenient. He was a quiet, shy and tolerant man, and lived a consistent Christian life. The work in Borneo was close to his heart.

DARRELL PAPROTH