Funeral Service of Professor Allan Carmichael OAM

St Clement’s Anglican Church, Kingston Tasmania 2 February 2012

Speaking notes of Bishop John Harrower

ALLAN CARMICHAEL: A TRUE FRIEND

I have been asked by Beryl (Allan’s widow) to speak on Allan as a friend. It is an honour so to speak – but the greater honour is to have experienced Allan’s friendship. It is an honour shared with many who are here today.

Last words are precious. Before I share Allan’s last words to me, I want to put them in context. One of Allan’s many gifts was his ability to place events in their setting or context. In fact one of our many breakfast conversations had to do with the discipline of understanding words and events in their particular context.

The context of Allan’s last words to me was four privileged visits to him in hospital during his final week. We had spoken about his illness, hopes, family, friends and deep faith in the resurrected Christ. I had prayed and read the Bible with him and even managed to get his iPod going! We had also spoken of an Anglican children’s camp in which the children had visited our property and played with the animals, including the ferrets, and had ridden the donkeys. Gayelene (my wife) had noted that the main attractions were very clearly the ferrets and donkeys.

On my last visit, as Allan and I were finishing saying “Goodbye”, (for we knew it was that) Allan smiled and as he nested back into the pillows he said, “Ferrets and donkeys”. Last words are precious. “Ferrets and donkeys” – What do such words tell us?

Of Allan these last words tell us of a man who entered into the joys of his friends and family. A person commented to me, “Allan was so learned and yet enjoyed simple things”. He was genuinely interested and concerned for others. He would ask after the life of my family as well as the church and nation.

Allan had a good memory for the goings on in his friends’ lives. Sometimes it was a bit scary!

Allan asked good questions. “How did the project, meeting, visit, writing go?”

He was gracious and humble. It was always the institution, never himself, at the centre of his work and concerns. Hence: “The Medical Faculty at the University has gained accreditation” or “The hospital is seeking …” or “The conference engaged significant issues.” “Yes”, I would reply, “but how did your presentation/ chairing of a conference session go?”

Hospitality was a hallmark of the Carmichael family. When we first moved to Tasmania, without our family, Allan and Beryl welcomed us by inviting my wife and me to meals, the theatre and other events.

I found coming from Melbourne and entering into the role of the Bishop of the Anglican Community in Tasmania to be challenging. In God’s grace, I was provided with a wonderful friend who walked with me over these past 11½ years.  We met fortnightly for breakfast at Hadley’s Hotel. Tucked away in the restaurant alcove, we talked, prayed and shared from the Scriptures. When Allan was with you he was with you – no iPhone distraction! Allan was invariably attentive to the person.

Allan was trustworthy: a confidant, a sounding board, a person who maintained confidentiality. This was so vital to me. Leadership is not easy and it is not easy to find a person of wisdom and trust who makes themselves available to walk beside you as a friend.

In the Bible the Book of Proverbs speaks of friendship and is replete with the very great value of friendship. Here are a few of these friendship proverbs,

Reliable friends are hard to find – Proverbs 20:6
Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable.

Counsel from a friend is pleasing – Proverbs 27:9
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

Friends shape and sharpen one another – Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

And finally, purity and integrity gain the friendship of kings – Proverbs 22:11
Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend.

Allan, being Allan, may well have had kings and prime ministers and premiers as friends, and we would not have been told about it! But above all we were the privileged ones, the kings, to be befriended by him and counted among his friends

Thank you, Allan: true friend.

John Harrower

Related posts at,  Note on a friend’s death  and  Looking forward to our final emancipation