Arthur Malcolm Stace (9 February 1885 – 30 July 1967), known as Mr Eternity, was an Australian soldier. He was born in Redfern, Sydney, on February 9, 1885. A child of alcoholics, he was brought up in poverty. In order to survive, he resorted to stealing bread and milk and searching for scraps of food in bins. By the age of 12, Stace, with virtually no formal schooling, and working in a coal mine had become a ward of the state.
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As a teenager, he became an alcoholic and was subsequently sent to jail at 15. Afterwards, he worked as a "cockatoo" or a look-out for a two-up "school". In his twenties, he was a scout for his sisters' brothels. In March 1916, at age 32, whilst working as labourer he enlisted for World War I with the Australian Imperial Force 19th Battalion.
Stace converted to Christianity on the night of August 6, 1930, after hearing an inspirational sermon by the Reverend R. B. S. Hammond at St. Barnabas Church, Broadway. Inspired by the words, he became captivated by the notion of eternity. Two years later, on 14 November 1932, Stace was further inspired by the preaching of evangelist John G. Ridley MC, on "The Echoes of Eternity" from Isaiah 57:15:
“For this is what the high and exalted One says – he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Reverend John Ridley's words, "Eternity, Eternity, I wish that I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney. You've got to meet it, where will you spend Eternity?" proved crucial in Stace's decision to tell others about his faith. In an interview, Stace said, "Eternity went ringing through my brain and suddenly I began crying and felt a powerful call from the Lord to write Eternity." Even though he was illiterate, he wrote the word 'Eternity' in a beautiful copperplate script. “I couldn't understand it, and I still can't," he said.
The Sydney City Council brought him to the attention of the police as they had rules about the defacing of pavements, so much so that he narrowly avoided arrest about 24 times. Each time he was caught, he responded with, "But I had permission from a higher source". Stace chalked the word “Eternity” for 35 years on Sydney streets.
In the year 2000 New Year’s celebrations, the word “Eternity” was displayed across Sydney Harbour Bridge.
