Baptist Church, 170-174 Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Baptist Church, 170-174 Collins Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 102151
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
Period: Early VictorianConstruction date: (1) 1846 (2) 1861-1862, 1929.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0006What is significant?The first Baptist service in the colony was held in 1838 in a tent on the site where the Regent Theatre now stands. The Baptist Church obtained a grant for their present site in 1845 and work commenced soon afterwards on a brick structure with round headed windows and a simple stuccoed facade with gabled pediment. The architect was John Gill and the contractor Mr Monger. This building was enlarged in 1858. It was replaced in 1861-62 by a chapel designed by architects Reed and Barnes to seat at least 1000 people and constructed by John Holtom. The majority of the windows (except for four coloured glass windows at the Collins Street end of the building) were replaced about 1929 with the new windows featuring the letters CSBC. The extent of any remnants of the 1845 structure is unknown.During the Depression the church embarked on a building program as a revenue producing venture which also provided jobs, as the income from Sunday giving had declined. The building to the north of the church fronting little Collins Street, Central Hall, was financed by the Victoria Palace Hall and opened in October 1928. The land was then leased from the church for the following 65 years and now forms part of the Victoria Hotel. Following the commencement of the Central Hall project, another building called Central House was designed by architects Gawler and Drummond and opened on 19 March 1929. It comprises eight floors and a basement and was constructed adjoining the rear of the church. The church had presumed that this building would provide offices for the Baptist Union of Victoria as their administration offices but this did not eventuate. The shop fronting Collins Street was also added during this period to provide revenue. Central House has been used mainly by philanthropic groups, with two of the floors now providing accommodation for the homeless.How is it significant?The Baptist Church in Collins Street is of architectural and historical importance to the state of Victoria.Why is significant?The Baptist Church is of architectural importance as the grandest classical church in Victoria. The facade of the building is modelled on a Roman temple and is Reed's finest and purest achievement in the giant Corinthian Order. The steps and lamp standards enhance this grandeur. The portico with its finely detailed dentils and brackets is the oldest reasonably complete surviving example on any non-residential building in the state. The interior is a fine example of a Baptist hall church and the most intact surviving from the early 1860's. The gallery is supported on elegant cast iron columns. The Classical style of the building contrasts with the Gothic designs which were so popular at the time and this reflects the independence of the Baptist Church.The Baptist Church in Collins Street is of historical importance as the site of the earliest permanent Baptist Church building in Victoria, and for its continuing function as a Baptist Church today. Central House is of historic importance as a reminder of the building program embarked upon by the Baptist Church during the Depression..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM 78-MURPHY ARCHITECTS, JOHN AND PHYLLIS 1976. HISTORIC BUILDINGS STUDY OF PART OF THE C.B.D. MELBOURNE : { AREA 1} WITH MURPHY, JOCK, FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL,p3; `Victoria Illustrated': 88;.National Trust of Australia (Vic)The grandest classical church building in Victoria, designed by Joseph Reed and built in 1861-2, incorporating part of the previous building of 1845 by John Gill to which the gallery was added internally. The tetrastyle prostyle Corinthian portico is set imposingly at the head of a flight of steps from Collins Street; with its finely detailed lintels and brackets it is the oldest complete example surviving on any non-residential building in the state. The low shop which has been added at street footpath level is excluded from the Classification.Classified: 'State' 05/06/1958Revised: 02/09/1968.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTERH7822-1746Land allocated to Baptists Third land sale 1838, Allotment 5, Block 11. This selected in 1843. Foundation stone laid 21stMay 1845, Collins St Baptist Church, architect John Gill. Church enlarged and Classical facade added 1861-62..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Sentinel (Sydney, NSW : 1845 - 1848) Wed 4 Jun 1845 Page 2 Port Phillip.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226463250?searchTerm=%22Baptist%20Church%22%20Collins%20architect`BAPTIST CHURCH.Yesterday, at about half-past eleven o'clock, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the BaptistChapel, in Collins street, was performed in the following manner The weather was most propitious, and anallusion to this favourable circumstances…laid on the 2lst day of May, A_ D., 1845, by the RevJohn Saunders, Pastor of the first Baptist Church, Sydney" Rev. John Ham, Pastor.John Lush,Robert Kerr. Deacons.John Gill, Esq., Architect."'The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Wed 17 Dec 1879 Page 7 COLLINS-STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5967249?searchTerm=%22Baptist%20Church%22%20Collins%20architectCOLLINS-STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.The foundation stone of a new lecture hall in connexion with the above church was laid yesterday the new building is to be erected at the rear of the church, and facing Little Collins street It will be a very large two story building, with a very neat façade in that street The lecture hall will be 65ft. in length by 35ft m breadth, with accommodation for nearly 600 people. Four commodious Class-rooms for the Sunday school will also be provided. The contract for the building, of which Mr A. Twentyman is the architect, has been let to Messrs. Thomas Cochrane and Co for about £3,000, and the contractors have already made a good deal of progress with their work. The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone was performed by the Rev. Samuel Chapman, pastor of the church. The proceedings were commenced by the singing of the 100th hymn, after which the Rev. P. Bailhache offered prayer. Mr J M Templeton, in the course of a few remarks, explained that the work of the Sunday school had been very much hampered by the want of sufficient accommodation, and that the weekly meetings of the congregation had also been affected by the same want. The new building was intended to supply this want. Mr J M Bruce, in stating the steps which led to the commencement of the building, also pointed out how much the want of in- creased accommodation had been felt, and proceeded to bear testimony to the great amount of energy and zeal displayed by the Rev. S Chapman in having this work commenced, and also to the readiness and cheerfulness with which the congregation had con- tributed the necessary funds, upwards of £2,000 having been already contributed or promised, so that there remained a debt of £1,000, which, it was hoped, would be soon cleared off. The Rev Samuel Chapman then addressed those present. In doing so he referred in feeling terms to the labours of the pioneers of the congregation, to whom they were indebted for, among other things, one of the neatest and most commodious places of worship in the city. He knew of no way in which they could better recognise and show their indebtedness to the past than by transmitting to those who are to come not merely the heritage they received from the past, hut that heritage vastly improved and extended. After a few remarks as to the necessity of men imparting to the religious works more of the indomitable energy that characterises their secular work, the rev. gentleman proceeded to lay the stone with a neat silver trowel, presented to him by the contractors Three cheers were given at the end of the ceremony. The majority of those present then sat down to a tea meeting in the church The building was crowded, and the ladies of the congregation were unremitting m their attention to all present After the tables were cleared, a public meeting was held, and addresses appropriate to the occasion were delivered by the pastor, the Rev. A Gosman, the Rev J L Rentoul, and other speakers. 'The whole proceedings passed off very successfully and pleasantly..Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) Sat 2 Oct 1915 Page 7 BAPTIST CHURCH RE-OPENED.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132706920?searchTerm=%22Baptist%20Church%22%20Collins%20architectBAPTIST CHURCH RE-OPENED.After having undergone extensive renovation, the Collins street Baptist Church was reopened on September 25, when the Rev. T. E. Ruth, the pastor, conducted the services. The interior of the church has been effectively treated in subdued colors, the coffered ceiling being in cream and green, relieved with gold and red, while the beams are in a shade of stone. The walls generally are of cream color with various features picked out, and pre sent a contrast to the pilasters, which are in green. The gallery is in two shades of silver grey, with sundry features in gold. The main lines of the ornamentation employed is based on essentially classic samples to be found in Greek and Roman remains.The work was carried out from the de signs, and under the supervision of Mr William Lucas, architect..The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Tue 29 Nov 1927 Page 7 Little Collins- Victoria Coffee palace- imagehttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3894517?searchTerm=%22Baptist%20Church%22%20Collins%20architect
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Research and reports
Record number:
1197204
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102151 | 1 PDF : 2,618 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |