Eva Burrows

Burrows was born on 15 September 1929 in Newcastle. Her parents, Robert John Guthrie Burrows and Ella Maria Watson Burrows, were both Salvation Army Officers. The couple had nine children: Dorothy, Joyce, Beverly, Walter, Robert, Bramwell, Elizabeth, Eva and Margaret.Gariepy, (1993). p. 25. Because of her parents' itinerant lifestyle, Burrows' primary schooling was interrupted, but she completed her secondary education at Brisbane State High School, where she was selected as a prefect and Head Girl.Gariepy, (1993). p. 35. From the age of seventeen, Burrows attended the University of Queensland and received her Bachelor of Arts in May 1950 with majors in English and History.Gariepy, (1993). pp. 35–36, 38, 40–43.

In 1950, Burrows entered The Salvation Army's International Training College in London.Interview with Robin Hughes. 26 November 1996. https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-eva-burrows She was commissioned as a Salvation Army Officer in 1951. After studying at London University to be a teacher,Hughes, (1996) she served at the Howard Institute in Rhodesia from 1952 to 1967, was Principal of the Usher Institute{{Cite web|url=https://usherhigh.wordpress.com/about/|title=About Us|date=7 January 2009|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051331/https://usherhigh.wordpress.com/about/|url-status=live}} from 1966 to 1970, and served at the International College for Officers, at The Cedars, Sydenham Hill London, from 1970 to 1975, first as Assistant Principal, then as Principal.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

Burrows became the leader of the Salvation Army's Social Services for Women in Great Britain in 1975, and leader of the Salvation Army's work in Sri Lanka in 1977. In 1980, she became leader of the Salvation Army's work in Scotland, followed in 1982 as leader of the Salvation Army's work in the Australian Southern Territory. In 1986, she was elected General of the Salvation Army by the slimmest margin in the history of the High Council (22 to 24 on the fourth ballot, a margin of one person's vote).Henry Gariepy, Christianity in Action: The International History of The Salvation Army (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009) 101. In 1986, at 56, Burrows became the organization’s youngest commander. Burrows was the only woman of seven candidates and was elected by the army’s high council to replace the retiring General, Jarl Wahlström. During her seven years as the leader of the Salvation Army, she proved highly effective, directing operations in some 90 countries and reawakening the Army’s founding spirit of evangelism by leading it back into Eastern Europe after the fall of communism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11511366/General-Eva-Burrows-Salvation-Army-leader-obituary.html|title=General Eva Burrows, Salvation Army leader - obituary|date=6 April 2015|access-date=28 July 2019|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051317/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11511366/General-Eva-Burrows-Salvation-Army-leader-obituary.html|url-status=live}} At the end of her term, she was extended a further two years because of her record and achievements.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/world/europe/eva-burrows-salvation-army-leader-dies-at-85.html|title=Eva Burrows, Salvation Army's 'People's General,' Dies at 85|first=Sam|last=Roberts|newspaper=The New York Times |date=24 March 2015|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051307/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/world/europe/eva-burrows-salvation-army-leader-dies-at-85.html|url-status=live}}

Burrows completed a ten-year post on the Board of the International Bible Society (in 2005), and was the international Champion of the Be A Hero campaign, as well as sitting on the Board of Reference of The Salvation Army War College.{{cn|date=July 2024}} She wrote A Field For Exploits: Training Leaders For The Salvation Army.{{Cite book |title=Archived copy |id={{ASIN|0854128433|country=ca}} }}

Burrows died aged 85 on 20 March 2015{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/salvation-army-retired-general-eva-burrows-remembered-as-the-peoples-general-20150321-1m4jiv.html |title=Salvation Army retired General Eva Burrows remembered as 'the People's General' |first=Steve |last=Lillebuen |date=21 March 2015 |work=The Age |access-date=19 March 2021 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124104603/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/salvation-army-retired-general-eva-burrows-remembered-as-the-peoples-general-20150321-1m4jiv.html |url-status=live }} at the Coppin Centre in Melbourne, Victoria.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/salvation-army-leader-general-eva-burrows-dies-aged-85/story-fni0cx12-1227272620830|title=Salvation Army leader General Eva Burrows dies, aged 85|publisher=Daily Telegraph.com|access-date=22 March 2015}}

In the Australia Day Honours of 1986, Burrows was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) with the citation "In recognition of service to the temporal and spiritual welfare of the community and to social justice as the world leader of the Salvation Army".{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/872464 |title=Search Australian Honours result for Burrows, Eva Evelyn |publisher=It's an Honour Australia Celebrating Australians. Australian Government |date=26 January 1986 |access-date=31 October 2012 |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830112951/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/872464 |url-status=live }} In 1994 it was upgraded to Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873614 |title=Search Australian Honours result for Burrows, Eva Evelyn |publisher=It's an Honour Australia Celebrating Australians. Australian Government |date=26 January 1994 |access-date=31 October 2012 |quote=AC For service to the temporal and spiritual welfare of the community and to social justice as the world leader of the Salvation Army |archive-date=29 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129122924/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873614 |url-status=live }}.

In 1988, Burrows became an Honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, and was awarded an Honorary LLD from Asbury University in the USA in 1988. In December 1993, she received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy from her alma mater, the University of Queensland.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

On 1 January 2001, Burrows received a Centenary Medal "[f]or service to the Australian community".{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1120133 |title=Search Australian Honours result for Burrows, Eva |publisher=It's an Honour Australia Celebrating Australians. Australian Government |date=1 January 2001 |access-date=31 October 2012 |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830112939/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1120133 |url-status=live }}. In the same year she was also inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.{{Cite web |date= |title=General Eva Burrows AC |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/general-eva-burrows-ac |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=State Government of Victoria |language=en-au}}

Burrows was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au/inductees/|title=Hall of Fame|website=Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame|publisher=State Library of Queensland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023083836/http://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au/inductees/|archive-date=23 October 2018|url-status=live|access-date=23 October 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://leaders.slq.qld.gov.au/inductees/eva-burrows/|title=Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame {{!}} General (Rtd) Eva Burrows AC (1929 – 2015)|website=leaders.slq.qld.gov.au|language=en-US|access-date=8 March 2017|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051359/https://use.typekit.net/af/73d497/000000000000000000012b3d/27/l?subset_id=2&fvd=n4&v=3|url-status=live}}

On Friday 3 July 2015 (AEST), three months after her death, Burrows was awarded the highest honour of the Salvation Army posthumously, the "Order of the Founder" in a ceremony at Boundless, in London which celebrated 150 years of the Salvation Army. The award was received by Commissioner Tidd on behalf of the Burrows family.{{cite web | url = http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr030715b | title = Former General Honoured During International Congress Founders' Day Session | access-date = 6 July 2015 | archive-date = 16 July 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051331/https://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr030715b | url-status = live }}

[http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki_ihc.nsf/vw-sublinks/43C5C7F1A950582880257058004A6689?OpenDocument International Heritage Centre – Eva Burrows] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425065556/http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki_ihc.nsf/vw-sublinks/43C5C7F1A950582880257058004A6689?openDocument |date=25 April 2011 }}. salvationarmy.org.uk. Retrieved on 20 August 2012.

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General

• {{cite book | first1=Henry | last1=Gariepy | title=General of God's Army the Authorized Biography of General Eva Burrows | year=1993 | publication-date=1993 | publisher=Wheaton, Ill Victor Books/SP Publications | isbn=978-1-56476-044-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/generalofgodsarm00gari | url-access=registration }}{{cite web |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10694912?q&sort=holdings+desc&_=1351670772290&versionId=28999658 |title=General of God's Army the Authorized Biography of General Eva Burrows / by Henry Gariepy; Foreword by Billy Graham |access-date=31 October 2012 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716051320/https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10694912?q=&sort=holdings+desc&_=1351670772290&versionId=28999658 |url-status=live }}

Specific

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{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-eva-burrows Biography and Interview from Australian Biography Online]
• [http://www.wic.org/bio/eburrows.htm General Eva Burrows], biography at Women's International Center
• [http://www.salvationist.org/poverty.nsf/vw_sublinks/92987C1D835C28D880256AB90049C235?openDocument "Why Help the Poor?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307055611/https://www.salvationist.org/poverty.nsf/vw_sublinks/92987C1D835C28D880256AB90049C235?openDocument |date=7 March 2016 }} – A condensed version of an address delivered by General Burrows at the opening session of the Third Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Banking with the Poor held in Brisbane 21–25 November 1995.
• {{Australian Women and Leadership|WLE0054b|Burrows, Eva Evelyn}}
• [http://salvationist.ca/2015/03/celebrating-general-eva-burrows "Celebrating General Eva Burrows"]
• [http://salvationist.ca/2015/04/general-eva-burrows-remembered-as-inspirational-servant-of-god "General Eva Burrows remembered as inspirational servant of God"]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150521101047/http://livestream.com/salvostudios/events/3917788 "Live stream of service celebrating the life of General Eva Burrows"]
• [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11511366/General-Eva-Burrows-Salvation-Army-leader-obituary.html "General Eva Burrows Obituary"]
• [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/dls06p/alma99183897020802061 Eva Evelyn Burrows, AC digital story and oral history: Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame 2012], State Library of Queensland

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Category:1929 births

Category:2015 deaths

Category:Alumni of the University of London

Category:Australian Salvationists

Category:Companions of the Order of Australia

Category:People from Brisbane

Category:Salvation Army officers

Category:People educated at Brisbane State High School