Don Roulston Buzzard

Appendix 4.2
Nellie’s nine years of service in China
Hong Kong

(All information on this page is from the Church Missionary Society unless otherwise stated.)

After arriving in Hong Kong on 18th August 1920, Nellie worked in a foundling home a former German institution which was taken over by the CMS. The children in this home were abandoned by their parents.

The Berlin Mission orphanage sheltered female babies and girls that were “thrown away” in southern China. Although strictly banned by Imperial Chinese law “throwing away” girls was a sad habit for poverty stricken southern Chinese parents. Girls were left to die in the fields, in the streets or were handed over as wasted girls to missionaries. Disabilities of all kinds were another reason to “throw out” a female child. Not many children were found in Hong Kong, but many were brought in baskets from the country districts of China. Some were in such a reduced condition when they were received that they died soon after.

The orphanage developed into a renowned school for disadvantaged Chinese girls. The girls excelled in the annual exams and took a career from “left to die in the streets” to a western and modern education. The aim of the Berlin Missionary Ladies was to raise “good Christian housewives” and to marry them off to good Christian Chinese husbands to spread the gospel into China. Some of them became nurses, teachers or even doctors. After leaving the orphanage they always kept a close contact with their former orphanage.

The Mission was closed in WW1 as it was enemy property and eventually re-instated as an orphanage by the CMS.

Although Nellie had only been in Hong Kong for 2 weeks, her superiors invited her to the CMS South China Conference in September 1920.

CMS South China Conference 1920

The same conference recommended that Nellie be transferred to Victoria House in Kowloon City where she took up work with Miss Storr.

Move to Victoria House

Former Blind Institute Kowloon (Victoria House) [76]

Victoria House Kowloon [77]

Nellie’s transfer to Victoria House was much appreciated as Miss Storr had dysentery when the transfer was made.

Nellie is welcomed at Victoria House

Not long after Nellie arrived in China she received a allowance pay rise, back dated to 1st October 1920. She was paid HK$100 per month. Her actual pay was paid by CMS N.S.W.

Personal Allowance Pay Increase

Whilst at Kowloon she also attended the CMS South China Conference held in 1921.

CMS South China Conference 1921

Annual letters to the CMS headquarters in London was a requirement of all missionaries. These letters provide a condensed version of each missionaries’ work over the previous year. Nellie’s first Annual Letter of 1921 (Transcript) describes when she arrived in Hong Kong and the first work she undertook.

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[76] - [77] https://gwulo.com/