General News
9 January, 2026
New majors join local Salvation Army
After almost a year of anticipation, the community has welcomed Maryborough’s new Salvation Army majors, Vanessa and Robert Evans.
The couple have big shoes to fill following the completion of former captains Amy and Ronald Stobie’s successful five year stint this time last year.
With nearly 30 years of service with the Salvation Army, Ms Evans and her husband have vast experience from across Australia and even internationally.
“We have lived the extraordinary for the past eight years, lived very simply, and always thought if we go back to Australia, we could live the mundane. There is nothing mundane about this,” she said.
“I don’t know how long we will be here, but we are up for however long it takes ... it’s the first time in our 29 years that my husband and I have had separate appointments. We did in our previous role but we did everything together. But now he’s off one way, I’m off the other way.”
Ms Evans and her husband did their training in Melbourne in the mid 1990s, followed by their appointment in Palmerston in the Northern Territory. They then moved on to Horsham, Noarlunga, Cranbourne and eventually landed in the Solomon Islands for eight years.
“We have been around, we have always had a passion for cross cultural ministry, so that has been very big,” she said.
“When we were in the Solomon Islands, we went from two churches to 13 by the time we left, which had spread to three different provinces. The villages are peaceful and tranquil, you really connect in that space. But the people are amazing, and that’s what I miss most, the people.”
Unfortunately, the couple’s service in the Solomon Islands was cut short. The pair briefly visited Australia last year after their granddaughter was born. But not long after, Ms Evans became unwell.
“So, we came back to Australia in March 2025 to meet our new granddaughter. But while we were home, I was really sick for two weeks ... I actually ended up in hospital with malaria, and I was so sick, I actually nearly died. They said I couldn’t go back,” she said.
“We weren’t supposed to finish there until the end of this year.”
While her husband returned to the Solomon Islands to finalise projects that were still underway, Ms Evans could only stay for five days to formally farewell the congregation.
“It was very much about the relationship. So, it was good but it was sad, in some ways, I’m still grieving that,” she said.
As a result, they were appointed new roles back home in Australia.
Mr Evans will be filling the role of Central Victorian Salvation Army team leader, overseeing the offices of the ministers in Bendigo, Eaglehawk, Castlemaine and Maryborough.
Ms Evans has already been overwhelmed with the many local projects and campaigns Maryborough Salvation Army has undertaken since her appointment.
“I came here just as they were getting ready to do Christmas hampers and Christmas services here, so to be able to see the team work together and have an understanding of the complexities here within the community is quite interesting,” she said.
“It’s important to look at how can we, as a Salvation Army, help the community? I’m very much about being an integrated ministry, the people who volunteer on Monday through to Friday may not necessarily come to church but they are part of our community.”
Since the couple’s appointment, they have enjoyed almost every bakery and coffee shop throughout the Goldfields, and love being able to drive long distances to different towns, as opposed to travelling to different islands by boat.
“In the past six weeks, I have connected with three people in the community that I haven’t seen in 30 years,” Ms Evans said.
“I am up for a challenge, I want to get involved in community events, be seen ... the Salvation Army is here to help, and we can’t meet everybody’s needs, but we do have the ability to pass people in need on to other connections.
“It’s important to have leadership within an organisation, and I just happen to be the new kid on the block, and I’m happy with that. Maryborough is a beautiful town.”