Bible Society Australia
Bible Society Australia is an Australian non-profit, non-denominational, Christian organisation. It is part of a worldwide network of Bible Societies. Bible Society Australia maintains that the Bible is a significant historic text which has deeply influenced society and culture and is still relevant today. The organisation is involved in translating, publishing, and distributing the Christian Bible, from print, to audio, to digital versions. Bible Society Australia is also involved in Bible advocacy, the publication of Bible reading materials, and the provision of literacy support, both in Australia and overseas. History The Bible Society is the oldest continually operating organisation in Australia. The Bible Society of Australia was inaugurated at the instigation of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in Sydney on 7 March 1817. Moved by a scarcity of Scriptures in the new colony, Lady Elizabeth Macquarie influenced her husband to form an Auxiliary Bible Society in New South Wales. Governor Lachlan Macquarie called a meeting of "the Magistrates, Clergymen and other inhabitants of Sydney." In a packed court-house, the leading citizens of Sydney established the New South Wales Auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, as the Bible Society was then known. One of the first acts of the new Auxiliary