St Mary's EPSCOPALIAN Church, also Church of England Hotham, later Anglican Church, 163 Howard Street, North Melbourne
Butler, Graeme6/6/1985 Jul 91
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Title:
St Mary's EPSCOPALIAN Church, also Church of England Hotham, later Anglican Church, 163 Howard Street, North Melbourne
Date of work:
6/6/1985 Jul 91
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 108017 506096 517100 517101 517102 527139 554475
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading as at 1985: Church - CPeriod : Early Victorian (1858)Grantee/Reserve: Church of England 1873History- Before the present bluestone church was built and opened for worship in 1860, the worship had been conducted in two buildings erected on the same site. In August 1853, a zinc building was moved there and set up in the middle of what was then a school ground. This building styled the 'Dutch oven' by those who had attended services there in summer, had a secondary use as a day school during the week, the first head master being John Sircoun, sen. The congregation soon outgrew the church and by 1856, a wooden structure had replaced it. It was not until 1856 that St. Mary's became a separate parish, independent of St. James and at that time the Reverend Robert Barlow was appointed.Two years later, the foundation stone of the new church, designed by Lloyd Tayler and built by Pepper and Paton, was laid and the nave and sanctuary of the building completed by March 1860. The church was consecrated in 1862, and the transept and chancel were added by 1864.The presiding clergyman at the time was the Rev. William Byrnes and he was succeeded by such excellent divines as Rev. Robert Potter and the Rev. Carlisle, both of whom became canons, and the Rev. H.S. Begbie, who is remembered fondly as an enthusiastic and lovable clergyman. (1905-1908). [Albert Mattingley “The Early history of North Melbourne” Victorian Historical Journal February 1917 pps 80 ff ] [The Argus 14 March 1860] ["The Church News" 16 December 1862] [National Trust File 1899] ["Church of England Messenger" 1 December 1864]The La Trobe Library historic collection contains a watercolour of the site by J.E. Butler executed c1860 showing the two old churches and the beginnings of the new one. [SLV LT456] The buildings on the site were used by a range of institutions including the school, later State School 560, which closed in 1875 [Vision and Realisation Vol 3 p 42] and later an Academy for Ladies in the mid 1890's (North Melbourne Ladies College).Description- Designed in an Early English parish church made and constructed of basalt masonry with stucco dressings, the church is on a cruciform plan with high gabled roofs of slate and an unusual, graduated roof gable on the east face. Various side chapels have been added to the initial form, in particular what is assumed to be a proposed tower base which now serves as an attached entrance porch and side chapel. Internally, it is austerely decorated with stuccoed aisle arcades and a timber ceiling. Cypress species arranged at the gables evoke the 1920-30's period.Integrity - What is assumed to have been a timber picket fence has been replaced by a sympathetic wrought-iron picket. 5Significance- Architecturally, of an initially simple design, haphazard additions towards a more imposing building have obscured this and added visual confusion, of local importance. Historically, North and West Melbourne's earliest church, its only basalt church and a remnant of what was once a concentration of churches and church schools at this corner ; of local importance.References:(RB= Rate book; D= Melbourne or Victoria Directory; V&R= Vision & Realisation)1 (a) Mattingley, p. 90. (b) The Argus 14/ 3/1860(c) The Church News 16/ 12/ 1862(d) N.T. File 1899(e) Church of England Messenger 1/12/18642. SLV·LT456 (image)3. V. & R Vol. 3 p. 424. D. 18955. Panorama of Melbourne 1880___________________________RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2025__________________________________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM 1985___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1862https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154968291St. Mary's Church, Hotham, was consecrated by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Melbourne, yesterday. At eleven o'clock the church was well filled, and the voluntary was commenced on the harmonium by one of the congregation, and the majority r f the clergy in attendance took their seat facing the communion rails. The Bishop then entered by the western door, accompanied by the incumbent, the Rev Mr Byrnes, tho trustees and churchwardens. The petition for consecration having been read, the clergy, preceded by the Bishop, walked from the east to the west end of the Church and back again, at the same time repeating the 24th Psalm. On arriving at the communion table, the Bishop took his seat on the north side and the Very Rev. the Dean on the south of the table. After the consecration service had been performed, the sentence of the consecration was read aloud, and then signed by the Bishop, who directed that it should, together with the petition and deeds, be recorded in his registry. Morning prayer was read by the Rev. the incumbent, the Rev. Mr Beecher assisting him with the lessons. The Bishop took the whole of the Communion Service, with the exception of the Epistle, which the Very Rev. the Dean read and the service being concluded, the now version of the 100th Psalm was sung by the choir. A short sermon was preached by the Bishop from the 28th chapter of Genesis, verses 16 to 19. A collection was made at the conclusion of the sermon, when the sum of £7 17s Id was collected, after which the congregation was dismissed with a blessing. Amongst the clergy present were the Revs. Messrs Parkes, Handfield, Dickensnn, Potter, Siddon, Bardin, Tuckert Puckle, Edwards, Thompson and Wood.|The church, which is the design of Mr Lloyd Tayler, architect, of 82 Collins Street west, is built in the geometric pointed Style, of bluestone, the windows, mullions, and tracery, being of bath stone. The aisles, and a portion of the nave alone are completed; the chancel and transept will be finished as soon as possible. St. Mary's, Hotham, is the only church in or near Melbourne that has a clear storey, the height inside from the ground to the ridge of the roof being 50 feet. The organ, which is still to be supplied, will be placed in a gallery erected in the baptistery. The dimensions of the church are, from east to west, 105 feet, and from north to south, 87 feet. The height of the tower and spire, when completed, will be 130 feet. The cost of the whole structure will be about £3000. Up to the present time there has never been any debt upon the church, as all the contracts have been paid for as completed. The present port on of the edifice will accommodate 350 persons, but the church, when completed, will seat 900. A miniature lectern forms an interesting decoration of the interior. It was designed by Mr Tayler..1868Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers (Melbourne, Vic. : 1867 - 1875)Monday 7 December 1868 - Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60450954 illust.ST. MARY'S EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH.During the past few years there have been many large and handsome church buildings erected in Melbourne and its immediate suburbs by the various religious denominations, and in most instances the churches have been altogether or nearly cleared of debt by the time they were opened for public worship; thus affording an undoubted proof that amid all the bustle of the commercial affairs of a young and thriving colony, the people still hold to the religious principles under which they were instructed, and by liberal contributions and do nations, show clearly that religion is not merely with them an empty profession. The Church of St. Mary's, Hotham, of which we give an engraving in this issue, was opened for Divine service, after being enlarged by the addition of the transepts and chancel, on Sunday, the 8th inst., the services being conducted by the Lord Bishop of Lichfield (England), the Rev. John Potter, of Ballarat, the Rev. Robert Potter (the . incumbent) and other members of the clergy. The style of the building is Gothic, and in what is termed the early decorated period. Its external length is 112 feet, and across through the transepts it is 104 feet. , The plan is cruciform. It consists of a nave, with, ' north and south aisles (the portion of the building already in use), north and south transepts, chancel, baptistery, robing-room, and vestry.The church is constructed throughout of bluestone, with freestone mullions and tracery in the windows, and with Portland cement water tables to the buttresses, &c. Each gable is terminated with a freestone cross or finial. The nave in a clerestory, and is lighted by windows of circular form, filled in with tracery, and situated above the aisle roofs. At the intersection of the nave, chance!, and two transepts,' there ore four massive moulded stone arches, twenty-four feet wide and thirty two feet high, the space which they enclose being finished with a groined ceiling, with moulded rib, having carved bosses at their intersections. This ceiling, which hangs like a canopy over the space where the nave, chancel, and transepts meet, is one of the chief of the internal beauties of the building, and forms a fitting superstructure for the noble arches which support it. All the other parts of the church have open timbered roofs, with moulded hammer beams, and carved struts thereunder, springing from moulded brackets. The seating room, when the whole of the interior fittings are completed, will afford accommodation for about 800 persons, but on the occasion when the Lord Bishop of Lichfield preached there were nearly 1200 in attendance. The cost of the building so far has been over £6000, but it has all been paid off with the exception of about £200, and that 'sum is expected to be liquidated by the committee- in a few months. The tower and spire, which will be 150 feet high, as yet have only been commenced; and before the whole church is completed an organ loft and organ will have to be built, as well as interior fittings and stained glass windows added; in place, of the plain glass already in the window frames. At the eastern end of the chancel there is a large window 12 feet 6 inches wide by 25 feet high, intended for a stained glass design and it is understood that a local firm have offered to design and manufacture the window for a sum of £400. When all the portions of the design are complete, St. Mary's Church will be a most stately edifice. Mr Lloyd Tayler is the architect of the building, which is situated about one mile from the General Post Office, Melbourne..1869https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244917920ST. MARY'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND, H0THAM.The annual meeting of the seat-holders and parishioners was held last evening, in the schoolroom; the Rev R. Potter presiding... still a debt of £365 due on the building fund, and one of £200 about -to be necessarily incurred in fitting out the interior of the church, which is to be proceeded with at once.
Related material link:
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Topics:
Conservation studiesNorth and West Melbourne Conservation StudyCity of Melbourne Heritage Review 1999Early-mid Victorian period (1851-1875)1850-1859Interwar period1910-1919St Mary's Anglican ChurchChurchesAnglican ChurchBluestoneStone buildingsRoofsTreesClergy residencesBrick housesTerra cottaTilesCalifornian Bungalows styleFlatsHip roofsWindows
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Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
1602350
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108017 506096 517100 517101 517102 527139 554475 | 1 PDF : 2.62 MB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |