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Lilian Charlotee Wells was the only woman to serve as president of the Congregational Union of New South Wales, and recieved an OBE for her services to the church.

Early LifeLilian Charlotte Wells (15 December 1911 - ) was the oldest child of Mabel Lydia (nee Leslie) and Frederick Howell Ault.

Education

She attended schools in Melbourne and Hobart. Wells graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania in 1932 and a Master of Arts in 1934. In 1935, she recieved a Graduate Diploma of Education from Melbourne University.

Career

Wells taught French and German at Methodist Ladies College, Melbourne for three years.

Wells was involved in the Student Christian Movement attending conferences in Melbourne (1932) and Ballarat (1933). It was during this time that she met her husband, Henry Thomas Wells, a congregationalist minister. They were married on 11 July 1938 at Auburn Methodist Church.

Wells worked with her husband in ministry positions including leading women's guilds, Sunday School teacher, chorister, and drama-group leader. In 1955, she was elected president of the Congregational Women’s Fellowship of New South Wales. Between 1964 and 1968 Wells was president of the Congregational Women’s Fellowship of South Australia, and of Australia.

In 1967 Wells became part of the Australian Council of Churches, and the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women’s Association of Australia. From 1975 to 1977 she served as president of the Congregational Union of New South Wales. Wells was the only woman to hold this position, and the last person before the Congregational Churches of Australia joined with Methodist and Presbyterian churches as the Uniting Church of Australia.

In 1977 she became interim moderator of the New South Wales synod of the Uniting Church in Australia and was confirmed in the position at the inaugural synod in July 1977. This confirmation was for her to seve in 1978.

In December 1977 she recieved an OBE for services to the church.

In later life, Wells worked for Amnesty International, taught English as a second language and worked for reconcilitation with Indigenous peoples.

In 1991, an aged-care facility at North Parramatta was dedicated in her honour.

Death

Lilian died at Eastwood on 3 April 2001. She was survived by a son and two daughters.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ault-745