St John's Anglican Church, Albany

Church tower 2013
Tower 2015

St John's Anglican Church, also known as St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, is a church in Albany in Western Australia. The church is the oldest in Western Australia.[1]

The church was built by the people of the town, with construction commencing in 1841[2] and completed in 1844. The church was the first to be consecrated in Western Australia; the ceremony was conducted on 25 October 1848 by Bishop Augustus Short of Adelaide.[3] At this time the church would have been able to accommodate the entire population of the town, 170 people.[2]

The church is a stone building with gabled roofs covered in shingles.[4] The aisle of the church is made from 22-centimetre (9 in) thick blocks that had been made in England.[5] The stone walls are 540 millimetres (21 in) thick and the building also has stone foundations; the stone was thought to be quarried from nearby Mount Melville and Mount Clarence. The walls are so thick that no buttresses are required.[4] The original building is now the nave of the present church, with the gallery behind built in 1852. The tower and porch were completed in 1853. The tower is topped with battlements on the parapet.[4]

Construction of the rectory commenced in 1850[2] and was completed the same year. Originally it was a single story stone building, however a second storey was added in 1875.[4] A second rectory was built behind the original one in 1980.[2]

The first recorded Anzac dawn service was held by the church in 1930.[6]

The church, rectory, hall and peppermint trees were listed on the register of the National Trust in 1978.[4]

Canon Edward Argyl was appointed as the parish priest in 2011 until his death in 2015.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Albany WA the most beautiful of Cities Western Australia". Albany Tourist Guide Association. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Albany's Heritage Walk Trail". Albany Historical Society Inc. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, York Street, Albany". Organ historical Trust of Australia. May 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "St John's Church Group". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "St Johns Church of England - Albany". Plan Book Travel. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 Karla Arnall (29 June 2015). "Remembering Father Edward Argyle of Albany's St John's". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Coordinates: 35°01′23.7″S 117°52′59.4″E / 35.023250°S 117.883167°E / -35.023250; 117.883167

External links

Official website

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