• Australia
    1983 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • Later that year Brothers Torrington and Keltie made a trip to Alice Springs in the heart of Australia. On the way they met a hotelkeeper at William Creek, some six hundred miles (1,000 km) north of Adelaide. It was from this initial contact that he learned the truth. This man, Charles Bernhardt, still remembers the sound of Brother Keltie’s wooden leg thumping on the floor of the hotel as he was busy in the cellar below.

      At the age of 72, Brother Bernhardt bought a rugged vehicle for use in the outback and then for 15 years pioneered some of the most remote areas of the country on his own. Before selling his store and hotel at William Creek, he set a fine example of putting Kingdom interests first, no matter what the circumstances.

      Donald MacLean, serving as circuit overseer, tells of his first visit with Brother Bernhardt:

      “Arriving at William Creek, I found that the train stopped for a considerable time while the men rushed to get to Bernhardt’s Bar for a supply of cold beer. On entering the bar I was delighted to find it theocratically decorated. A large sign on one wall invited the men to ‘read The Watchtower, announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom, the hope of the world.’ A second sign invited them to read Awake! and keep awake to world events. Piles of magazines, booklets and bound volumes covered the bar counter itself.

      “When everyone had finally been served and satisfied, Brother Bernhardt called for their attention. ‘Gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? I invite you to have copies of the finest magazines on earth today.’ Following his respectful, bold witness, each of the thirsty men contributed for copies of the magazines, threw a sack of beer over his shoulder and returned to the train. It was outstanding that out of respect for Brother Bernhardt’s Christian reputation there was no profanity or foul speech in the bar.”

      Now almost ninety years of age, Brother Bernhardt is not able to make his trips into the remote outback areas anymore, but he still preaches the good news from his house in Adelaide.