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Anglican Chinese Mission Church of the Epiphany also Chinese Mission Church and students quarters, 119-125 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Graeme Butler and Associates01/07/1989

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Graeme Butler and Associates

Date of work:

01/07/1989

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 105837

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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)

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Graphic materialsTextual material

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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)

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UnrestrictedOpen access.

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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.

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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: Edwardian 1900-1915DATE: 1902;ASSOCIATIONS: Chinese Mission trustees (Anglican);DESIGNER: Barnet, Nahum;BUILDER: Wright, James G..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistory119-125As with the various mission halls that both preceded and post-dated it, this hall and two shops were built in the centre of the commercial and warehouse district it served and, apart from the ecclesiastical pointed archways and cement detail, appeared to blend with the utilitarian commercial buildings around it. Its owners were the Chinese Mission Trustees (Anglican), its architect, Nahum Barnet, and the builder, James G. Wright (of Toorak). Check Hong Cheeng (refer 107-109 Little Bourke Street) was instrumental in establishing this church-hall, as he had previously done at 108-110 Little Bourke Street in 1854. This hall was known as the Church of England Mission of the Epiphany and by the 1940s still functioned as a Chinese Church and school. Its original commercial section was occupied by Sing Lee lung & Co., grocers, in the 1960s and a similar use is maintained today.C. H. Cheong was one of Melbourne's better known Chinese residents.DescriptionAn austere Venetian Gothic revival brick warehouse-like form which honestly wears its dual function by confinement of heavy ground-level cement ornamentation around the church entrance and the more austere shopfront openings adjoining (replaced). The upper-level architecture is uniformly extended across the building facade, comprising an enriched cornice, expressed piers, string and impost moulds and the all-pervading pointed arches which are visible on all faces. Foliated capitals and broad cement architraves make up the details.External IntegrityShopfronts altered obtrusively and illuminated signs attached.StreetscapeContributes to the face-brick 19th Century warehouse or shop form seen adjoining and elsewhere in the Lane.SignificanceHighly expressive of the many mission churches established in the Chinese quarter, the inherent external differences between these and church-halls for the European community and their consequent visual compliance with their contemporary neighbourhoods also represents the efforts of C. H. Cheong in his pursuit of Christian missions among his people..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 76, Page 18.HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCENahum Barnett accepted tenders for erection of this Chinese Mission chapel and students' quarters in 1902. The Mission was run by CheongCheok Hong. The building is a substantial composition in red brick in the form of a warehouse with reference to the Gothic style in the lancetWindows, rendered mouldings, brick pilasters and corbe1ling. The building is a substantial element of Chinatown and demonstratesChinatown's function as a centre of Chinese social and religious life..LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Churches, Little Bourke StRecord 35988 Barnet, Nahum; VIC Hostels; Religious Buildings 1902 3 15 Nahum Barnet 412 Collins St tenders accepted for erection of Chinese Mission Chapel and students' quarters in Little Bourke Street, Melbourne Building Engineering and Mining Journal 15.3.1902, supplement 573208 Singleton, Dr J. Melbourne VIC Halls; Religious Buildings Bailey, J - Bouverie St Carlton 1880 08 25 8490-MCC registration no 8490 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.15.0large room for Gospel hall Little Bourke - Bilking Square73340 Jewish Synagogue Trustees Melbourne VIC Religious Buildings; Schools Rennie, J A - 173 Hoddle St 1875 12 28 6599-MCC registration no 6599 [Burchett Index]. Fee not chargeableadditions to school, Little Bourke west - Hebrew School.VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1533https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/94481855 - hotel on site. 1880 - two-storey building. 1888 - site vacant(?). 1902 - Chinese Mission Church (funds raised by Cheok Hong Cheong, merchant, missionary and social reformer who had previously raised the funds to build the church at 108-110 Little Bourke Street in 1892). 1905 - three-storey building, Mission Hall.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC) B6636Nahum Barnett accepted tenders for erection of this Chinese Mission Chapel and student's quarters in 1902. The Mission was run by Cheong Cheok Hong. The building is a substantial composition in red brick in the form of a warehouse with reference to the Gothic style in the lancet windows, rendered mouldings, brick pilasters and corbelling. The building is a substantial element of Chinatown and demonstrates Chinatown's function as a centre of Chinese social and religious life.Classified: 06/06/1994.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1872https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244705261CHINESE CHURCH, MELBOURNE.In Little Bourke street, between Swanston and Russell streets, stands a neat brick edifice ornamented with devices in fire-brick, and which on certain evenings in the week emits from its windows a flood of light, while the hum of a voice heard through the open door proclaims that it is not untenanted…1894The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Thursday 3 May 1894 - Page 7https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8663856CONSECRATION OF A CHINESE CHURCH.The new Chinese Church built by the Church of England in Little Bourke street east, mainly by the help of Archdeacon Williams, of Waipu, New Zealand, who gave a donation of £1,000 towards that object, was consecrated yesterday, and owing to the presence of so many leading prelates from other colonies the ceremony was more imposing than would have otherwise been the case Amongst the clergy taking part in the consecration were the Bishops of Melbourne, Ballarat, Newcastle, Riverina, and Goulburn, Archdeacons Beamish and Allnut, Canons Chase and Handfield and over thirty ministers of the church The Rev George Soo Hoo Ten, of Sydney, was the only ordained Chinese clergyman present, and he, with Mr C H Cheong, the superintendent of Chinese missions here, repeated portions of the service in ChineseA number of the Chinese catechists working for the mission both in town and country were also present, and the ceremony was altogether of a unique character The service commenced with the hymn "All people that on earth do dwell” the Chinese present singing from the hymn books printed in Chinese characters After the reading of the lessons by Canon Chase, repeated in Chinese by the Rev. George Soo Hoo Ten, Mr Cheong intimated that the Chinese mission would now be transferred from St John's Church to the mission buildings over the church Canon Chase, gave some particulars as to the building. But for Archdeacon Williams a donation of £1,000, it could not at present have been erected The cost of the ground, church, and mission buildings was £2,000, and £2,400 had been subscribed, so that there was still a deficiency of about £100 on the building, while the committee of management had also incurred a further debt of upwards of £300 in carrying on the mission Unless some help was given by them it meant either the dismissal of faithful workers or grievously underpaying them.The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Ballarat, who took his text from the 10th chapter of St Luke, "'Two men went up into the temple to pray" He asked the church to remember that the Chinese represented a nation rich in art and philosophy while the fathers of our own race were Mill grovelling in ft brutal savagery the one country of the world where slavery was utterly unknown, a country where a national system of education, yet young here, had existed for centuries 'Those amongst us were an industrious law abiding people, who, in proportion to their numbers, were responsible for only one tenth of the crime charged to Europeans This church, if it had not yet been named, might be called St Matthews In concluding his sermon the preacher addressed himself particularly to the Chinese present, his speech being translated by Mr Cheong At the conclusion of the consecration service those present inspected the mission buildings1902The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Sat 8 Feb 1902 Page 3 AdvertisingNAHUM BARNET. Architect.TENDERS are REQUIRED for the ERECTION of CHINESE MISSION CHURCH and STUDENTS' QUARTERS. Little Bourke-street.Plans and specifications may be seen at the office of the architect. Trustees'-chambers. 412 Collins-street,on and after the 5th Inst.The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted.NAHUM BARNET. Architect.Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925)Thursday 11 December 1902 - Page 32https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175397099...The Chinese Mission, Little Bourke-street, began a new spurt on Sunday afternoon. The Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists have combined for open air services, and we happened to pass as the first one went on. Very impressive. A large number of Chinamen had gathered. The addresses were by Chinese in their own tongue. A number of converts sang hymns from a Chinese edition of Sankey.There has been some jealousy between the Methodist and Anglican Chinese churches inLittle Bourke-street. One is glad to see it done away with. Federate.1949https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205362940 illust.Chinese Church of the EpiphanyA little-known side of church life in Melbourne is that of the Chinese churches, which include the Church of England, Presbyterian and Methodist, all in Little Bourke-street, and the Church of Christ in Carlton. When the Chinese Church of the Epiphany was founded many years ago in Little Bourke-street by the late Rev. Cheok Hock Cheong the members of its congregation lived in the neighborhood, but now the families are scattered In the suburbs. In the course of its history this church has been carried on over periods by Chinese clergy of the Anglican church in China— Chinese graduates of the Union Theological College, Canton.In recent years, however, it was not possible to obtain the services of Chinese priests, and the work was continued for some time by the late Rev. E. C. Thompson. Now It is under the charge of Canon W. G. Thomas, chaplain of the mission, who is assisted by Chinese laymen.Canon Thomas's grandfather, the late Mr. Joshua Thomas, sen., of Dunolly, and the late Mr. Cheong were old friends when Canon .Thomas was a boy, and had no idea that he would someday be chaplain of Mr. Cheong's church. Mr. Ben Cheong, a son of the founder is a member of the present committee. On occasions when the chaplain ministers the English Prayer Book service is used, the Scriptures are read in Chinese, and usually the English sermon is interpreted into Chinese by a layman, who is also organist of the church and a first-class musician. Weddings are con ducted In English, and the young people wear beautiful European clothes, as all the voting Chinese are very Western-minded.Last Sunday an all-Chinese service was read by Mr. Lee Jack, und the sermon preached by a Chinese assistant. Above the church is an assembly hall which is used as a social centre for the Chinese, and where also educational work is carried on for those non-English-speaking Chinese who wish to improve their knowledge of English.Conversational systems are used, and now the mission hopes to teach Chinese to the young Australian-born Chinese and any others who want to learn it. When the church authorities get possession of the two ad joining properties, - which they own', they Intend to establish a hostel for Chinese students who come to Melbourne.DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1893117 Quong Lin Hie, tea dealerCommercial la127 VacantBrien La-Gospel mission hall1895Commercial laBrien la-Gospel mission hall137 Kong Long, storekeeper1900Commercial la131, 133, 135Brien La-Gospel mission hallOne house Chinese occupant.

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City of Melbourne

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