James Albert Harcombe sm
6th July 1913 – 17th Dec 2009

Jim was born in Young, NSW and was educated by the Sisters of Mercy, the Marish Brothers and the Christian Brothers. After his ordination in 1939, Jim spent a year teaching at St John’s College, “Woodlawn” Lismore. He then joined the Marist’s Home Mission Band at Ashgrove (Brisbane), where he remained for 13 years. Jim was the first Australian born Provincial (1954–59) and from 1950 spent the rest of his active life as a Home Missioner, first at Ashgrove for a year and then at Malvern (Victoria), for 40 years.

Thanks to many vocations after World War II, as Provincial of the Marists, Jim was able to support the Japanese Mission and respond to requests for new schools and parishes in Australia staffed by Marist Fathers. He was leader of the Marist Fathers during their great period of expansion.

Jim considered it a great privilege to have represented the Province at the Rome canonizations of Peter Chanel and Marcellin Champagnat.

Jim who retired in 2000 was man of great character and integrity, a priest with very much the “spirit of Mary” his mother.