Union Memorial Presbyterian Church,, later Uniting Church, 49-57 Curzon Street, North Melbourne
Butler, Graeme16/01/1985
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Title:
Union Memorial Presbyterian Church,, later Uniting Church, 49-57 Curzon Street, North Melbourne
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Date of work:
16/01/1985
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 102343
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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DATES: 1879 church; Sunday school 1859, 1878; manse 1868;ASSOCIATIONS: United Presbyterian Church of Victoria;DESIGNER: Evander McIver- church; BUILDER: James Thurgood- churchGrading as at 1985 : Church A, Manse BPeriod : Victorian-eraGrantee : Presbyterian Church Reserve (Section 20C)___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading as at 1985 : Church A, Manse BPeriod : Victorian 1879Grantee : Presbyterian Church Reserve (Section 20C)History- The United Presbyterian Church of Victoria was formed in 1859 from three separate Presbyterian movements. Shortly after the Foundation stone was laid and worship moved from an adjacent building in November 1859 when the church was completed, and the earlier building functioned as the Presbyterian North Melbourne Grammar School. The design was by John Donaldson, and built by Thomas Cattanach & Co.The congregation outgrew its accommodation so this bluestone building was pulled down to make way for the present church in 1878 and re-erected in Elm Street as the Sunday School by builder W Gawne. [J T Robertson "Jubilee History of Union Memorial Presbyterian Church" p 26-27] Rev Dr Gilchrist was inducted as minister in 1877 and it was largely due to his efforts the the present church was built. [Mattingley : "The Early History of North Melbourne" Victorian Historical Journal Feb 1917] The architect was the Hotham (North Melbourne) Town Surveyor, Evander McIver; the tender of £5819 from local builder James Thurgood was accepted and the church was built in 1879. [[J T Robertson "Jubilee History of Union Memorial Presbyterian Church" p 43] Dr Gilchrist was followed by the Rev J T Robertson who was minister until 1892 when Rev A J Wade was inducted. After 10 years, Rev Robertson returned from South Africa and took up his old position again until at least the beginning of the First World War. During this time he wrote the jubilee history of the church. [Mattingley : "The Early History of North Melbourne" Victorian Historical Journal Feb 1917]By 1888 there were six buildings standing on the original two acres which the Presbyterians had acquired permissive occupancy in 1852. These were the old iron school house (1855) which was removed in 1897, the Manse (1867-1868) the bluestone Sunday school (1859, 1878), the church (1878), the state school (later to be Queensberry Street School, built 1882) and the parsonage of 1893, previously the church officer's house. [MMBW plan] It is possible that the Manse and parsonage may have also been to McIver's design..Description - The Church is a Gothic Revival Church, reflecting the Italian Romanesque influence by its polychrome brickwork and the French Gothic by its asymmetrically placed brick tower and stuccoed spire (48.5 metres). The slate roofed basic gabled box is adorned with pinnacled buttresses and a corbel table, along the nave, whilst similar stepped corner buttresses flank the matching tower to that of the spire, and quatrefoil piercings decorate the tower parapet. Further corner, stuccoed pinnacles correspond to the gabled bell housing under the spire. Unusual pointed arch aisle windows with shaped sills are placed either side of the main doors.Internally, the ceiling was of cedar and kauri pine; the church seating 560 with 320 in the galleries and the coloured windows made by local firm, Ferguson and Urie.Integrity - The eastern gallery housed the relocated organ when the pulpit and choir stalls were demolished and relocated, and the communion dais extended in 1953. Iron pickets (by Angus Maclean) once extended around the church with capped corrugated iron at the manse and a timber picket on Elm Street; these were removed. The current picket fence in front of the parsonage is sympathetic. Most finials (crucifixes) to pinnacles and gables have gone; a pipe balustrade has been added at the entrance.Significance - Comparison may be made with the following gabled polychrome brick or stone churches with asymmetrically placed towers and spires which have been identified: St. Lukes, St. Georges Road. North Fitzroy (1879-81); St. Judes Carlton (1866-70); Lebanese Church, Rathdowne Street, Carlton (1878); Scots Church, Collins Street, Melbourne (1873-4); Toorak Presbyterian Church (1875-6); St. Ignatius. Church Street, Richmond; Uniting Church, Williamstown (c1B70); St. Georges. La Trobe Terrace, Geelong (c1861); St. Patricks, Wangaratta (1865-71) and St. Mary's, North Melbourne (1891-1900).Of these most are in stone, some of which are superior, such that of the brick examples only St. Judes is considered superior.Other unidentified but similar designs include the Presbyterian Church in Castlemaine (1894) and the Augustine Congregational Church, Hawthorn (c1880-6); both are later but equivalent in value.Conclusion - One of the best group of known, asymmetrically towered. polychrome brick. Gothic Revival parish churches in Victoria: of State-wide importance.SUNDAY SCHOOL –Description - Rebuilt without many of its original details, this is a Gothic Revival church deriving from the Early English period. of rubble bluestone with freestone dressing at openings and attached porch and bellcote. Stucco has been applied since its reconstruction but fine iron (or timber?) tracery survives in the windows; the fence has been removedSignificance - Of low architectural integrity and historically of little to do with the 1859 church: of local importance.MANSE –Description - A two-storey, unpainted stuccoed brick residence with a hipped and slated roof. symmetrically placed and architraved fenestration and corniced chimneys.Significance - This generally original house is of elegant proportions and detail and of a distinguishably early and uncommon form (without a verandah). It is also the oldest building on the site: of high regional importance.PARSONAGE –Description - A polychrome brick, single storey double-fronted cottage in a typical asymmetrical. gabled ecclesiastical mode. Fretted barge boards and a cast-iron verandah provide decorative touches to a largely original house. The picket fence may be a modification of the original. Significance - An uncommon form generally for a house but typical for small ecclesiastical designs, in original condition and associated with the above complex, historically: of regional importance.Recommendations - Consider preparation of a restoration plan for the complex including replacement of finials , repainting of all building trim and the perimeter fence in original colours; the Sunday School's preservation i.e. eroding freestone dressings and stucco over basalt - the former could be replaced or protected with stucco and the latter could be stripped and waterproofed (if necessary) by a selected clear coating; and the fence also could be replaced as original or as arrow-head timber picket, as guidelines (hl); consider enhancement of the manse by eventual part or whole of the adjoining service station..References:(RB= Rate book; D= Melbourne or Victoria Directory)1. J.T. Robertson Jubilee History (1904) p.26-272. Mattingley , p.913. Robertson p.43, op cit4. Matting1ey, op. cit.5. M.M.B.W. Detai l Plan Nos. 745, 750, 758, (1896)
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102343 | 1 PDF : 1.94 MB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |