1993
CITATION
Mr Chancellor,
It is now over 100 years since William Booth challenged the attitudes of the organised churches by translating religion into a very practical and direct concern for the physical needs of the poorest and serable people within English society. Since that time the Salvation Army has become international in scope and influence but still retains that capacity to transcend sectarianism and ideology in its ability to do practical good where the need is greatest and to elicit support for its work from believers and non-believers alike. From its ranks Eva Burrows rose to be General of the Worldwide Salvation Army, based in London from 1982, only the second woman to lead the Army in 126 years. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, she received her secondary education in Brisbane, and became a graduate of the Universities of Queensland, Sydney and London. She was a specialist in the teaching of English as a second language and was one of the first teachers of new maths to African children. Her educational role covered fifteen years in Zimbabwe and five in London, and she then became national leader of her organisation successively in Sri Lanka, Scotland and Australia before assuming the highest command in 1986. She retired earlier this year.
Mr Chancellor, For distinguished services to the Commonwealth of Australia and to the international community through leadership of the Salvation Army, I present to you General Eva Burrows, Officer of the Order of Australia, Master of Education of The University of Sydney, Certificate of Education University of London, Honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts of Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, Doctor of Laws of Asbury College in the United States of America, Honorary Doctor of Divinity of Olivet Nazarene, and Bachelor of Arts of this University, for the conferral of the award of Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa, to which she has been admitted by the Senate of the University.