Hedley Percival Bunton 1906-1997

	To First Page
<To Older Sibling	To Index Page	To Younger Sibling>

Lineage: Joseph Snr > Joseph Jnr > Alphonso

Hedley Percival BUNTON 1906 - 1997

6th child & 3rd son of Alphonso & Isabella BUNTON

Clara Margaret (Peggy) BUNTON nee PATON 1908 - 2002

	To First Paton Page
< To Older Sibling	To Paton Index Page	To Younger Sibling >

Paton Lineage: John > William > James > John G > Frank HL

4th child & 1st daughter of Rev Frank & Clara PATON

Hedley and Peggy Bunton

Hedley Percival BUNTON L.Th.	Marriage Date & Place 17 Nov 1932 at Deepdene Presbyterian Church (Melbourne) Victoria		Clara Margaret (Peggy) PATON B.A. Dip Ed.
Born 18 Jan 1906 Devonport, Tasmania Died 23 Oct 1997 Wahroonga (Sydney) NSW		Born 23 Jul 1908 Kew (Melbourne), Victoria Died 15 May 2002 Killara (Sydney) NSW
(See below for brief life story) Missionary with London Missionary Society in China. Minister in Congregational Church in Australia. Authour of "Forty Years of China"		Daughter of Rev. Frank HL Paton & Mrs Clara S Paton (nee Heyer) Missionaries to New Hebrides and later minister at Deepdene Melbourne) Presbyterian Church.
Details of Children
This section available to family members only - Family members click here to proceed

BRIEF DETAILS OF THE LIFE OF REV. HEDLEY BUNTON

17 Nov 1932 Hedley Percival Bunton L.Th. and Clara Margaret (Peggy) Paton, B.A. Dip. Ed., who had met at Melbourne University, were married at Deepdene Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, Victoria.

12 Dec 1932 Ordained to the Christian ministry in the Collins Street Independent Church, Melbourne, for service with the London Missionary Society in Canton, South China. He and his wife left for China the following morning.

1933 - 1942 Worked under Chinese leaders with the Kwangtung Synod of the Church of Christ in China, a united church, in Canton and the East River District.

Jul 1937 to
Oct 1938 Lived under Japanese bombing raids on Canton. His wife and family stayed on in Hong Kong after 1937 summer holidays there but left for Australia in July 1938.

Oct 1938 to
Jul 1939 Helped to run refugee camps for Chinese people during Japanese attack upon and occupation of Canton.

Jul 1939 to
Nov 1940 Rejoined family for leave in Australia.

Dec 1940 to
Dec 1941 Again in Canton under the Japanese, the family remaining in Australia.

Dec 1941 to
Aug 1942 After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in USA and on Hong Kong and Malaya, continued to live in the London Missionary Society house in Canton, but under house arrest by the Japanese army. In May 1942 taken with other British and American citizens to Shanghai for repatriation and exchange with Japanese from the USA and the British Empire. On 4th August sailed from Shanghai in the Japanese liner "Tatsuta Maru" * with 800 passengers.Arrived at Lourenco Marques in Portuguese East Africa on 27 August where exchange took place. Then to Durban, South Africa for six weeks waiting a ship to Australia. Left on S.S. "Nestor" 28 October and arrived in Melbourne 16 November 1942.
(* Also incorrectly? recorded as "Tatuta Maru" in some texts.)

1942 - 1945 Minister of Congregational Church in Glenferrie Road, Malvern, Victoria.

1946 - 1947 Returned alone to Hong Kong to help in rehabilitation there after 3½ years of Japanese occupation. Joined by family in August 1946.

1947 - 1950 In 1947 returned with the family to Canton, again for two years with the Chinese Church during the Nationalist-Communist civil war. Sons John & Frank returned to school in Melbourne late 1948/early 1949 respectively. Rest of family stayed on in Hong Kong after 1949 summer holiday there while Hedley went back to await the Communist takeover. So lived under the People's Republic of China from October 1949 to May 1950, when left for Hong Kong and leave in Australia.

1950 - 1951 Reported to Australian and New Zealand Churches on the Chinese situation.

1951 - 1958 Minister of the Congregational Church, Brown St., Newcatle, NSW.

1958 - 1973 October 1958, arrived back in Hong Kong with Peggy and David & Rosalie to take up appointment by the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China and the Education Department of the Hong Kong Government as Supervisor of that church's schools. Eventually was General supervisor of 54 schools which included primary schools as well as academic and technical high schools. Invited to stay on after reaching retirement ageand so did not leave until November 1973.

1973 - 1974 Returned to Australia to live in church retirement village in Pymble, Sydney.

1974 - 1976 Secretary for Australia and New Zealand of the Council of World Mission (successor to the London Missionary Society).

1976 - 1997 Lived in retirement until death in 1997.

BRIEF DETAILS OF THE LIFE OF REV. HEDLEY BUNTON
`17 Nov 1932`	Hedley Percival Bunton L.Th. and Clara Margaret (Peggy) Paton, B.A. Dip. Ed., who had met at Melbourne University, were married at Deepdene Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, Victoria.
`12 Dec 1932`	Ordained to the Christian ministry in the Collins Street Independent Church, Melbourne, for service with the London Missionary Society in Canton, South China. He and his wife left for China the following morning.
`1933 - 1942`	Worked under Chinese leaders with the Kwangtung Synod of the Church of Christ in China, a united church, in Canton and the East River District.
`Jul 1937 to` `Oct 1938`	Lived under Japanese bombing raids on Canton. His wife and family stayed on in Hong Kong after 1937 summer holidays there but left for Australia in July 1938.
`Oct 1938 to` `Jul 1939`	Helped to run refugee camps for Chinese people during Japanese attack upon and occupation of Canton.
`Jul 1939 to` `Nov 1940`	Rejoined family for leave in Australia.
`Dec 1940 to` `Dec 1941`	Again in Canton under the Japanese, the family remaining in Australia.
`Dec 1941 to` `Aug 1942`	After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in USA and on Hong Kong and Malaya, continued to live in the London Missionary Society house in Canton, but under house arrest by the Japanese army. In May 1942 taken with other British and American citizens to Shanghai for repatriation and exchange with Japanese from the USA and the British Empire. On 4th August sailed from Shanghai in the Japanese liner "Tatsuta Maru" * with 800 passengers.Arrived at Lourenco Marques in Portuguese East Africa on 27 August where exchange took place. Then to Durban, South Africa for six weeks waiting a ship to Australia. Left on S.S. "Nestor" 28 October and arrived in Melbourne 16 November 1942. (* Also incorrectly? recorded as "Tatuta Maru" in some texts.)
`1942 - 1945`	Minister of Congregational Church in Glenferrie Road, Malvern, Victoria.
`1946 - 1947`	Returned alone to Hong Kong to help in rehabilitation there after 3½ years of Japanese occupation. Joined by family in August 1946.
`1947 - 1950`	In 1947 returned with the family to Canton, again for two years with the Chinese Church during the Nationalist-Communist civil war. Sons John & Frank returned to school in Melbourne late 1948/early 1949 respectively. Rest of family stayed on in Hong Kong after 1949 summer holiday there while Hedley went back to await the Communist takeover. So lived under the People's Republic of China from October 1949 to May 1950, when left for Hong Kong and leave in Australia.
`1950 - 1951`	Reported to Australian and New Zealand Churches on the Chinese situation.
`1951 - 1958`	Minister of the Congregational Church, Brown St., Newcatle, NSW.
`1958 - 1973`	October 1958, arrived back in Hong Kong with Peggy and David & Rosalie to take up appointment by the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China and the Education Department of the Hong Kong Government as Supervisor of that church's schools. Eventually was General supervisor of 54 schools which included primary schools as well as academic and technical high schools. Invited to stay on after reaching retirement ageand so did not leave until November 1973.
`1973 - 1974`	Returned to Australia to live in church retirement village in Pymble, Sydney.
`1974 - 1976`	Secretary for Australia and New Zealand of the Council of World Mission (successor to the London Missionary Society).
`1976 - 1997`	Lived in retirement until death in 1997.