Mr arthur stace became a sydney legend for chalking the word eternity on footpaths across sydney, spanning 35 years. Less well known is the fact that stace served in france during world war i and that, as with so many veterans, the experience greatly affected the rest of his life. He gained fame as a reformed alcoholic who converted to christianity and spread his message by writing the word eternity in copperplate writing with chalk on footpaths in and around sydney, from martin place to parramatta for about 35 years, from 1932 to 1967. In this longawaited biography, the full story of arthur stace s life is told. Help needed a biographer producing a new book on arthur stace, his life, his ministry and his eternal legacy would like to hear from any person or group of persons who saw eternity on the streets anywhere, and experienced a change in their lives from seeing it or because of this followed through with a conversion. Eternity the story of the homeless man in sydney, australia, who went down in historytruth summary of erumor. In this longawaited biography, the full story of arthur stace s life is told for the first time in. The word had been written by arthur stace, an illiterate former soldier, petty criminal and alcoholic who became a devout christian in the late 1940s. Jul 28, 2017 mr eternity arthur stace joined the australian imperial force to fight overseas in march 1916 but his mundane signature on the enlistment form showed little indication of the copperplate beauty. The identity of the eternity man was a mystery for over twenty years. Arthur stace writing his message, eternity the dictionary.
To buy the book, follow this link ebook mr eternity. Today that act comes full circle as mr eternity, the book of arthur staces life, is launched at what is now the eternity playhouse. Nov 09, 2014 much has been written about the mysterious mr eternity, arthur stace, who chalked his famous one word sermon throughout the streets of sydney. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The story of arthur stace book launched eternity news. Arthur was the fifth child of william wood stace, from mauritius and laura stace nee lewis. His parents were alcoholics, and his sisters ran a brothel. He became an australian legend for this simple act. A prolific author and second coming preacher, he authored some fourteen books and many gospel tracts. The story behind sydneys eternity graffiti amusing planet. Theres that aluminium memorial next to the sydney town hall, and eternity is a common motif in the sydney street art scene. A simple word in copperplate script, but an enormous concept.
A former drunk who was converted to christianity, arthur stace spent the rest of his life spreading the gospel, and unobtrusively writing eternity in chalk on pavements all over sydney. Almost every day for 35 years, arthur stace spend hours writing a single word eternity on and around the streets of sydney. Please email submissions to the webmaster even if the stories are second hand. In fact thats actually how arthur stace got started at the burton street baptists, sydney. Its first book, people caring for people, which sold many thousands of copies, outlined ways churches could establish various kinds of community care groups. Published 50 years after the death of arthur stace, mr eternity is a timely reminder of whats really important in life, and how any life can be changed for the better through an encounter that offers the promise of eternity. To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of arthur stace, buchanan wrote eternity arthur stace. Eternity went ringing through my brain and suddenly i began crying and felt a.
He was a down and out drunk a methylated spirits drinker who was destitute, roaming the streets of 1920s sydney with no fixed place of abode. Arthur stace radio interview, 1964 transcript presenter. Almost every day for 35 years, arthur stace spent hours writing a single word eternity on and around the streets of sydney. Arthur malcolm stace australian dictionary of biography. Elizabeth has written this biography of arthur stace with roy williams to fulfil a promise to her mother, may, as lisle thompson received permission from arthur to write his life story only after his death. The story of arthur stace he started early, usually before dawn,and he wandered through all the streets of sydney. This is the remarkable story of arthur stace who wrote the word eternity on sydneys footpaths for many years. Eternity has since become part of sydneys mythology and iconography. Arthur stace 1884 1967 mr eternity for thirtyseven years, arthur stace wandered the streets of sydney before dawn chalking an anonymous oneword sermon on the pavement. The wwi veteran and reformed alcoholic attended services at the burton street tabernacle and it was here that stace heard the sermon that would ultimately change the course of his. The story of arthur stace or this link paperback mr eternity. Mar 17, 2015 eternity the story of the homeless man in sydney, australia, who went down in historytruth summary of erumor. Unfortunately arthurs parents were alcoholics and he was brought up in poverty. Jul 30, 2017 it is the 50th anniversary of the death of the eternity man.
The word had been written by arthur stace, an illiterate former soldier, petty criminal and alcoholic. Click book image or title to see blog free airmail postage worldwide use search q to find blogs. Less well known is the fact that stace served in france during world war i and that, as with so many. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In this longawaited biography, the full story of arthur staces life is told for the first time in vivid and often surprising detail. A man of humble circumstances named arthur stace, became part of sydney folklore because he anonymously chalked the word eternity throughout the city. Drawing upon many original sources, some never before made public, this book will engross christians and nonbelievers alike anyone who loves a great australian story. We have gone back to the archives to give you the real story of who arthur stace was drunk, jailbird, poet, and religious zealot. Colin buchanan sings about mr eternity eternity news. It intrigued sydneysiders who pondered its meaning whilst trying to identify its mysterious author. Arthur malcolm stace 9 february 1885 30 july 1967, known as mr eternity, was an australian soldier. Born in 1885 in redfern, stace s childhood and much of his adulthood was marked by abject poverty. Renewal journal a chronicle of renewal and revival.
Eternity a tribute to arthur stace david lever art. On 1 january, over two billion people throughout the world saw the word eternity illuminated and writ large on the side of the sydney harbour bridge. Arthurs story is an australian story and one we all need to read. Mr eternity audio true story of arthur stace youtube. For 35 years, arthur stace spent hours writing a single word eternity on and around the streets of sydney. It was a sunday night november 14th at the burton street baptist tabernacle, darlinghurst, sydney, where john was preaching his now famous message. Elizabeth meyers, whose parents were close friends of arthur stace, coauthored the biography mr eternity the story of arthur stace, with awardwinning australian author roy williams. Arthur malcolm stace 9 february 1884 30 july 1967, otherwise known as mr eternity, was an australian reformed alcoholic who converted to christianity and spread his form of gospel by writing the word eternity in chalk on footpaths in. Elizabeth meyer, the daughter of a longtime minister at the tabernacle who grew up knowing stace as a family friend, is joined by her coauthor, roy williams.
Eternity the story of the homeless man in sydney, australia. His parents were alcoholics, and arthur became a state ward at the age of 12. Lisle thompson wrote a tract telling the little mans extraordinary story and tom farrell, later had the first interview. How arthur staces handwritten chalk message became. By the time he died, in 1967, his was a household name and the word eternity was ingrained in the soul of sydney. The story of arthur stace kindle edition by roy williams, elizabeth meyers. The word eternity was a graffito tag recorded over an approximate 35year period from 1932 to 1967, written numerous times in chalk in the streets of sydney, australia. He was a neglected child and suffered difficulties at the hands of his alcoholic parents. And speaking of eternity, god used his preaching to influence arthur, mr eternity, stace to go out and write the word eternity on the streets of sydney and beyond. He repeated himself and kept shouting eternity, eternity. He began to cry, bent down and wrote it for the first time. Mr eternity arthur stace joined the australian imperial force to fight overseas in march 1916 but his mundane signature on the enlistment form showed little indication of the copperplate beauty that was to come. For over 3 decades he didnt want the general public to know it was he was indeed mr eternity. For thirtyseven years, arthur stace wandered the streets of sydney before dawn chalking an anonymous oneword sermon on the pavement.
In an interview, arthur stace said, eternity went ringing through my brain and suddenly i began crying and felt a powerful call from the lord to write eternity. One of the things that strikes a visitor to sydney, and indeed many other towns right throughout new south wales, is the fact that someone has been there before. Arthur malcolm stace was born on february 9th, 1885 in redfern, new south wales, an innercity suburb of sydney. An opera the eternity man was commissioned by and performed at londons almeida theatre in 2003, before being adapted into an award. Because he wrote mostly before dawn, few saw arthur stace at work. A story about arthur stace, a homeless alcoholic who lived in the streets of sydney, australia. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mr eternity. Arthur was a transformed, humble man who was more concerned with that the message of eternity went out than he was about his own accolades.
There are others, which the book also explores and dismisses. Mr eternity arthur stace joined the australian imperial force to fight overseas in march 1916 but his mundane signature on the enlistment form. Stace s identity was a mystery for more than two decades. At the turn of the century the whole world was watching australias sydney harbour bridge with its lightshow fireworks. The god of eternity dwells with such as arthur stace, the broken thief and drunk. Eternity the story of arthur stace elizabeth meyers. Jul 21, 2017 mr eternity audio true story of arthur stace. He published it in the sunday telegragh on 21 june 1956. He regarded his unique style of evangelism as a serious mission, something between arthur stace and his maker, so for more then 10 years, these eternity signs puzzled the folks who lived in sydney. The word was eternity and he wrote it more than half a million times. Whatever your perceptions of arthur stace this may be the first time youve heard of him or he might have been part of your cultural fabricmr eternity will paint a fascinating picture of a life transformed with gods help. Sometimes his mission took him much further afield, to country new south wales and even to melbourne. The story of arthur stace by roy williams with elizabeth meyers, acorn press, sydney 2017 eternity, arthur stace s copperplate script graffiti, continues to fascinate people in contemporary australia, long after his death in 1967. Arthur malcolm stace 18851967, pavement scribe, was born on 9 february 1885 at redfern, sydney, fifth child of william wood stace, a labourer from mauritius, and his nativeborn wife laura, nee lewis.
He is also one of australias most successful baptist evangelists who is known as the man who preached on eternity and then inspired arthur stace to write eternity 500,000 times on the streets of sydney and beyond. A remarkable story lies behind the reference to that word. It took just one man, arthur stace, mr eternity, an underclass battler, former drunk and criminal to inspire an entire city. Whatever your perceptions of arthur stacethis may be the first time youve heard of him or he might have been part of your cultural fabricmr eternity will paint a fascinating picture of a life transformed with gods help. His identity was a mystery for more than two decades, but by the time he died, the word eternity was ingrained in the. He received very little formal education and had already learnt to drink heavily by the time he started his first job at 14. On phones, near the end of the blog share any blogs to inspire and bless others. Written by awardwinning australian author roy williams with elizabeth meyers, whose parents were close friends of arthur stace, mr eternity includes photos and letters made public for the first time, as well as intriguing stories about the life of this inspiring man. Arthur malcolm stace 18851967 is one of the more remarkable men in the rich tapestry that makes up the story of city of sydney. You can discover the true story of this unlikely australian icon in mr eternity. Arthur stace, also known as mr eternity, is an iconic sydney identity renowned for anonymously chalking the word eternity on sydneys footpaths for over 30 years.
About acorn press acorn press limited was established as a notforprofit company in 1979 with the purpose of publishing books by australian authors to meet needs in the australian. Arthur stace was born in a sydney slum on 9 february, 1885. It had become a word ingrained in sydney culture for 35 years thanks to arthur stace, mr eternity himself. Staces identity was a mystery for more than two decades. For 30 years, from the 1930s to the 1960s, eternity was written in beautiful copperplate script with yellow chalk on the pavements of sydney, country new south wales, newcastle and melbourne.
It was something that was truly iconic for many sydneysiders too. It intrigued sydneysiders who pondered its meaning whilst trying to identify its mysterious. Every morning he was somewhere else, wynyard, glebe, paddington, randwick, central station. After a conversion to christianity, quit drinking, and spent the rest of his life writing the word eternity all over the city in yellow chalk. But stace was much more than a one word man, as this biography demonstrates. Stace died of a stroke in 1967, but his graffiti remains an iconic symbol of the city half a century after his death. The words rang in arthur s head as he left the church.
Mr eternity tells the untold story of arthur stace. Eternity has always struck a chord in the human heart. Arthur stace a tribute to influential australian christians. Much has been written about the mysterious mr eternity, arthur stace, who chalked his famous one word sermon throughout the streets of sydney. Arthur stace was born in redfern in 1885, the fifth child of a labourer from mauritius. Mr eternity the story of arthur stace the church of.
1312 1160 504 1454 82 329 1471 539 926 552 1085 869 1468 1352 74 939 494 1423 338 1157 626 310 1264 643 343 748 173 269 1311 942 1365 549 974 881 529 608 1375