Persona

Whyte, Isaac Neilson

• Neilson Whyte

1919-1972

Isaac Neilson Whyte was born on 28 November 1919 in Ulster, Northern Ireland. His family moved to Australia in 1927 and had a dairy farm in Victoria. Neilson served with the Australian Army in 1940-1945 and fought with the Rats of Tobruk. He was captured by the German forces and spent four years as a prisoner of war. He read a lot in custody and began to consider studying theology. On his return to Australia, he studied for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne and theology at the Presbyterian Theological Hall at Ormond College. He was ordained on 10 March 1952 and commissioned for missionary service.

Neilson married Dr Mary Grace Asche in February of 1951 and in December 1952 they began their mission service in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) with the Australian Presbyterian Board of Missions. The Whytes were based in the village of Wintua, South West Bay on the island of Malekula 1952-1957. Neilson and Mary Grace had seven children; the four eldest children spent their early years in Wintua. Neilson spent a lot of time away from Wintua as he was responsible for 17 villages in the region. He also helped bring about a peace agreement between village leaders in Big Nambas territory and a peace house was built to mark the agreement. The 1957 Assembly was held in Wintua and Neilson was inducted as Moderator. Shortly after the Assembly, the Whyte family returned to Australia as Neilson was experiencing some physical ailments associated with his war service. On his return to Australia he went on to serve in parishes at Goodwood, Learmonth and Donald. After years of pain and ill health, Isaac Neilson Whyte died in Melbourne in February 1972 at the age of 52.

Whyte, Mary Grace (1926-)

Campbell, M. (2009). Remember your leaders. Volume 1, Moderators and Clerks of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, 1948-2008. Portarlington, Vic. Published for the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu by Malcolm Campbell