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the Church of England Girl's Grammar School at Darlinghurst where she excelled in drawing and
painting. Elizabeth Oakes commented on Spencer's appointment as Vicar General which meant
frequent trips to Sydney. After the death of Bishop Charles Camidge in May 1911, a new bishop
was appointed to Bathurst and she wrote
''Yes we hope the new Bishop will be a success, so far I believe he is well thought of but
unfortunatelu I am unable to attend Church (in fact to walk any distance) I have not heard
him Preach but I think Spencer likes him very much of course he has seen a good deal of
him & before he came we kept very busy after the other died being now Archdeacon...''

Spencer was regarded as the head of the family, perhaps because of personality, perhaps
because of his calling. He was summoned to attend his Aunt Martha, the youngest of
Francis and Rebecca Oakes, who was dangerously ill. She was a childless widow living at Forbes
and died in 1910.

Spencer Oakes became Sub Dean of Kelso pro-Cathedral from 1902-5, Archdeacon of
Bathurst from 1903 and Administrator of the Diocese of Bathurst in 1911. He was Chaplain of the
military forces in 1902 and served in the South African War where he was chaplain of the first
battalion of the Commenwealth Contingent.

[Picture]
In the uniform of chaplain in the South African War, 1902.

Spencer Oakes wrote a series of articles for the Sydney Daily Telegraph in the early 1920s.
These were based on his stories of pioneers in the Bathurst district using local knowledge and
interviews with decendants of those he wrote about. They were published in a booklet Kelso
Church and the Pioneers of the West. He also delivered a paper called Bush Memories to the Royal
Australian Historical Society on 21 Feburary 1921 and this was published in the Society's Journal.

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